Qobuz Revenue Grew 45.7% In 2025 As Platform Reaches 1.2 Million Users
- Michele
- 30 June 2026, Tuesday
Qobuz reported significant growth in 2025, increasing its revenue by 45.7% while reaching 1.2 million monthly active users. These results suggest that streaming platforms that prioritize human curation and artist-focused values are becoming more and more relevant.
Qobuz Reports Strong Revenue And User Growth In 2025
French streaming service Qobuz has released its 2025 results. The company significantly outperformed the wider streaming industry, growing its revenue by 45.7% compared to the market's overall growth of 8.8%. It also increased its monthly active user base to 1.2 million across 26 countries, with the United States now representing its largest market. Around 80% of Qobuz's revenue is generated outside France.
Unlike Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music, Qobuz has never tried to compete by offering podcasts, audiobooks, free ad-supported listening, or heavily personalized algorithms. Instead, the platform focuses on lossless and high-resolution audio and editorial reviews written by music journalists. It encourages users to explore complete albums rather than individual tracks and remains one of the few services that combines streaming with the option to purchase and download high-resolution music.
Another factor behind its growth is its audience. Qobuz primarily attracts audiophiles and dedicated music fans who are willing to pay more for higher sound quality. The company has also expanded through partnerships with hi-fi manufacturers, allowing its streaming service to be built directly into premium speakers, amplifiers, and other audio equipment.
What Qobuz’s Growth Means For The Streaming Industry
Qobuz's growth reflects another trend in listener behavior: listeners are rethinking which streaming platforms they want to support. For example, Spotify has faced criticism over artist payouts, AI-generated music, and CEO Daniel Ek's investments into unethical industries. As a result, many music fans have deliberately switched to smaller services such as Qobuz in search of a platform they see as more focused on artists and music itself.
Qobuz has also tried to differentiate itself through transparency. Earlier this year, it became the first streaming platform to publicly disclose its average royalty rate, stating that it paid rights holders an average of $18.73 per 1,000 streams. The company has also publicly committed to limiting AI-generated music on its platform and continues to rely on human-written editorial content instead of AI-generated recommendations.
For independent artists, Qobuz is unlikely to replace Spotify or Apple Music in terms of streaming numbers. However, its continued growth shows that there is room for alternative platforms, making it another channel through which artists can reach listeners and diversify their streaming presence.
Ready to get your music out there?
Distribute your music to the widest range of streaming platforms and shops worldwide.
Michele is a Berlin-based writer passionate about music in its many forms, from soulful house, groovy techno, and breaky jungle/drum & bass to alternative rock, dark wave, and beyond. With experience in production, journalism, and DJing, they engage with the culture of sound from multiple perspectives. Their current topics of interest include club culture, music discovery & curation, dance, and the ways music affects perception & feeling. Michele writes in English.
