What is Deezer? A Compact Overview for Independent Artists

Deezer is a music streaming platform that launched in 2007 in France and that is now available in 180+ countries, serving around 9 million paid subscribers. It distinguishes itself with an artist-centric payment system (ACPS) that aims to reward fan engagement and counter streaming fraud, support for lossless HiFi audio streaming (FLAC) where available, growing efforts around AI transparency and detection, and its Deezer for Creators platform for artist insights.

Deezer’s story began in 2006 with Blogmusik, a website created by Daniel Marhely that offered unlimited access to music via streaming technology. The site quickly ran into legal trouble with the French collection society SACEM over copyright violations and was forced to shut down in early 2007.

The initial legal challenges paved the way for Deezer’s official launch in August 2007. Within its first month, the platform attracted hundreds of thousands of users. Today, it is one of the world’s largest independent music streaming platforms, offering tens of millions of tracks alongside podcasts, radio, and other audio content.

Deezer remains especially popular in its home market of France, with significant user bases in Brazil, Germany, and other countries, and continues to expand its global footprint through localized content and strategic partnerships.

• Founded: 2007

• Headquarters: Paris, France

• Paid Subscribers: 9.4M+ (2025)

• Countries: 180+

• Catalog Size: 120M+ tracks

• Audio Quality: Up to lossless FLAC (16-bit/44.1 kHz)

• Payment Model: Artist-Centric Payment System (ACPS)

Like many other streaming services, Deezer is funded via a subscription model. Users can choose to listen for free through an ad-supported plan with limited playback controls (though availability varies by country and device), or pay a monthly fee for a premium subscription.

Deezer offers several paid options:

• Deezer Premium provides ad-free streaming, unlimited skips, on-demand playback, and offline listening. Music is streamed at high-quality MP3s of up to 320 kbps.

• Deezer Hi‑Fi adds CD-quality lossless FLAC audio, appealing to audiophiles, similar to platforms like Qobuz and Tidal.

Additional plans include Deezer Duo, Family, and Student, offering multiple accounts or discounted pricing.

Deezer functions much like Spotify and Apple Music: users can stream tens of millions of songs and podcasts to smartphones, computers, or any internet-connected device with the Deezer app. Similar to platforms like Tidal and Qobuz, it offers lossless audio (FLAC) as part of its streaming service on paid plans. Deezer also features a set of tools designed to help artists understand and manage their presence on the platform. Through Deezer for Creators, musicians can access performance analytics such as streams, listener demographics, and playlist placements, as well as manage their artist profile and visual branding.

Where Deezer differs is in its structural approach to artist compensation, AI‑generated music, and platform curation. As of February 2026, Deezer remains the only major streaming platform to have signed the global statement on responsible AI training. To protect artists and listeners, it uses proprietary AI-detection technology for transparency purposes, blocks fully AI-generated tracks from algorithmic recommendations and editorial playlists, and demonetizes fraudulent AI streams. In 2026, Deezer announced plans to make its AI detection technology commercially available, reinforcing its position in the wider AI and music rights debate.

Deezer also distinguishes itself through its Artist-Centric Payment System (ACPS), an alternative to the industry-standard pro-rata royalty model used by platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. These differentiators help Deezer stand out among streaming platforms that balance user experience with efforts to protect creator rights.

Deezer’s Artist-Centric Payment System (ACPS) is an alternative royalty model designed to better reward active fan engagement and reduce manipulation within streaming economics. Developed in partnership with Universal Music Group and later implemented in France with SACEM, ACPS moves away from the traditional pro-rata model used by most streaming platforms.

Under ACPS, only professional artists qualify for full monetization. To be eligible, an artist must generate at least 1,000 streams per month from a minimum of 500 unique listeners. This threshold is designed to filter out non-professional uploads and reduce the impact of artificial streaming.

The system also introduces a “double-boost” mechanic: streams from paid subscribers are weighted more heavily than free-tier streams, and direct user searches (where listeners intentionally seek out an artist) carry greater value than passive or algorithmic plays. Together, these adjustments aim to shift revenue toward artists with genuinely engaged audiences.

ACPS does not necessarily increase the total royalty pool, but it redistributes value differently, favoring fan-driven engagement.

Deezer offers lossless HiFi streaming in FLAC format at 16-bit/44.1 kHz, matching CD-quality audio. Unlike some platforms that place higher-quality audio behind separate tiers, it includes HiFi for all premium Deezer subscribers, making lossless listening the default paid experience rather than an add-on.

As of 2026, more than 90 million tracks in Deezer’s catalog are available in HiFi quality, covering the majority of professionally distributed releases. This means greater clarity, dynamic range, and depth compared to compressed formats, allowing artists to make sure their production choices are preserved.

This can be particularly important for genres where sonic nuance matters, such as classical, jazz, electronic, or any high-end productions. By supporting FLAC streaming at scale, Deezer positions itself as a platform that recognizes the value of audio fidelity alongside accessibility.

Deezer’s Deezer for Creators platform provides artists and their teams with tools to monitor performance and manage their presence on the service. The dashboard offers useful insights into streams, listener trends, audience demographics, and playlist placements.

Artists can see how their music is discovered, whether through editorial playlists, algorithmic features like Flow, user libraries, or direct searches, helping them understand where engagement is coming from. The platform also allows creators to update their artist profile, manage images and biographies, and track release performance over time. By combining discovery data with audience insights, Deezer for Creators supports more informed marketing, touring, and release strategies.

To make your music available on Deezer, you need to deliver it through an approved digital music distributor like iMusician.

Distributors make sure that all content delivered to streaming platforms meets technical, legal, and quality standards, including correct metadata and rights management. Many distributors also provide access to regional and genre-specific stores, allowing releases to reach a broader international audience beyond the largest global platforms.

If you release with us, all you need to do is upload your audio files and cover artwork, add all metadata, and set a release date, and we take care of the rest. Learn more about how to upload music to Deezer with iMusician.

Deezer supports artistic expression and encourages musicians to share their work, but it does not allow certain content on its platform.

Prohibited content includes music or audio that infringes on copyright or royalty rights, such as tracks uploaded without permission, unlicensed samples, or unauthorized covers. Content promoting violence, discrimination, or hatred against protected groups, as well as illegal, obscene, or privacy-violating material, is also banned.

AI-generated music is allowed but monitored: Deezer tags AI tracks and blocks those linked to fraudulent or manipulated streams to protect artists and maintain catalog integrity.

Yes, remixes and cover songs can be submitted to Deezer, but standard copyright and licensing rules apply, as with all major streaming platforms.

If a remix uses any portion of an existing sound recording or underlying composition, you must obtain authorization from both the master rights holder (typically a label or independent owner) and the composition rights holders (songwriters and publishers). Without these clearances, distribution may constitute copyright infringement and can result in takedowns or legal claims.

Cover versions (meaning a new recording of an existing composition using your own master recording) are generally permitted, provided the required mechanical royalties for the composition are properly administered. For interactive streaming, many distributors handle these royalties automatically in key markets. However, in certain territories, or for downloads and physical formats, you may still need to secure a mechanical license directly.

If you alter the melody, lyrics, or fundamental structure of the song, the work becomes a derivative work (adaptation) and requires explicit permission from the composition rights holders (and master owners if applicable).

In all cases, rights holders retain the right to request removal of unauthorized remixes, covers, or derivative works if their rights are infringed. Explore our FAQs for more insight.