HDtracksĪs you might expect from the name, HDtracks focuses on high-resolution audio. It also operates a digital storefront where you can buy lossless music instead of or in addition to streaming it. Like Tidal, Deezer, and Amazon Music HD, Qobuz offers higher fidelity than Spotify and similar services. If you know the name Qobuz, you probably know it as a streaming service. That said, if you've got a fancy DAC or high-end standalone digital audio player, this may be your new favorite place to buy music. This means if you're looking for music to play in your iTunes-style software, you may not want to shop here. Native DSD MusicĪs you may expect from the name, Native DSD Music offers, well, music in DSD format. Related: How to Support Your Favorite Musicians and Artists: 5 Ways 4. ProStudio Masters doesn't sell MP3s and skips over 16-bit music in general, instead offering 24-bit files in AIFF, FLAC, MQA, and DSD / DSF formats.īecause of this, the catalog is a little smaller than 7digital or HDtracks, but there is still plenty of music to find. It seems that digital hi-res music storefronts aren't known for their creative naming, because this is another case where it's all pretty much in the name. You won't find everything here, and the interface is a little cluttered, but this is pretty close to a one-stop shop. It's also not only a digital download store, since it also sells audio gear, CDs, Blu-ray Discs and more. This is one case where the name absolutely doesn't fully describe the site, because you'll find more than just acoustic music here. Related: The 7 Best Music Discovery Sites & Services for New Music 6. While it isn't mentioned on the artist pages, these can also be at a higher sample rate than the CD-quality 44.1 kHz. In addition to MP3, you can download music in WAV or FLAC format. While Bandcamp is known for letting independent artists sell their own music, the fact that it offers lossless downloads isn't as widely advertised. If you're in the market for hi-res downloads, finding a certain release can be tricky, which is why it's good to search a few different online stores in your quest. Related: 5 Ways to Improve Your Music Listening Experienceįinding lossless music downloads is somewhat easier, but finding it in hi-res format-24-bit/192 kHz, for example-is less easy. While some of these listeners use lossy formats like MP3, others prefer lossless or hi-res formats. That said, there are still some people who prefer to own their digital music collection instead of effectively renting it. Apple Music, meanwhile, has recently been talking about its Apple Digital Masters, although that’s more about the mastering of tracks rather than the delivery.The vast majority of people these days listen to music via streaming services, and most of them are happy with it. There’s still some way to go, then: Qobuz and other services are bedding in for the long haul, while awaiting the moment when (or perhaps if) streaming’s largest player, Spotify, makes its own hi-res move. Bear in mind here that according to industry body the RIAA, the US market averaged 50.2m paid music subscriptions in 2018, so 1% would be just over 500,000 people. Our aspiration is to reach 1% of the market,” said Qobuz’s US MD Dan Mackta. However, the article did not specify how many of those people are on Qobuz’s one-month free trial, versus paying for one of its subscription tiers (which range from $9.99-a-month for standard-quality streaming to $299.99 a year for its highest level of streams plus discounts from its downloads store). In fact, here are two! Hi-res focused streaming service Qobuz has told Variety that it now has 200,000 customers globally, including more than 25,000 in the US, where it launched in February. Deezer hasn’t announced similar figures for its ‘Deezer HiFi’ tier.īut wait, here’s a new figure. There are also precious few figures available on the popularity of hi-res when it has been offered as a streaming tier, bar Tidal telling Billboard in March 2016 that 45% of its three million claimed subscribers were on its ‘HiFi’ tier. The sticking point: there’s not much evidence yet that they’re willing to pay more for it, which means that hi-res remains a.) something of a niche in terms of usage, and b.) very much a topic that’s talked about by the music and tech industries rather than actual music listeners. For sure, artists and labels like the idea of music sounding like it did in the recording studio companies like MQA have been working hard to put together partnerships across devices and streaming services and when surveyed, fans tend to approve of the idea of higher-quality music. Tags: hi-res audio hi-res streaming High quality audio Qobuz Streamingĭespite all the industry-conference panels predicting that high-resolution music is the next big leap for our industry, the idea has yet to really catch fire with mainstream listeners.
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