Qobuz drops MP3 streaming in US creating one CD Quality/HiRes price plan – Studio Premier eliminating its MP3 (lossy) streaming tier completely. Available now, Qobuz has streamlined its monthly offerings to one $14.99 plan that includes unlimited access to its entire HiRes and CD Quality catalogue and $12.50/month if you take out a yearly subscripton. With their maximum quality plan now available for one accessible price, Qobuz is the first streaming service to say goodbye to the increasingly archaic MP3 and is making HiRes and lossless the new standard in the belief that everyone deserves the best quality sound.
Rock icon and HiRes evangelist Neil Young, said, “Qobuz sounds great! Qobuz was one of the earliest HiRes streamers. Their new offer is another big step towards making Hi-Res streaming available at the same cost as MP3 streaming today.”
The new Studio Premier plan is a limited time promotion available to the first 100,000 new Qobuz subscribers (plus existing users), who will receive unlimited access to over 50 million tracks in HiRes or CD Quality along with Qobuz’s in-depth editorial and metadata content, for $14.99/month, or $149.99/year). Qobuz will still offer its unique Sublime+ plan, now priced at $249.99/year, which includes all the streaming offerings, plus a substantial discount on HiRes download purchases from the Qobuz store. Further information on how to upgrade can be found at a Qobuz FAQ page here.
Dan Mackta, Managing Director of Qobuz USA, said, “MP3 is really bad for music, artists, and listeners – so Qobuz is saying ‘no’ to MP3 and now offers only real studio quality in one accessible plan. Studio Premier is a special offer we’ve been dying to make. With the new plan, we will be pouring gasoline on the growth that has been kindled by our unique relationships in the premium audio hardware and retail industries. Our unequalled editorial and curation in specialist genres, and our focus on the culture around music and audio will continue to create value for listeners. Qobuz does all this because our users’ passion for music is worth it!”
In the UK, Qobuz is retaining its existing subscription offers – MP3 at £9.99/month, CD Quality at £19.99/month, HiRes at £24.99 as well as Sublime+ at £299 per year.
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