Deezer has launched a desktop app for both Mac and Windows that supports FLAC lossless audio. The app is currently in beta, and the higher audio quality is available to members of it Premium+ subscription tier. The desktop app will have exclusive video content such as interviews and performances. It will also highlight localized content for listeners in France, Germany, UK, Brazil, and Latin America.
“Deezer’s desktop users will now have a new home to play their Flow, discover unknown artists and watch exclusive video content – all within a newly designed, one download app,” Chief Content and Product Officer Alexander Holland said. “Furthermore, we are excited to offer hifi audio to users who want to further enhance the quality of their overall listening experience.”
Deezer’s emphasis on desktop listening is an interesting departure from an overwhelming consumer movement to mobile listening via phones. Spotify, by contrast, does not offer a web browser app at all. Napster does offer one — a beautifully designed browser product that has been developed for several years, starting in the Rhapsody era. Pandora caretakes its browser experience, too. Most pureplay internet radio stations work in browsers and mobile apps. In all this, Deezer’s announcement stands out for offering unique features only in desktop listening, perhaps seeking to appeal to workplace users in headphones who access online audio on their computers during work hours.