The topic of audio quality in streaming has mellowed out of late, but CNBC re-opened the question with a survey into whether listeners actually pick up on the differences. The results seem to echo several other assessments in finding that for the average person, there’s not much impact. Continue Reading
Audio quality has been a hotly contested subject for the music industry. Some swear that high compression and low bitrate make for a mediocre listening experience. Others say the distinctions between file type are indistinguishable, at least for the average listener. A new study found data that, impressively enough, supports both sides. Continue Reading
MusicWatch has shared research into consumer sentiment about what listeners want in a music streaming subscription. When asked what feature would encourage them to pay for their tunes, far and away the top answer was control over a completely on-demand service at 39%. However, 11% said “sound quality as good as the recording studio.” Continue Reading
British streaming music platform 7digital announced a technology partnership with Meridian Audio, and is the launch partner of Meridian’s MQA high-res audio format. MQA stands for Master Quality Authenticated, and delivers high fidelity audio in a streamable file size. We spoke to 7digital CEO Simon Cole about the importance of streamable high-res music. Continue Reading