Tidal is perhaps within the technique of phasing out the MQA format from its music catalog, however followers of the expertise are about to have a brand new possibility. Lenbrook, the Canadian firm that acquired MQA in 2023, has introduced a partnership with HDtracks — a hi-res music obtain firm — to create a brand new subscription streaming service that can give its customers a alternative of streaming format: FLAC, the lossless codec that’s favored by conventional audiophiles, and MQA, the somewhat controversial codec that requires devoted {hardware} so as to hear music at its highest stage of high quality.
The businesses haven’t stated what the service will probably be referred to as, when it’ll launch, how large its music catalog will probably be at launch, or how a lot it’ll cost for its subscriptions.
The partnership did say, nonetheless, that the unnamed service would be the first to make use of Lenbrook’s Airia codec (also known as SCL6), which was developed by MQA previous to the Lenbrook acquisition.
SCL6 was primarily envisioned as a solution to ship lossless audio in a scalable method between units like telephones and headphones over wi-fi connections like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and UWB. It’s not but clear how Airia will work when it’s integrated right into a streaming service.
“As audiophiles ourselves, it’s an thrilling prospect to carry a service to life for the tens of millions of worldwide audiophiles that care so passionately in regards to the high quality of the music they take heed to,” stated Lenbrook’s chief technique officer, John Banks, in a press launch
The partnership says the service will probably be accessible throughout platforms. “Along with its personal functions for cellular, the service will discover its method into lots of the world’s main high-end audio ecosystems, apps, and types that depend on service suppliers for his or her content material.” Presumably, this can be a reference to methods like Sonos and Bluesound, which give entry to music companies inside their devoted software program platforms. Lenbrook owns Bluesound.