December 12th, 2023 - Qobuz, the music lovers’ high quality music streaming and download platform, presented an intimate series of live-to-record sessions at this year’s SXSW - and now, those live sets are being exclusively released on Qobuz as seven individual EPs together dubbed Qobuz Sessions at SXSW. The first three EPs from the set are out today in Hi-Res streaming, with the rest coming January 17th, 2024.

Featuring seven of today’s top creative artists from a variety of independent labels, the Qobuz SXSW performances (which were raved about in Rolling Stone) were carefully recorded live to 24-bit/96 kHz digital at East Austin’s KMFA Studios, giving each EP (one per artist) a true “you were there” sound quality with nothing compromised or sacrificed in the process of being prepared for release. 

Qobuz commissioned the acclaimed, GRAMMY-nominated, NYC-based engineer Sarah Register to master all of the tracks. A longtime champion (like Qobuz) for independent artists across a wide range of genres, just a few of Sarah’s credits include releases by Big Thief, Julien Baker, and Kurt Vile, Wye Oak, Ariana Grande, and more.

The artists who performed at the Qobuz showcase at SXSW, and whose live EPs are out today, are: British R&B singer Yazmin Lacey, whose set brought an intimate, soulful jazz feel; Panama-born drummer and DJ Daniel Villarreal, whose set served up a cinematic blend of pan-Latin psych-folk-funk sounds; and LA-based musician and visual artist Shana Cleveland (of La Luz), whose performance created a soft and ornate atmosphere.

Listen to the first 3 EPs now on Qobuz (combined link to playlist of the EPs HERE, individual links below)

Yazmin Lacey

Daniel Villarreal

Shana Cleveland

The next three EPs from the Qobuz Sessions’ collection will be out January 17th, and will feature Brooklyn-based left-of-center pop singer Barrie; the newly-formed all-star outfit featuring Beto Martínez, Alex Chavez, Victor “El Guámbito” Cruz, and John Speice, Caramelo Haze; London-based jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist DoomCannon; and acclaimed NY-based indie rock artist Miss Grit (Margaret Sohn). Both Miss Grit and Yazmin Lacey’s last albums were bestowed the prestigious Qobuzissime award, given by Qobuz to a select group of early-career albums every year that have ventured into unexplored territories.

Qobuz’ best-sound-in-Texas, most-curated--lineup approach to this year’s SXSW also speaks to their “boutique in a super-store world” strategy of providing premium experiences - IRL, in-app, or, in this case, both—for its hardcore music-lover user base that they won’t find anywhere else. 

Since launching four years ago in the US, Qobuz has released exclusives by the likes of Dinosaur Jr., Christian McBride, Anat Cohen, Makaya McCraven, and many more, alongside features such as PDF booklets and credits, human-curated playlists, and exclusive editorial in their in-app Magazine, that together give listeners the most immersive experience of any streamer out there. They’ve co-hosted an NYC show series (which also produces a live-to-record EP for each show) with the Chicago-based indie label International Anthem since 2022, partnered with Julliard’s Jazz program, the Secretly Group, Deutsche Grammophon, and others over the years - and, of course, there’s the 24-bit, Hi-Res, best in class sound.

Sujan Hong, Qobuz’ Head of Music Content and Editorial, said “I’m thrilled to experience these terrific performances again and to be able to share them with the Qobuz community.”

This year’s Qobuz Sessions at SXSW come after Qobuz’ first IRL SXSW, last year in 2022. That showcase featured performances by Circuit des Yeux, Moor Mother, Claire Rousay, and Marina Herlop. Featuring the best equipment and sound at the festival and an indie-championing lineup, Circuit des Yeux said “Qobuz is one of the leading streaming platforms for contemporary music. They put artist friendly ethics and audio quality before corporate profit. "

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