Qobuz Bows Pricing for 3 US Subscription Music Tiers but No Launch Date

Qobuz, still beta testing after hoping for an October U.S. debut (see 1810090025), announced pricing Wednesday for its Hi-Res music streaming service but no launch details. “Drop dead” launch date is at CES in January, David Solomon, chief hi-res music evangelist, emailed us earlier this month, saying the delay is “only engineering.” Tiers are $299 per year ($25 monthly) for Sublime+, the full Hi-Res unlimited streaming plan with quality up to 24-bit/192-kHz audio and 40-60 percent discounts on download purchases from the Qobuz store; $199 per year ($20 monthly) for the Hi-Fi offering streaming at 16-bit CD quality; and $99 annually ($10 monthly) for 320 kbps MP3-quality streaming. Qobuz opened its U.S. headquarters in New York and has secured exclusive editorial content and hard-to-find jazz and classical tracks for its catalog, it said. On whether there’s a chance the 11-year-old French streaming audio company with presence in 11 European countries won’t launch in the U.S., Solomon said those chances are “small," and that "it’s looking good.”