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Qobuz, the music lovers’ high quality streaming and download provider, is teaming up with The Memphis Listening Lab to bring its Hi-Res audio to Memphis, Tennessee’s only non-profit music exploration space. Founded in 2021, the Memphis Listening Lab was created to honor the memory of and house the 10,000+ LP record collection of John King. King, who died in 2022, co-founded Memphis’ Ardent Records and was a veteran music promoter and radio historian.
For the partnership, hifi music aficionado and Chairman of the Memphis Listening Lab Board, Jim Thompson, connected with Qobuz because he wanted anyone visiting the Lab to be able to hear music outside the physical collection with the highest fidelity possible. To accomplish that goal, Qobuz has outfitted all of the Lab’s digital listening stations with its service, and brought full Hi-Res streaming to the “SoundRoom,” the Lab’s main audiophile listening space, which Thompson (who also serves as President of EgglestonWorks speaker company) outfitted with state-of-the-art speaker and amplification technology.
Currently, the Memphis Listening Lab’s collection consists of 35,000 45 rpm singles, 15,000 vinyl LPs, 25,000 CDs, 2000 books, and over 1000 unique pieces of musical history - all available to listen to and learn from for free. Now, over 100 million tracks in lossless and Hi-Res quality will be added to the library via Qobuz streaming.
And take a listen HERE on Qobuz to an exclusively curated Hi-Res playlist featuring representative cuts from the Memphis Listening Lab collection.
Since both the Memphis Listening Lab and Qobuz are dedicated to music discovery, and the peak enjoyment of music fans, coming together to bring high quality streaming to the Lab was a natural move.
Dan Mackta, Managing Director of Qobuz North America, said: “Memphis is one of the most important music cities in North America. People who love music flock to Memphis to soak up some of what’s in the water: Qobuz always makes a positive impact when we bring what to do right to the eyes and ears of music lovers like that.”
Jim Thompson of the Memphis Listening Lab added: “MLL and Qobuz are definitely kindred spirits, both dedicated to providing an unmatched musical experience. Our two organizations coming together makes perfect sense and allows MLL’s reach to extend well-beyond the city of Memphis. Qobuz is doing some really innovative things related to music exploration and discovery, which are also core components of MLL’s mission.”
The partnership also speaks to Qobuz’ “boutique in a super-store world” approach of providing premium experiences (both in-app and IRL) for its hardcore music-lover user base that they won’t find anywhere else. For two years running, Qobuz has hosted SXSW showcases for the most eclectic indie artists at the festival (this year, the showcase was written up as a SXSW highlight in Rolling Stone). They co-host an ongoing live-to-EP concert series with the Chicago label International Anthem on a regular basis at Brooklyn’s Public Records. Artists such as Dinosaur Jr., Anat Cohen, Christian McBride (Qobuz’ Artist Ambassador), and Circuit des Yeux have recorded and released music just for Qobuz. And they have the most exclusive editorial content of any streaming platform … just to name a few of their special initiatives.
For more information on visiting the Memphis Listening Lab (and listening to Qobuz there), check out their website HERE, and read more below.
About Qobuz
Founded in 2007 and a pioneer in high-quality sound, Qobuz is a French music streaming and download platform for anyone who wants to fully experience and share their passion for music. Available in 26 countries around the world, including Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, and Japan (for high-resolution download service only), Qobuz offers a range of exclusive editorial content written by a team of experts. With a catalog of over 100 million tracks, Qobuz also has the richest selection of high-resolution (Hi-Res) references on the market. Qobuz is a licensed Hi-Res Audio provider by the Japan Audio Society (JAS). For more information: www.qobuz.com
About MLL
Memphis Listening Lab is a curated collection of music and music history, a forum for music-related talks and performances, and a music education, appreciation, and experimentation space located in Crosstown Concourse. The Collection represents an incredibly wide spectrum of musical genres, all of which are free to the public for listening and learning enjoyment.
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