If you would like to learn more about the Qobuz music streaming service, then welcome – you’ve definitely come to the right place! In this article we are going to review what features Qobuz can offer you, as well as the different prices and plans that you can sign up to.
Music streaming platforms have become so popular in recent years, mainly thanks to their convenience and ease of use. With this in mind, the competition out there is strong.
So, we will also compare the services of Qobuz to other music streaming services, such as Qobuz vs Spotify and Amazon Music HD vs Qobuz. Stay tuned to discover our verdict!
What Is Qobuz?
So, what is Qobuz?
Well, put simply, it’s a music streaming service. It’s a French commercial music download and streaming service that was founded in 2007 by Yves Riesel. It has since expanded into other countries, including Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK. It was launched in the US back in 2019.
In Qobuz’s own words, they explain that they formed the company to offer the digital world the aspects of music fandom that audiophiles have always cherished. That meant quality sound, quality editorial, and freedom of choice that wholly excludes bias. They also wanted to design a service that catered to highly specialized music lovers, all over the world.
Additionally, it offers a tiered subscription service. For example, a commonly asked question is ‘what is Qobuz sublime’? Put simply, it’s the most expensive plan for Qobuz, as it offers you the most features.
Make sure you stay tuned, as later in the article we will get into the different pricing structures and what they offer you.
What Does Qobuz Do?
So, what features can you expect from Qobuz?
Well, in terms of music, they offer over 50 million tracks. There’s also a range of music genres from hip hop down to classical music.
This will keep both music fans and artists happy, as it means that their music can be included in Qobuz’s database.
Purchase Music
You can purchase high-res music from the Qobuz store, and this can be purchased at a reduced price if you sign up with their Sublime plan.
To purchase music all you need to do is click on the buy track or album button. You will then be taken to a different browser to complete your purchase.
You can download the file you’ve purchased in AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, or WAV formats.
Data Access
The Qobuz music streaming service also offers you all of the relevant information you need.
You see, there are documents and metadata attached to the tracks that you can stream, artist bios, and a small essay that comes with every album. If you use a web browser to access Qobuz then simply click on the ‘info’ button next to each song.
Then, a ‘track details’ window will come up on your screen with all of the information about the song, such as the listing label and the name of the composer.
There will also be information about the artists and the instruments that were played. If the song includes mixes and masters, then the engineers will be credited here for their work.
Digital Booklets
Lots of albums on Qobuz come with digital booklets with all of the information that you would get from a physical copy of the album.
This is great, as it allows fans to discover more about their favourite artist or more about a new artist they like.
For artists, this can help to grow your fanbase as your new fans may decide to download more of your music or search for your concerts online.
How To Use Qobuz
Now, let’s go over how Qobuz works. Luckily, it’s very straightforward to use!
No matter what device you use it on you will be able to easily navigate your way around. People often wonder ‘where is Qobuz available’, and the good news is that you can stream music from the web, computer, and your mobile device.
The app is nice to look at, as Qobuz has opted for a white background with clear text colours (black and blue) which makes the information stand out. The app is clearly separated into four different sections: Discover, My Qobuz, Offline Library, and Search.
The Discover section acts as a homepage for Qobuz, and this lets you easily discover new music. It combines video, audio, and text to allow you to discover the most you can about the music.
The My Qobuz section saves all of your playlists and your recently played music. This is handy as it keeps your music in one easily accessible place. If you choose to download music to listen to offline, then you can find it in the Offline Library section.
The Search section is easy to use too, and the results page will show up as you type to speed up to process.
How Much Is Qobuz Subscription?
Now it’s time to take a look at the Qobuz pricing plans. This can help you to decide what works best for you and your budget.
Studio Premier
Included in this subscription plan are 60 million tracks, and studio quality streaming (FLAC 24-Bit up to 192 kHz). There’s also over 500,000 artist bios and reviews of albums, as well as original editorial content.
This plan is included in their Qobuz subscription offers. It allows you to save 25%, in comparison to their usual Studio Premier plan at £14.99 per month for all of the same features.
You can also make good use of their free trial for this plan – this allows you to discover first-hand if Qobuz is for you!
Studio Sublime
This plan includes all of what Studio Premier offers you, but it also allows you access to their entire music catalogue of CD-quality and Hi-Res albums that you can stream.
What’s more, you have access to a 60% discount for purchases. If you can afford it, this deal is great for the discount. However, for both artists and music enthusiasts, we believe that the Studio Premier deal offers plenty of varied music for you to get excited about.
Alternatives To Qobuz
So, what other music streaming services are out there? Here are some good alternatives to Qobuz.
Qobuz vs Tidal
The Tidal music library is the best on this list, as it offers over 60 million tracks.
These tracks are hi-res and they are usually 24-bit/96kHz, but they can go up to 24-bit/192kHz. These higher quality tracks are known as ‘Tidal Masters’ and these are encoded for more efficient downloads.
You can use the service on a range of devices and through desktop, Android, iOS and more. The price can be from £9.99 per month or £19.99 for the HiFi tier.
In comparison to Qobuz, Tidal has the edge thanks to its large catalogue and quality music. However, Qobuz is arguably easier to navigate, as some master tracks can be difficult to find on Tidal.
For more information, check out our full Tidal Review.
Qobuz vs Spotify
It’s very unlikely that you haven’t heard of Spotify – it remains one of the most popular music streaming services.
It offers a music library of over 40 million songs, and these can be played on a variety of devices, such as Android apps, intuitive iOS, Smart TVs – the list goes on!
The quality of the songs are 320Kbps, and it has one of the best new music discovery algorithms that is tailored to your previously listened to music.
These playlists will change and adapt over time depending on what you listen to. In terms of price, you can either pay £9.99 per month, £4.99 for students, or £14.99 for the family plan.
There’s also a free tier with lower quality streams that have adverts. This is great for those of you who are strapped for cash, as you can still get your music fix.
In terms of price, you appear to get more value for money in comparison to Qobuz.
What’s more, the recommendations feature in Spotify is far more advanced. However, we would argue that the sound quality is better when you stream music from Qobuz.
We have plenty of Spotify guides on our blog such as How To Get Verified On Spotify, How To Create A Spotify Artist Playlist, and How To Upload Music To Spotify. Check them out today!
Amazon Music HD vs Qobuz
Amazon Music has grown in popularity as you can play it on many platforms. Such as the desktop app, web player, connected speaker support, iOS, and Android apps, and more.
The price is £9.99 per month for individual plans, £15 per month for a family plan and £14.99 per month for Amazon Music HD.
It also comes with a free trial, so that you can check it out for yourself. There are over 50 million tracks and a diverse playlist for you to choose from.
Comparing Qobuz and Amazon Music HD, Qobuz sounds slightly more detailed than Amazon, sometimes strikingly noticeable, especially with vocals.
It’s up to you whether you would prefer the enhanced sound quality of Qobuz over the slightly larger library of Amazon and its more sophisticated user interface.
For more guides on Amazon, check out our blog! We have articles such as Amazon Music For Artists and 10 Things You Need To Know About Amazon Music.
That Was Our Qobuz Review
So, there we have it – everything that you need to know about Qobuz! Overall, we think it’s a great music streaming service, as there’s plenty of hi-res tracks and albums that you can stream or purchase.
Plus, there are some great subscription offers, including a 60% discount for those of you that belong to the Studio Sublime plan.
It also offers more information about the songs and artists than any other streaming platform, so if that’s important to you then it’s definitely worth the money.
However, there are other streaming services (particularly Tidal and Spotify) that are cheaper and offer you similar quality downloads. Plus, these services provide a more advanced recommended music service.
We would suggest that you make use of the free trials, that way you can decide first-hand what music service suits you best! Also, remember us here at Мusic Gateway, as we can offer you downloadable royalty-free music!
Don’t forget to let us know your thoughts; have you tried Qobuz? Is it worth the hype? Let us know in the comment section below!
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