After consolidating its position in the European market, French platform Qobuz comes to Canada and Quebec this Wednesday, offering its music streaming and high definition download service.
Qobuz is offered in both languages and is more niche than its competitors Spotify and Apple Music, according to Vincent Lefebvre, Head of Music, Marketing and Partnerships at Qobuz Canada.
Mr Lefebvre is still working at QUB musique, Quebecor’s music streaming service, but he is scheduled to disappear in May. Since the two players have been partners for some time, QUB musique music lists will be available on Qobuz, a platform launched in France in 2007.
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“Indeed, there are several playlists and editorial content from QUB musique that will be available on Qobuz starting Wednesday and in the coming weeks. The decision to have a Canadian team based in Montreal will ensure that Quebec and Canadian content will be given a significant boost,” said Mr. Lefebvre, who explains that Qobuz is adapting to each of its markets, “in line with the expectations of the Consumer”.
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Qobuz is present in 26 countries and offers a range of 100 million songs of all music genres, but the platform is so specialized in jazz and classical that its older target clientele consists of music lovers and audiophiles looking for high quality sound. The songs are available online and for download in lossless or Hi-Res “studio quality” (24-bit up to 192kHz), it said.
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“We have a streaming music platform that focuses exclusively on high definition. As one of the few online music services, we still offer a shop for downloading high-resolution files, which is important for our audiophile clientele. Our exclusive editorial content also sets us apart, with record reviews, our magazine with interviews and in-depth articles,” explained Mr. Lefebvre.
Unlike QUB musique, Qobuz is compatible with multiple high-definition technology platforms like Sonos and CarPlay, and its interface is smoother, he added.
“Someone who wants to see what’s happening in Latin music right now can choose to only show that type of music on the homepage, it’s a very personal experience,” concluded Mr. Lefebvre.