Qobuz, the high-resolution music streaming and download platform, has announced a new global partnership with independent music retailer Rough Trade. The announcement, promising streaming deals, discounts and live in-store events for customers, comes as Rough Trade marks its 50th anniversary.
An initial two-year deal will establish Qobuz as the official streaming service of Rough Trade stores in the US, UK and Germany until 2028. Music from the Qobuz download store – which features more than 100 million tracks in lossless formats such as CD, hi-res (up to 24-bit/192kHz), DXD and DSD – will be available through Rough Trade’s retail website, with streaming deals and other offers up for grabs.
Additionally, Qobuz subscribers and employees will gain access to discounts at Rough Trade stores, where the partnership plans to host and co-produce live events.
Stephen Godfroy, Rough Trade’s co-owner, says: “As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, there couldn’t be a more fitting partnership than expanding our artist-focused community into high-quality digital streaming with Qobuz — a like-minded independent platform that connects audiences and artists through deep curation, and champions emerging talent as passionately as established voices.”
In our five-star review, the French-founded music streaming platform impressed us with its strong (though not totally comprehensive) hi-res catalogue, detailed sonic performance and the option to purchase hi-res downloads.
In March 2025, it also became the first streaming platform to have its average payout rate per stream officially validated by independent audit – at the time, Qobuz claimed it was the highest payout in the industry.
According to Dan Mackta, Qobuz Managing Director for North America and Northern Europe, “[Qobuz] are looking forward to working closely with the Rough Trade team to create meaningful new experiences for dedicated music fans.”
Further details on in-store events, offers and activations will be announced during the course of the partnership – but for die-hard vinyl listeners and streaming fans alike, a partnership that encourages investment in music can only be good news.
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