Qobuz Integration [Now integrated]

@Cherraza, perhaps you could translate?

Weird the other Qobuz topic got locked.

I think most people understood Qobuz were the stumbling block (roadblock maybe) at the moment, but it’s nice to keep the discussion open?

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[Approx. translation:]

Hello,

Congratulations on having chosen Qobuz.

We are in contact with Roon. However, there are requirements from their side that Qobuz hasn’t decided to accept.

Of course, nothing is lost, and now that we recover our [financial] health, the situation could certainly evolve.

Thanking you once again for your understanding,

Cordially,

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Thanks @Charles_Razzell; I would not have translated it better.
I think this is a typical customer service reply to keep us patient. Trust Qobuz understood Roon integration is important to its customers. We’ll see the developments in the coming months. We need to maintain focus and probably re-engage Qobuz from time to time to be sure they don’t drop the commitment.

Confirmation that this is the right translation,
And confirmation to whoever in charge reading it, that Roon integration for Qobuz matters.
Cordially,
Paul (from Paris)

I’ve not seen it mentioned here, but Qobuz have a blog post concerning a press conference held late last month…

The latest news from your favourite online music service, Qobuz!

One of the points made is “New version of API (v3): enrichment and standardization of metadata, a more plentiful and open integration with audio manufacturers and third-party applications”.

I would certainly welcome Qobuz integration. I am not so keen on Tidal and wouldn’t want to sign up to it: that’s just me of course and I understand others love it so no disrespect to those who do. On the other hand I love Qobuz and I’d be really keen if it could integrate. If not then I’ll just have to accept the stand alone

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Could you tell us what it is about Qobuz that you like and about Tidal that you don’t ? Interested to know.

Hi Andrew

I didn’t find their classical selection up to scratch. They didn’t have gapless playback and I found their system clunky. Now this is going back a little while but the general impression I had was of an app that didn’t really meet my needs and was more interested in the pop market. Events since the celebs bought it hasn’t really changed that impression. I did have a subscription to Qobuz for a few months and I enjoyed it. They had a great range, very responsive support, and gave the impression that they were interested in the type of music I liked.

I can’t comment on that as my classical knowledge is not extensive … and accept that could be deal breaker for you.

I thought the Tidal app did support gapless play back now … but Roon certainly does be that playing one’s local collection or via Tidal.

That’s good re the gapless because I remember it being a major issue before. AFAIK, the classical situation has not really improved which makes it of no use to me. I’m basing this on reports from current users on another forum but also on the emphasis their big launch a while back had on pop music with not a single musician from outside that narrow sphere being present or represented. Ive always viewed it as an app for the hiphop/pop fans which is fair enough but doesn’t include me :relaxed:

I thought I’d get in there (before the thread gets locked :grin:) as I’m a Tidal user but only because its the only option with Roon :cry:

Qobuz I just prefer as a company. They were cutting edge with offering CD streaming first, and combining high-res downloads (and limited highres streaming) early on.OK, they seemed a bit on the edge of going under for a while, but they have the right idea and attitude IMO.

I feel that the Qobuz catalogue is better for my tastes - more often that not if something isn’t on Tidal it’s on Qobuz. That said I’ll be honest and say I’ve never been inclined to do a scientific test so was based on quite a small sample. I dont do much classical or jazz, but do occasionally, and Qobuz is definitely way better there.

A big reason is one service has to cover my home use and all other uses, and I prefer the Qobuz mobile Ap, and I prefer the Qobuz desktop. I just completely and utterly dislike (being nice here) the way Tidal tries to ram its own agenda of music/videos down your throat and gives you no way to set preferences to ignore it all and be immersed in your own music.

I also dislike the fact that you can’t cache locally with Tidal (on anything other than iOS, which I find is also a bit annoying the way its implemented). I don’t see the need to continually drown the internet connection playing titles that I play often.

I like Qobuz being integrated into their purchase/download area too, so its all in one place. And I really like the way you can filter and get recommendations based on more specific genres, and also based on ‘most streamed’ etc, although I think thats only their web version.

I’m not a Xenophobe at all, I’m well travelled and enjoy all cultures and people, but I have an affinity with Qobuz being European and also feel they were ‘ahead of the game’ so want to support them. Tidal just feels like another wealthy individual’s PR toy.

Choice is always good. It’s frustrating to feel ‘locked’ into Tidal because I love Roon, but I also understand its not trivial to integrate with everyone.

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I too would prefer Qobuz as the Classical and Jazz selection is much better than that found on Tidal. Roon told me they had approached Qobuz but it was when they were in or just coming out of the financial problems they had last year. I’m hoping with the new management in place, Qobuz will see the benefits of Roon integration and move forward with this. Crossed fingers. I like Tidal but. I have experienced some performance and stability glitches over the last few days which do impact on the usability and enjoyment of the software.

I’m currently trying a Tidal trial. But at the same time, I’m finding that I’m still buying Hi-Res downloads from Qobuz (and 7digital). For one thing, I tend to listen to classical, and the Qobuz catalogue seems more extensive, and cheaper, than that of Tidal. They also supply the booklets/librettos in PDF (not sure whether Tidal do this also).

I guess I’m finding it difficult to switch entirely to the streaming subscription model. I still like having the bits I purchased sitting on CDs or hard drive(s) here in the home.

Apart from the booklets, the metadata tends to be much better for classical albums in Qobuz, though admittedly not always. Qobuz also offers a classical only subscription, and an easy way to filter by genre in their desktop. To be fair though, the classical selection isn’t that bad in Tidal.

Tidal isn’t bad but it’s focus and presentation is more towards the youth market, with rap, pop and rock being more to the fore. The classical catalogue is OK but hasn’t the depth or choice of the Qobuz. The new management of Qobuz recently spoke of making a number of improvements to software and search facilities so these improvements coupled with Roon’s lovely software shoul make an ideal combination as far as my own listening preferences go.

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Tidal’s relentless pushing of the genres of its owner strikes me as a poor business plan (to put it politely). And the flip side is that classical and jazz get zero promotion and support through the app, website and email campaigns.

I love the sound though, and am happy that Tidal are there!

I don’t use Qobuz streaming, but their download store is the go-to address for classical in Europe. They simply have the best stock, even now that some labels have pulled their releases from Qobuz.

I think Qobuz has a better presentation and is more focused on quality over quantity( unlike Spotify who like to play a numbers game). It has a decent user interface which is likely to get better over the coming months. For those reasons I think it is a more natural partner for Roon. I know they had financial pressures recently but I’m sure it is the same for all streaming services and the Qobuz model has been consistently more ambitious than the others.

I think everyone has forgotten that the impediment to Qobuz integration is not Roon. The “Non” is coming loud and clear from Qobuz so while you are free to keep blathering on about it on this forum it is not going to do a thing. If you want Qobuz integration you need to shout (probably in French) at Qobuz.

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I don’t think people are ‘blathering on’ Nick. I think you might have phrased your response a little differently. I have also spoken with Qobuz about this possibility. I love the Roon experience but Tidal is not my preferred option as a streaming service, the reason being that I listen to classical and jazz more than other genres. I made a presumption that following their escape from administration, they had mentioned more open partnerships with other companies. I was optimistic that once the dust had settled, they would be more approachable.

This is the Qobuz announcement that made me more hopeful:

[quote=Qobuz]- New Qobuz Player and Qobuz Desktop applications: Hi-Res compatibility, new search engine, redesign of user interface.

  • The Qobuz Family subscription: The Qobuz musical experience for the entire family
  • New functionalities: new tools for musical recommendation (Webradio, Algorithms, Playlists, Alerts for artists/labels), new community and social functions (Sharing, …)
  • New version of API (v3): enrichment and standardization of metadata, a more plentiful and open integration with audio manufacturers and third-party applications
  • An enriched mobile experience: Qobuz Mag mobile app, Hi-Res with WindowsPhone, Qobuz Music app passes to API v3[/quote]
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