Launched in 2007 in France, the music streaming service Qobuz was the first in the world to offer files in “Hi-Res” (24bits/96kHz), without losses (lossless). Currently the platform has more than 80 million tracks. Although the company has been limited to Europe for more than 10 years, it finally arrived in Brazil!
Qobuz uses FLAC and ALAC format to stream its music on the platform. The streaming service has tracks in both CD quality (16 bits/44.1Khz) and high definition, reaching up to 24bits/192kHz.
Plan Studio on Qobuz
The only plan offered by Qobuz in Brazil is “Studio”. The company offers 1 month to test the service and then charges BRL 25.90 for the solo mode (individual). However, there are also annual plans and Duo (2 people) and Family (up to 6 people) modalities. Below is a comparative table of values.
| Monthly | Yearly | Value per person | |
| Solo | R$ 25,90 | BRL 259.20 (BRL 21.60/month) | Not applicable |
| Duo | R$ 33,90 | BRL 358.80 (BRL 29.90/month) | BRL 16.95 (monthly plan) or BRL 14.95/month (annual plan) |
| Family | R$ 41,90 | BRL 419.88 (BRL 34.99/month) | BRL 6.99 (monthly plan) or BRL 5.83/month (annual plan) |
Observation: When the annual option is chosen, the payment is a single payment and you will be charged only once for the total amount, whether Solo, Duo or Family.
Below is a table comparing the prices and plans offered by streaming services that have lossless music transmission.
| streaming service | free version | basic plan | Plano Premium | Hi-fi plane | family plan |
| Amazon Music Unlimited | Sim | Free playlists and radios | R$ 16,90 | Built into Premium | R$ 25,90 |
| Apple Music | Sim | free radios | R$ 21,90 | Built into Premium | R$ 24,90 |
| Deezer Hi-Fi | No | There is not | R$ 22,90 | Built into Premium | There is no hi-fi |
| Qobuz | No | There is not | There is not | R$ 25,90 | R$ 41,90 |
| Tidal | Yes (US only) | Free with ads | R$ 16,90 (Hi-fi) | R$ 33,80 (Hi-fi Plus) | R$ 25.35 (Hi-fi)/R$ 50.70 (Hi-fi Plus) |
Qobuz and its desktop version
The desktop version of Qobuz (download here) can be used on desktop PCs or notebooks. On the PC platform, this is where the streaming service stands out once morest its competition (Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, Amazon Music), excluding Tidal. For those who have a DAC or DAC/amp, it is possible to get better audio quality with a few tweaks.
Among the streaming platforms with lossless audio transmission available in Brazil, the only one that I was able to select an audio driver clearly was Qobuz, where it was possible to use ASIO. However, Tidal has the “exclusive mode” which probably uses WASAPI [1].
[1] Article regarding the difference between ASIO, WASAPI, WDM and MME audio drivers.
How to get the most out of Qobuz on your computer
You probably already noticed that streaming services offer different interfaces and even functionalities when comparing the platform developed for desktop (PC) and for mobile devices. Fortunately, in the case of Qobuz, the desktop version of its application offers the option of using audio drivers such as ASIO. Check below how to get the most out of Qobuz on PC.
Step 01 – Check if your DAC has a driver for installation in Windows (if you use the operating system) by accessing the manufacturer’s website. If yes, download and install.
Step 02 – Connect your DAC or audio interface to the PC and open the Qobuz program (Windows PC version).
Step 03 – At the top of the screen on the right, select the button where your name and signed plan are written.
Step 04 – Click “Settings”.
Step 05 – Just below the track that displays its name and plan, select the “Music Playback” tab.
Step 06 – In the “Listening Preference” section, click the checkbox located in front of “Output Device”.
Step 07 – If your DAC or interface supports ASIO and the driver is already installed, select the option. If this is not possible, choose WASAPI (Exclusive Mode) or ASIO4ALL (if it is already installed on the PC).
How to get the most out of Qobuz on mobile
To get the most quality from the Qobuz music streaming platform in its mobile version (Android and iOS), follow the step-by-step guide to properly configure the mobile app on your Android cell phone (probably you can do it similarly on the operating system iOS from iPhone):
Step 01 – Open the Qobuz app and select the “My Qobuz” button underneath.
Step 02 – Select the gear symbol at the top right of the screen.
Step 03 – On the application settings page, select the “Streaming” option.
Step 04 – In Qobuz’s “Streaming” settings menu, change the option highlighted in blue in the “Mobile Network” and “Wi-Fi” sections to “Hi-Res – 24 Bit / Up to 192 Khz”.
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