MQA and Warner Music Sign Long-Term Licensing Deal

[The Computer Audiophile]

Breaking news from Munich High End show.

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

Warner Music Group & MQA Enter Long-Term Licensing Deal

 

Munich, May 6, 2016: Warner Music Group (WMG) today announced a long-term licensing deal with music technology specialists MQA. The agreement – the first between MQA and any major music company – will significantly increase music fans’ access to hi-resolution music globally. The agreement paves the way for recordings from WMG’s diverse roster of acclaimed artists and its world-renowned catalogue to be made available in studio master quality through MQA distributors.

 

MQA is a revolutionary technology, which delivers master quality audio in a file small enough to stream or download. By delivering the sound of the studio masters from WMG’s iconic labels, MQA will enable the listener to step into the magic of the artists’ original performances. MQA music is currently available via High Res Audio, Onkyo Music, e-Onkyo, 7digital, 2L and Technics Tracks. Over the coming months, MQA will expand to more streaming platforms and into download stores worldwide.

 

Bob Stuart, Creator of MQA, commented: “This collaboration is a giant step forward for MQA and music fans everywhere. We have been working tirelessly to ensure labels, studios, artists, services and playback partners understand the potential of our technology and the responses have been overwhelming. MQA is about bringing the most authentic sound to music lovers all over the world and WMG is our first major partner to help drive this mission forward.”

 

Craig Kallman, Chairman & CEO of WMG’s Atlantic Records division, noted: “The digital music era has been all about convenience. It is fantastic that we can listen to virtually any song, anywhere, any time. In that process, however, convenience has trumped sound quality, and we have gotten further away from the sound that artists work so hard to create. MQA makes hi-resolution music easy to stream or download to any device. Music fans will love it when they hear it, and WMG is thrilled to be partnering with MQA to take the next step in bringing hi-resolution music to consumers across the globe.”

 

MQA Press Contacts:

[email protected]

[email protected]

 

Press site for MQA:

URL: www.mqa.co.uk/press

Username:

Password:

 

ABOUT MQA

Using pioneering scientific research into how people hear, the MQA team has created a technology that captures the full magic of an original studio performance. MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) is a revolutionary end-to-end technology that delivers master quality audio in a file that’s small enough to stream or download. MQA is also backward compatible, so you can play MQA music on any device – the days of sacrificing quality for convenience are finally over. MQA is a UK-based private company.

 

 

For more information visit www.mqa.co.uk

 

Follow MQA on: Facebook Twitter You Tube

 

ABOUT BOB STUART, CREATOR OF MQA

Bob Stuart is the creator and founder of MQA. MQA technology was launched in December 2014.

 

In 1977 Bob co-founded Meridian Audio and served as CTO until early 2015.

 

In 2014 he founded MQA Ltd where he is currently Chairman and CTO.

 

His professional interests are the furthering of analogue and digital audio and developing understanding of the human auditory perception mechanisms relevant to live and recorded music. His specialities include the design of analogue and digital electronics, loudspeakers and signal processing.

 

Mr Stuart has contributed to DVD-Audio and BluRay standards and has served on the technical committees of the National Sound Archive, JAS and the ADA (Japan). He has a deep interest in music and spends a good deal of time listening to live and recorded material. He is a fellow of AES and a member of ASA, IEEE and the Hearing Group at Cambridge.

 

In 2015, CEDIA awarded Bob Stuart a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’. Watch this 5 minute video to truly understand Bob’s motivations and achievements.

 

About Warner Music Group

With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Big Beat, Canvasback, East West, Elektra, Erato, FFRR, Fueled by Ramen, Nonesuch, Parlophone, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Sire, Warner Bros., Warner Classics, and Warner Music Nashville, as well as Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide.

[firedog]

Wonder how long it is going to take them to go back and MQA the back catalog?

[PAP]

Seems to me it will finally start to take of. Pioneer has released a portable MQA player and it is of course a very handy format for that purpose; Pioneer XDP-100R is world's first MQA-ready hi-res music player | What Hi-Fi?

[Melvin]

Wow, this is kind of huge! Makes me even more excited about the upcoming June 1st Bluesound MQA-enabled firmware update which was also announced in Munich.

[YashN]

Seems to me it will finally start to take of.

 

I think taking off will also require easy availability of MQA tracks online, a large catalogue as well as availability of decoding on software players.

 

The licensing is just one step among many.

 

DSD has the availability online as well as the decoding in players, but the catalogue appears lacking to me for my music taste (mostly electronic/pop, less likely to listen to classical).

[Abee_V]

Yes!! Great news for us Tidal users ( I hope).

[SonicYouth]

Breaking news from Munich High End show.

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

Warner Music Group & MQA Enter Long-Term Licensing Deal

 

Munich, May 6, 2016: Warner Music Group (WMG) today announced a long-term licensing deal with music technology specialists MQA. The agreement – the first between MQA and any major music company – will significantly increase music fans’ access to hi-resolution music globally. The agreement paves the way for recordings from WMG’s diverse roster of acclaimed artists and its world-renowned catalogue to be made available in studio master quality through MQA distributors.

 

MQA is a revolutionary technology, which delivers master quality audio in a file small enough to stream or download. By delivering the sound of the studio masters from WMG’s iconic labels, MQA will enable the listener to step into the magic of the artists’ original performances. MQA music is currently available via High Res Audio, Onkyo Music, e-Onkyo, 7digital, 2L and Technics Tracks. Over the coming months, MQA will expand to more streaming platforms and into download stores worldwide.

 

Bob Stuart, Creator of MQA, commented: “This collaboration is a giant step forward for MQA and music fans everywhere. We have been working tirelessly to ensure labels, studios, artists, services and playback partners understand the potential of our technology and the responses have been overwhelming. MQA is about bringing the most authentic sound to music lovers all over the world and WMG is our first major partner to help drive this mission forward.”

 

Craig Kallman, Chairman & CEO of WMG’s Atlantic Records division, noted: “The digital music era has been all about convenience. It is fantastic that we can listen to virtually any song, anywhere, any time. In that process, however, convenience has trumped sound quality, and we have gotten further away from the sound that artists work so hard to create. MQA makes hi-resolution music easy to stream or download to any device. Music fans will love it when they hear it, and WMG is thrilled to be partnering with MQA to take the next step in bringing hi-resolution music to consumers across the globe.”

 

MQA Press Contacts:

[email protected]

[email protected]

 

Press site for MQA:

URL: www.mqa.co.uk/press

Username:

Password:

 

ABOUT MQA

Using pioneering scientific research into how people hear, the MQA team has created a technology that captures the full magic of an original studio performance. MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) is a revolutionary end-to-end technology that delivers master quality audio in a file that’s small enough to stream or download. MQA is also backward compatible, so you can play MQA music on any device – the days of sacrificing quality for convenience are finally over. MQA is a UK-based private company.

 

 

For more information visit www.mqa.co.uk

 

Follow MQA on: Facebook Twitter You Tube

 

ABOUT BOB STUART, CREATOR OF MQA

Bob Stuart is the creator and founder of MQA. MQA technology was launched in December 2014.

 

In 1977 Bob co-founded Meridian Audio and served as CTO until early 2015.

 

In 2014 he founded MQA Ltd where he is currently Chairman and CTO.

 

His professional interests are the furthering of analogue and digital audio and developing understanding of the human auditory perception mechanisms relevant to live and recorded music. His specialities include the design of analogue and digital electronics, loudspeakers and signal processing.

 

Mr Stuart has contributed to DVD-Audio and BluRay standards and has served on the technical committees of the National Sound Archive, JAS and the ADA (Japan). He has a deep interest in music and spends a good deal of time listening to live and recorded material. He is a fellow of AES and a member of ASA, IEEE and the Hearing Group at Cambridge.

 

In 2015, CEDIA awarded Bob Stuart a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’. Watch this 5 minute video to truly understand Bob’s motivations and achievements.

 

About Warner Music Group

With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Big Beat, Canvasback, East West, Elektra, Erato, FFRR, Fueled by Ramen, Nonesuch, Parlophone, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Sire, Warner Bros., Warner Classics, and Warner Music Nashville, as well as Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide.

The number of MQA announcements will explode in the near future. At next year's Munich High End Show we will see >50 high end manufacturers capable of decoding MQA.

[Doak]

Yes!! Great news for us Tidal users ( I hope).

This is where MQA makes the most sense IMO. No doubt streaming IS the future of music distribution. Tidal can already sound quite good but I defer to my own hires library for "serious" listening. The prospect of getting that quality of sound through Tidal is .... titillating.

[SonicYouth]

This is where MQA makes the most sense IMO. No doubt streaming IS the future of music distribution. Tidal can already sound quite good but I defer to my own hires library for "serious" listening. The prospect of getting that quality of sound through Tidal is .... titillating.

TIDAL (powered by Roon) is one of the better music detection tools in order to enhance the own hires library.

[Doak]

TIDAL (powered by Roon) is one of the better music detection tools in order to enhance the own hires library.

Interesting. Please elaborate.

[Dr Tone]

Interesting. Please elaborate.

 

It's hard to describe to persons using non meta data enhanced music players. I suggest you demo Roon and Tidal together to see what it's all about.

[Doak]

It's hard to describe to persons using non meta data enhanced music players. I suggest you demo Roon and Tidal together to see what it's all about.

I am now using both. Have been a Tidal subscriber since it's been available. Started using Roon 5 days ago, so please go on.

[esldude]

Wonder how long it is going to take them to go back and MQA the back catalog?

 

If they follow past practices, they will just use what they already have, and turn on the MQA flag in software after adding $10 to the price. Of course we know Bob Stewart will personally authenticate each and every release so this never happens (oh no won't happen).

[astrotoy]

I've actually been pleasantly surprised at how open and cooperative Warner has been with reissues from the big EMI Classical catalogue (Universal got most of EMI, including their pop catalogue in the split up of EMI in 2012-3) in other than standard MP3 downloads and CD reissues. Quite a few small labels have been reissuing older recordings from the EMI classical catalog in vinyl and digital.

 

One of my friends who has done some very high quality reissues from the EMI classical catalogue, told me that he was prepared for the worst when Warner took over the catalogue, but was quite pleased with their attitude. Of course, it only takes one change of executive personnel at a critical level to mess things up.

 

Larry

[Dr Tone]

I am now using both. Have been a Tidal subscriber since it's been available. Started using Roon 5 days ago, so please go on.

 

So you don't see how the Tidal integration helps you find a wealth of additional albums, contributions and related artists for your favourite artists in personal collection? That is what @SonicYouth was getting at.

[Doak]

So you don't see how the Tidal integration helps you find a wealth of additional albums, contributions and related artists for your favourite artists in personal collection? That is what @SonicYouth was getting at.

Yes, I certainly do. Thanks.

[Abee_V]

I think it may be in reference to being able to integrate HQP with Roon and thus being able to upsample to high res. Only a guess though.

[One and a half]

I tried Tidal, even on a cable network, the music stuttered and buffered, so that's the end of Tidal and possibly any other HQ streaming system for the foreseeable future.

 

I also have no intention to re-purchase music for MQA and having to buy another piece of software/hardware to decode it. Thinking now of 4CH-SQ-QS-Discrete-Dolby B, C.....been there done that.

 

Someone has to encode Warner's music to MQA, and that won't be free and will have to pay extra for this, and it's not going to be this little black duck.

[Doak]

I tried Tidal, even on a cable network, the music stuttered and buffered, so that's the end of Tidal and possibly any other HQ streaming system for the foreseeable future.

 

I also have no intention to re-purchase music for MQA and having to buy another piece of software/hardware to decode it. Thinking now of 4CH-SQ-QS-Discrete-Dolby B, C.....been there done that.

 

Someone has to encode Warner's music to MQA, and that won't be free and will have to pay extra for this, and it's not going to be this little black duck.

Know this: Your experience with Tidal is atypical. Suspect your internet connection is dodgy.

[rrwwss52]

I would second Doak's comments. Tidal is has been super reliable for me thusfar.....I also have cable internet.

[firedog]

If they follow past practices, they will just use what they already have, and turn on the MQA flag in software after adding $10 to the price. Of course we know Bob Stewart will personally authenticate each and every release so this never happens (oh no won't happen).

 

I'm not as cynical as you. If they know the ADC and DAC used in the recording process it won't be much of an effort to process them properly with MQA. They also probably used a lot of the same hardware on the digitizing of many recordings, so that makes the MQA process much easier.

 

I'd assume that's some sort of requirement in the MQA license.

 

Your idea is probably more likely to happen on recordings where they don't know the technical provenance. Then they'll probably use some sort of "generic" MQA processing.

[firedog]

I tried Tidal, even on a cable network, the music stuttered and buffered, so that's the end of Tidal and possibly any other HQ streaming system for the foreseeable future.

 

I also have no intention to re-purchase music for MQA and having to buy another piece of software/hardware to decode it. Thinking now of 4CH-SQ-QS-Discrete-Dolby B, C.....been there done that.

 

Someone has to encode Warner's music to MQA, and that won't be free and will have to pay extra for this, and it's not going to be this little black duck.

 

I wouldn't mind paying a one off for MQA software if the consensus seems to be that it improves SQ. Same for a DAC, when I buy a new DAC. I'm certainly not going to re-buy my whole digital collection. If MQA can make Tidal sound better that will be a big plus for me.

[One and a half]

Know this: Your experience with Tidal is atypical. Suspect your internet connection is dodgy.

 

The internet connection is certainly dodgy and it's the fastest available at 2MB/s on the quickest downloads very late at night in our neighbourhood. If Tidal plays up, just imagine what a 1080p transmission will (not) do.

 

Eh, another day.

[rrwwss52]

ouch. who is your cable provider. I'm in SoCal. Time Warner. I always get at least 20MB/s download with several things running. Just ran a speednet test on my ipad. 84.75 MB/s down, 24MB/s up on wifi.....

[Audio_ELF]

I'm curious... I know it's not the intention as stated, but is there any reason that MQA encoded files couldn't be distributed on CD(RB) played as 16/44.1 on everyone's CD players but decoded to high res. by us "audiophiles"?