Qobuz
Online music service
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Qobuz (English: /ˈkoʊˌbʌz/, commonly mispronounced /ˈkjuːˌbʌz/;[1] often stylized as qobuz) is a digital music store and music streaming service, launched in France in 2007. The service is owned and operated by Xandrie SA. By June 2023, Qobuz offered over 100 million tracks.[2]
History
Qobuz was founded in 2007 by Alexandre Leforestier and Yves Riesel.[3] The name comes from the musical instrument kobyz/qobyz.[4]
From 2014 to 2020 the company had a partnership with the British classical music magazine Gramophone, under which the magazine used Qobuz to publish recommended playlists.[5]
Qobuz was unable to secure financing, ran into financial difficulties, and in 2015 was acquired by Xandrie SA.[6]
In April 2020, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Qobuz gave 100% of the revenue from each new subscriber's first paid month back to the rights holders.[7]
In 2020, Qobuz ended its MP3-quality subscription plan, focusing instead on lossless streaming. However, MP3 is available as an option. A family plan was also added.[8] Also that year, in partnership with Quebecor, a Canadian media and telecommunications company, Qobuz launched the music streaming service QUB Music.[9]
In October 2024, Qobuz became available in Japan.[10]
In May 2025, Qobuz launched Qobuz Connect.[11] Announced at the Munich High End show, this feature enables users to stream and control music directly in CD/lossless and Hi-Res quality (up to 24 bit/192 kHz) on all compatible Hi-Fi devices, using the Qobuz application (mobile or desktop) without the need for a third-party application.[12]
Audio formats
Streamed music is available in MP3 at 320 kbit/s, CD-DA quality lossless (16-bit/44.1 kHz)[13] and hi-resolution quality lossless (up to 24-bit/192 kHz) for some tracks.[14] The formats available for individually purchased songs are WAV, AIFF, ALAC and FLAC for hi-res quality, lossless WMA for CD quality music, and MP3, standard WMA and AAC for lossy quality (at 128 kbit/s or 320 kbit/s).[15]
In October 2024, Qobuz expanded its audio quality offer by introducing support for the formats DSD (Direct Stream Digital) in 1bit/2.8 MHz, 1bit/5.6 MHz, 1bit/11.2 MHz, 1bit/22.5 MHz, and DXD (Digital eXtreme Definition) up to 24 Bits/352.8 kHz.[16][17]
Availability
Platforms
Qobuz has apps for Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS and Android compatible devices. 30-second clips are available without a subscription.
Qobuz can also be used on Google Chromecast devices and TizenOS (as used on Samsung televisions) devices.[18] It is also available on the music server management service Roon.[19] A web player version (accessed via a web browser) is also available.
Hardware
The Qobuz app is built into some devices (such as streaming amplifiers) from brands such as Arcam, Cambridge Audio and Naim Audio.[20] In March 2021, Qobuz became the first music platform to offer 24-bit audio streaming on Sonos speakers.[21]
Regions
At first, Qobuz was only available in France.[20] Qobuz launched in eight European countries in December 2013:[22] the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands; followed in 2017 by Spain and Italy.[23] In 2019, Qobuz became available in the United States after opening a US headquarters in 2018.[24]
In 2021, Qobuz was made available in six more countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Australia and New Zealand.[25] Qobuz offered its service in six further countries in 2022: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Portugal,[26] additionally launched in Canada in 2023,[27] and launched in Japan in 2024.[28]
Business model
Plans
As of 2025[update], Qobuz has two subscription levels: Studio and Sublime, the latter offering discounts on digital purchases. Both plans are available for one, two or up to six users, and the Studio plan has a lower-priced option for students.[29]
Artist royalties
Artists are compensated based on the volume of individual songs streamed by users. According to its own statements from March 2025, musicians receive approximately €0.018 per stream on Qobuz,[30] significantly more than most popular music streaming services.[31]
Funding
In August 2019, Qobuz raised €11.7 million from Nabuboto and the Quebecor Group.[32] In September 2020, the two shareholders raised a further 10 million euros.[33]
