[All Platforms][Music] HiFi Quality - Lossless Streaming 16bit 44.1khz

[timiambeing]

I've just started a trial of Qobuz - they offer the standard 320kbps as well as lossless FLAC streaming (and high res downloads if you purchase them) the sound quality is noticeably better and on classical it's just wonderful to get all that resolution through your hi-fi or headphones! The catalogue has a way to go to get to Spotify's level, but they are getting there. The iPad app isn't' too bad (the desktop app is in need of an upgrade but I hear they are putting all their efforts into mobile apps right now).

So - lossless streaming - if Qobuz can do it then so can Spotify, they must have the same source - and obviously if you are asking £20 a month then those record labels and distributors take enough notice to make the high res tracks available for streaming. What this all means is soon, very soon, we will get lossless streaming and closely followed by high res downloads - but if Spotify aren't careful it will be Apple who get there first with an audiophile premium offering, and when they do it will be a much harder market place to make money in!

** please don't lump this suggestion with the main one on lossless downloads, that's a different idea entirely guys!

[timiambeing]

I've just started a trial of Qobuz - they offer the standard 320kbps as well as lossless FLAC streaming (and high res downloads if you purchase them) the sound quality is noticeably better and on classical it's just wonderful to get all that resolution through your hi-fi or headphones! The catalogue has a way to go to get to Spotify's level, but they are getting there. The iPad app isn't' too bad (the desktop app is in need of an upgrade but I hear they are putting all their efforts into mobile apps right now).

[timiambeing]

So - lossless streaming - if Qobuz can do it then so can Spotify, they must have the same source - and obviously if you are asking £20 a month then those record labels and distributors take enough notice to make the high res tracks available for streaming. What this all means is soon, very soon, we will get lossless streaming and closely followed by high res downloads - but if Spotify aren't careful it will be Apple who get there first with an audiophile premium offering, and when they do it will be a much harder market place to make money in!

[NoNoise]

@Audioplayer 

I have been using Amazon Music HD since it launched, and I find the quality to completely on par with Tidal and Qobuz while having a vastly bigger library, both of which I used previously. So, I'm not saying your viewpoint is wrong, but I'm just curious what problems you are referring to. I would pay the higher cost to Qobuz, if they had the library Amazon has...

[malibu35072]

Since 2014 "we'll maybe think about it" for lossless...  Meanwhile multiple lossless streaming services exist...  Its 2020 and they don't care. 

Between this and my app homepage that has been broken for 6 months straight...I'm getting fed up, where is my $11 a month going? 

I think Spotify is happy to let themselves fall behind the curve.  

[Audioplayer]

@NoNoise

While I think Qobuz is the better sounding service between it and Tidal. Especially seeing Tidal is scamming their customers with the lossy high resolution MQA B.S.. Where Qobuz gives you true lossless high resolution and at a cheaper price than Tidal does to boot. At least both of those services offer exclusive mode wasapi  and asio for bit perfect playback Amazon doesn’t do that. User interface is also different between services and a personal thing. I like the way some things from some services are done but some others do different things better. Amazon also Frankensteins albums which the others don’t. If you don’t know what that means it’s that Amazon will playback the wrong version of a song from an album at times when it finds a higher resolution  elsewhere in its catalog even if it’s a live track instead of the studio version that is supposed to be there. So you don’t even know what mastering you may be getting which is highly annoying to me. Qobuz’s catalog is growing by the day and is now on par with Tidal for mainstream stuff and probably better with jazz and classical plus it’s still growing. You probably tried Qobuz too soon when it was still in beta mode which it is now long out of so you should look back into it. Catalog difference per service might depend a little on a users musical preference outside of the mainstream but I think that people are thinking of the old early days of streaming of which now that time has passed the catalogs get updated and most of the services are on par with each other or should be soon. It just takes a while for them to ingest all of the music files. Not to mention if something is missing contact the service and ask for it. While you are at it contact the labels and artists too and make them aware. Some things fall through the cracks due to glitches and others need prodding for action. Qobuz and Deezer seem to have the better ability to contact and engage with customer service compared to Amazon. Amazon isn’t about music it’s just an add on to them. Music is all the others do. Think about it. 

[rastaman2000]

Spitify cannot afford the STORAGE equipment.

Maybe later, when it gets chinified, just like VOLVO. 😛

Well, the risk of this scenario is that it may face the fate of SAAB. 😞

As of now, it's nice they provide us with this platform for discussing HQ Music (Customer-Oriented) Services. 😉

[ToriMe]

This thread started in 2014. For at least the past two years I’ve periodically touched base to see when Spotify would begin offering a higher resolution. It’s 2020 and the question isn’t when, it’s whether they’ll ever offer. I’ve tried all the major services (Tidal, Amazon, Deezer) with extensive playlists and listening time. The only reason why I’ve periodically come back to Spotify is due to the ability to share with my brother.

Yes, Spotify’s interface is phenomenal, but who’s to say that Amazon won’t be in the same league in the near future? They’ve already nailed the market analysis by including Hi-Rez with a respectable catalogue (to begin with). With all the financial backing, I’m sure their user interface will be even better than Spotify in the coming years. 

To the point, there’s a lot of people - think forum members of Audiogon or Steve Hoffman - who’ve already given up on Spotify. To some extent I have as well - to the extent of not coming back even if Hi-Rez was offered; not out of frustration, but instead principle. 

Thread started in 2014 for goodness sake! Simply bewildered.

[leevialahaivala]

Hello! I have also waited that the hires quality could become in Spotify. I listen truly all of music in Spotify and it is very easy to use and there is very much music. The Hi-Res quality would be extremely great thing. It could be option for example a platinum plan or something which surely could be a bit more expensive than premium for example €20 per month or something. I have to say that if you do this I’ll start listening with Hi-Res quality immedeatly. I think it could be easy to do it possible because there are other streaming services which have this possibility and I wouldn’t like to change my streaming service because I have also so much playlists in Spotify and I exactly know how to use Spotify. 

[NoNoise]

@Audioplayer 

 Thank you for that explanation. I tried Qobuz in May of 2019, so roughly a year ago, but I do understand every month, they are (hopefully) adding more and more.

I listen to mostly "off-the-mainstream" rock-ish type stuff, and I've always struggled with losing items off my playlists/favorites when I switch services, especially away from Spotify. When I tried Qobuz, it seemed like they had a lot more classical, jazz, and stuff like that and missing a lot of the stuff I listen to (smaller labels and whatnot).

Google Play Music (which I don't like but have because I pay to not have YouTube ads) seems to be nearly on par with Spotify with regards to music selection, and I was honestly surprised they didn't do "Hi-Res" before Amazon...

Anyway, the cost of Amazon is so low, but I do also buy music still, and I would definitely save some money via the Qobuz Sublime service. I also use Roon, and that has the nice Qobuz integration...

So, yeah, I'll likely give Qobuz another try later this year, but in the same way that they are adding to their library, Amazon is making improvements to their service, as well, and I am curious if they will see enough profit to make the kinds of improvements...

[rastaman2000]

@leevialahaivala, @NoNoise

PLAYLIST transfer

https://soundiiz.com/

https://www.tunemymusic.com/

*

@NoNoise

YouTube ADS OFF for FREE

https://adblockplus.org/

😉

[Audioplayer]

@NoNoise

You can easily go to Qobuz’s site and search in their store which is usually on par with what they have available to stream. I know for a fact their catalog has vastly improved since you trialed it. Can’t say for certain or not they have what you want yet or not but that’s up to you to search for. Give it another try. It’s cheaper now too unless you go with the sublime plan. I wouldn’t hold out on Google or Amazon to do a damn thing. Neither one of them has a real clue as to what they are doing.

[Audioplayer]

@leevialahaivala

Spotify would really have to offer something a lot more than just higher resolution to charge 20 a month for. Qobuz offers it for $14.99 a month currently. No way it should cost anything more than that and due to the amount of customers Spotify has it should be even less actually it shouldn’t cost you any more than the $9.99 premium users pay now!