Qobuz overhauls its music player and adds real-time lyrics
Music streaming service Qobuz has released a major update with real-time lyrics, a redesigned interface, and new exploration features.
Qobuz has rolled out a significant update to its music player, introducing several long-requested features. The most notable addition is real-time lyrics that scroll "line by line" alongside translations, a feature that competing platforms have offered for years.
The interface has been completely redesigned, drawing inspiration from "the colors and visual aesthetics of album artwork." An updated miniplayer now stays on screen as users navigate the app, providing playback controls. The play queue has also been enhanced with more nuanced control options.
A new Explore section recommends similar albums, artists, radio stations, and playlists based on listening habits. Content can now be filtered by genre or even record label. The credits section has been revamped with easier access to information about works and artists, and users can follow affiliated artists or labels directly from that page.
Siri integration for voice control has been added as well. These updates (excluding Siri) are available now on both iOS and Android.
Qobuz is known for being artist-friendly. It includes liner-note-style reviews, an integrated magazine with interviews, and prioritizes full albums over algorithm-driven singles. Crucially, it pays artists significantly better: a reported per-stream rate of $0.043, meaning an artist would earn $1,000 from about 23,000 streams. By comparison, it would take over 312,000 streams on Spotify to reach the same amount.
The app also allows users to purchase albums and songs directly. Subscription prices range from $12 to $15 per month, with a free 30-day trial available.
