Qobuz alternative
Artyfile Stream vs Qobuz: an honest comparison
Qobuz is one of the best hi-res services for listening to almost anything. Artyfile Stream is something different: a single label streaming its own studio recordings as the untouched WAV master, with a fixed minimum artist payout. Here is where each one wins.
The short answer
If you want 100 million tracks from every label in hi-res, Qobuz is the better choice. If you want studio masters straight from the label that recorded them, a fixed payout of at least €0.03 per stream to the artists, and the option to own a share of the recordings you love, Artyfile Stream is the alternative — and many listeners run it as a second, hi-fi subscription alongside a large service.
| Artyfile Stream | Qobuz | |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogue | 850+ own studio recordings | 100M+ tracks from all labels |
| Delivery format | WAV master, 44.1 kHz / 24-bit, no transcoding | FLAC, up to 24-bit / 192 kHz |
| Price | from €9.90 / month | Studio from €13.99 / month |
| Listening model | 100 / 250 / 500 streams per month | Unlimited |
| Try before paying | 30-second preview of every track | Free trial month |
| Artist payout per stream | ≥ €0.03, up to €0.20 (1.7× to 11× Qobuz) | ≈ €0.018 average (Qobuz, 2025) |
| Own a share of the recording | Yes — Listen to Own | No |
| Browser player + iOS/Android | Yes | Yes |
| Network players (Roon, Connect) | No | Yes |
| AI-generated music | None in the catalogue | — |
Qobuz prices and features from qobuz.com (September 2026); payout figure as published by Qobuz in 2025. Check qobuz.com for current offers.
Where Qobuz is stronger
Catalogue breadth, sample rates up to 192 kHz, unlimited listening, a free trial month, a download store and integrations with network players such as Qobuz Connect and Roon. Artyfile has none of those network-player integrations today.
Where Artyfile Stream is different
Every track is recorded or produced by Artyfile and streamed as the WAV master, with no FLAC conversion. And there is no AI-generated music in the catalogue.
Qobuz presents itself as the platform that combines high resolution with fair artist pay, and its published average of about €0.018 per stream is indeed well above Spotify. Artyfile pays at least €0.03 per stream — 1.7 times that average as a guaranteed floor — and up to €0.20, about eleven times as much. With Listen to Own you can also buy numbered shares in the master recordings themselves.
Questions
- Is Artyfile Stream cheaper than Qobuz?
- The entry plan is: €9.90 a month for 100 streams versus Qobuz Studio from €13.99 a month. Qobuz is unlimited, Artyfile counts streams — heavy listeners pick the 500-stream Standard plan for €19.90.
- Does Artyfile Stream have hi-res audio like Qobuz?
- Artyfile streams uncompressed WAV masters at 44.1 kHz / 24-bit. It does not offer 96 or 192 kHz files; Qobuz does. Artyfile’s focus is delivering the original master of its own recordings unchanged.
- Which pays artists more per stream, Qobuz or Artyfile?
- Artyfile. Qobuz published an average of about €0.018 per stream for 2025. Artyfile guarantees at least €0.03 per stream and pays up to €0.20 — between 1.7 and 11 times the Qobuz average.
- Can I use Artyfile Stream together with Qobuz?
- Yes — that is how most listeners use it: a large service for everything, Artyfile Stream for its studio recordings and to pay those artists fairly.