BBC Focus - 04.2020_

INNOVATIONS

Are the MP3’s days numbered?

INTERVIEW

AttheBristolHi-FiShowearlierthis
year,oneannouncementstoodout.
Frenchmusic-streamingservice
QobuzwasditchingMP3andmaking
itshighresolution(hi-res)audio
streamingcheaper.It’sthefirst
streamingservicetodropformats
thatcompromiseonquality.We
caughtupwithBenoitRebus, headof
partnershipsatQobuz,tofindout
whether MP3 was on its way outÉ

Whymakethechange?
We[Qobuz]havebeenaroundintheUK
since2014.Atthetimewelaunched,we
onlyhadCDquality.Lateron,we
introducedstudioquality.Ourpricing
plansandpackagesdiversifiedoverthe
years,butnowwewanttosimplify
ourserviceandmake it clear what
we’reabout.
There’snolongeranentry-levelservice
forMP3s,butyoucanswitchtoCDor
MP3if youareinthemiddle of the desert
andstillwantmusic.
As4Gbecomesubiquitous,youcan
literallystreamhi-resaudiointhehigh
street, so the loss of MP3 will become a

non-subject,technologicallyspeaking.

Nowthatspeedandspacearenolongera

concern,whyis thereevenMP3?Theonly

reasonMP3staysis becauseofthepricing

policyofthelabels.Thequalityofaudio

theysellis linkedtoa certainprice,so

whenthateventually falls, MP3 will

disappear.

Sowillthepriceofhi-resaudiocome

downasthedemandgoesup?

Yes.Firstwehadtoprovethatwerewas

demand.MP3is 20yearsoldnow.It was

necessarywhenit cameout,butforsome

reasonwestillstickwithit.Comparedto

MP3,thebesthi-resfilesare 20 times

better in terms of information.

Sonowthebiggestbottleneckin

termsofaudioqualityishowpeople

areconnectingtotheirsystems?

Yes.Thisis whywedoa lotofeducational

work.Wehaveknowledgeablecustomers,

butif youdon’tknow,youdon’tknow.

We’vemetpeoplewith£20,000music

systems,whocan’tunderstandwhytheir

systemdoesn’tsoundasgoodasit didin

the store – when they’re using Bluetooth.

Bluetoothisn’ta high-bandwidthwayto

sendyourmusictoyoursoundsystem.

Peopledon’trealisethatif theyhavea

goodsystem,thentheyoughtto be using

a dedicated music streamer.

Whatshouldsomeonedoif theywant

toupgradetheirsystemtokeepup?

Don’tditchyourspeakers.Becausethey

mightstillbegreat,especiallyif you

boughtthem 20 yearsago.Youjustneeda

Chromecastdongletoupgradethem– in

thesamewaythatyoumightimprovean

oldTV.Theonlymissingpartthatour

customerneedsis thestreamer.Thinkof

thestreamerasa CDplayerbutfully

remotedbythesmartphone.Intheshort

term,thefirstpiece to put money in is

the streamer.

If I’mhappywithMP3,whyshould

I care?

Theearis super-lazy,soif whatyoufeedit

is poor,theearwillbehappywiththat,

andeventuallyyourhearingcapability

willreduce.It’slikelivinginthedark,

thingswillbemuch,much clearer once

you see the light.

GETTY IMAGES, MARKUS NASS