jello
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Post by jello on Nov 22, 2016 21:15:12 GMT
(likely only open to UK residents)
As some of you know I subscribe to Qobuz's sublime service. And jolly good it is too if a little expensive.
Well it seems they've started an initiative to reward existing customers for their loyalty and also to use them as ambassadors (me an ambassador? lol) to increase their user base. So today I received a small goody bag in the post (nice calendar, few post cards and a lovely but stupidly long Focal 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable). In addition they included some cards I can pass on to friends who may be interested in trialling their streaming service or who would like to sample some hi-res material.
So if anyone has been swithering and wants a free month's trial and / or a hi-res album or two then the following codes can be used:
i) 1 month's free streaming (in true CD quality) B1AB1E18
ii) Emily Jane White's album "They Moved In Shadow Altogether" (24/96) HIRESE1
iii) Great Classical Works "harmonia mundi compilation" (24/44.1) CLASSICE1
To redeem any of these codes: 1) visit qobuz.com/discover, 2) Enter Code of your choice, 3) Create your account on Qobuz, 4) enjoy!
If you've previously created an account in the past then you should be able to blag the free albums too. They redeemed fine on my existing account anyway.
Billing info Now it should be noted that you do need to add a valid payment method (Paypal or credit card), so if you sign up for the 1 month trial be sure to cancel before the month is up if you don't want to continue. Otherwise they will bill you £19.99 per month.
Full disclosure In the covering letter that came with the pack it makes a vague comment about the most active ambassadors potentially receiving more undisclosed rewards in future. I'm not interested in receiving these so this is the only place I'm posting this up and am purely doing so because I like the service and think the free albums in particular may be of interest.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Nov 23, 2016 11:36:40 GMT
I think streaming is going to be the way that people listen in the future, Mark. Problem is all of these subscription services. When you add it all up, you realise that suddenly, £100 a month is disappearing from your account for all kinds of 'services'.
I cut down to Spotify, Amazon, Netflix, NowTV, and possibly others.... they soon mount up!!
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jello
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Post by jello on Nov 23, 2016 12:09:28 GMT
Yes I think it's only a matter of time before physical media, satellite dishes, aerials etc. go the way of the dodo. But you are right, although in isolation a lot of these services seem quite reasonable because of licensing / home made content etc. (e.g. Walking Dead on NowTV, House of Cards on Netflix) you find you quickly amass quite a collection which does mount up!!!
I'm currently subscribe to NowTV, Netflix, Amazon (off & on), Qobuz and NFL Gamepass (mid season deal). Qobuz and NFL I got good deals on for buying 9 months to a year in advance with a lump sum payment but averaging everything out I / we probably spend about £40 a month all told. Although I suppose when you consider what Sky TV costs these days that lot is pretty good value but then again there probably aren't enough hours in the day to get much use out of each!!
The one thing that surprises me is that with the likes of Netflix now offering data 4k streaming that most of the streaming services are still only offering sub-CD quality streaming. With storage costs falling and broadband speeds increasing I really don't understand why not....although perhaps the average Joe (not jkb89 - he's special!) is perfectly happy with MP3 quality. But then again it's not like companies to try and offer a 'new & improved' and more expensive service and make you feel you need it, even if you don't.
I noticed that Amazon have also now properly entered the streaming market with a paid for service not part of the Prime sub. It doesn't seem to bring anything new to the table though and pricing isn't so good that I can see rafts of subscribers suddenly ditching Spotify, Google Play et al.
btw do you pay full price for your monthly NowTV sub? If you do it's always worth going through the motions of cancelling as they will quite often offer a few months at reduced cost if you agree to stay. Don't think I've ever paid full price on mine. Netflix on the other hand adopt a take it or leave it approach which might be a more sustainable business model tbh.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Nov 23, 2016 12:18:30 GMT
No, I can't see people jumping to Amazon streaming either, Mark. It's too expensive as well. In the end, they'll probably do the dirty again and raise the price of Prime, but tack on the streaming. The last time they did that, I was amazed that they got away with it!
I think a lot is to do with the cost. If Zi could stream CD quality or better at a low cost, I would. I don't understand why they should charge a lot more for it since I would imagine the costs of ripping the files are no more than ripping an MP3. So if it was slightly higher than cheap streaming, I'd consider it.
Especially if it included a download option for limited times, say, so that mobile devices could be used with them.
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jello
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Post by jello on Nov 23, 2016 12:29:24 GMT
I think you're right Ian. Give it a few months and it'll be brought under the Prime umbrella and promoted as adding value to your membership....and then they'll swiftly hike the prices.
I agree about the cost of CD quality streaming. It's just too high unless you manage to bag a deal (e.g. Tidal often do a 1/2 price deal on black Friday). I imagine if Spotify wanted to they could offer it for a couple of quid more than the premium service and turn a profit on it.
Both Qobuz and Tidal do have the option to download for offline use on mobile devices much in the same way as Spotify. You can choose if you want CD quality or to lower it if space is at a premium. But like Spotify you need to use the service's own app and you no longer have access to the tracks if your sub ends.
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Post by timjthomas on Nov 23, 2016 16:45:05 GMT
I enjoy Amazon Prime streaming -- but wouldn't pay for the service separately.
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Post by hifidez on Nov 24, 2016 8:37:10 GMT
I have looked at, and tried, Qobuz and Tidal. On the face of it it's such a great deal. Unlimited, on demand, playback in CD quality of such a vast library. It is a truly amazing prospect and all for £20 a month. What's not to like?
And yet something stops me signing up. It's that relentless monthly debit that I feel uneasy about, even though I could afford that if I chose to do so. There's even a way, using Audacity, to capture the stream in digital if you have the patience to 'record' the music, as it streams, in real time. But 20 quid is too much. And it seems wrong to say that. Netflix gives a similar service for movies, with many of them in HD, for just under £8. If Quobuz or Tidal was that affordable I'd go for it.
p.s. BTW jellofund, thanks for sharing the discount codes.
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jello
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Post by jello on Nov 24, 2016 10:24:16 GMT
Price is really what makes me uneasy about subscribing to Tidal and Qobuz long term too. I've used both off and on over the last few years but never really been keen on that £20 coming out of my bank each and every month.
Last year a fairly decent Qobuz deal came up in conjunction with What Hifi where they were offering 25% off a year's Sublime sub so I decide to take it. Worked out at around £150 and aside from the streaming side of things Sublime also offers some very decent discounts (hi-res for CD prices) on a fair number of albums which I've taken advantage of a few times. I think at the equivalent of £12.50 a month it's decent value but you are right that when you look at the video streaming services £20 seems an awful lot of cash!! Something doesn't quite add up for me but perhaps it's a size thing as I know Qobuz are fairly small and nearly went to the wall at the end of last year owing to some major financial troubles.
Not a problem about the codes Derek. Have been listening to Emily Jane White's album for the last couple of evenings and whilst it's probably not something I'd normally go for myself it's actually not bad at all. Particularly when it's free.
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