Qobuz Celebrates Three Years in the U.S.
Qobuz, the certified Hi-Res music streaming and download platform, is celebrating three years in the US.
Since its debut in the states on Valentine’s Day 2019, Qobuz has led the field with best-in-class sound and premium features — digital liner notes, original music editorial content, the Qobuz download store, etc — that make it the home for music lovers who want to get the best, most immersive music experience possible.
Since Qobuz launched in the US under the leadership of veteran music industry executive Dan Mackta (Qobuz Managing Director, US), companies such as Apple and Amazon have followed its lead by announcing their own hi-fi offerings. Mainstream headphone and hardware companies have increasingly enabled their devices to stream in Hi-Res, too — such as Sonos, which in 2021 teamed up with Qobuz to make streaming on their platform in Hi-Res possible for the first time ever.
Manufacturers have also made DACs (digital-to-analog converter plug-ins) more affordable, allowing listeners to play full 24-bit Hi-Res on their smartphones and computers easily. The THX Onyx DAC (THX’s first-ever consumer product), for example, partnered with Qobuz last year to make Hi-Res streaming more easily available than ever. And many of the audio world’s most influential individuals, such as Neil Young, have pointed listeners towards Qobuz to enjoy their music, lauding the service’s commitment to Hi-Res and high quality content.
As audio has made this big dent in the US market, Qobuz has remained the music lover’s go-to by offering not just the best quality music, but the most satisfying experience overall. A boutique in a superstore world, Qobuz caters to the most discerning fans with an array of features found nowhere else. Between exclusive artist curated playlists, essays from notable music journalists like Annie Zaleski, Tom Moon, and Robert Baird, and digital booklets, it’s the closest thing to “visiting a record shop, hearing from the owner and just listening to an album” (Rolling Stone) that a person can get with the convenience and ease of streaming from a smartphone.
Since the 2019 launch, the US has become the second biggest market for Qobuz, after its native France. The streaming service saw a 50% increase in US subscribers in 2021 over the previous year. The Qobuz download store has seen a similar 50% increase in sales this past year over 2020.
Dan Mackta said of Qobuz’ three years so far in the US: “I’ve known since my first day at Qobuz that our approach was unique and that we would find an audience. The changes in the market have accelerated our growth beyond expectations, and I couldn’t be more grateful to our dedicated team and our loyal streaming and download customers.”
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