Qobuz proves its artist-led values yet again, with Drowned in Sound music mag collab

A split-screen image featuring posters for Drowned in Sound and Qobuz

(Image credit: Qobuz, Drowned in Sound)

Qobuz's Drowned in Sound music mag collab means six months of podcasts
The move follows further backlash for Spotify's practices and artist payment
The partnership runs until June 2026 and kicks off with the best of 2025

Noticed the growing trend of anti-Spotify coverage regarding its payment models, music suggestions, and investments on your socials lately? If so, you'll almost certainly have been nudged towards Qobuz, the original hi-res streaming and download platform for the discerning music-lover who knows what they want (without the help of an AI DJ, thank you) and wants it in hi-res.

And now, the French music streaming service has announced a six-month partnership with Drowned in Sound, the slightly caustic independent music publication, podcast and online community.

What to expect? A Drowned in Sound (DiS) podcast season running from December 2025 to June 2026, with Qobuz serving as title sponsor for the podcast, and DiS-curated weekly companion playlists on Qobuz.

Qobuz and DiS tell us that things will kick off off on DiS with its best of 2025 coverage, predictions for 2026, plus exclusive interviews with electronic music leviathan Kelly Lee Owens, as well as one of the most exciting and groundbreaking new artists in the world right now, Sofia Isella.

Qobuz and DiS: for me, it's a match made in music heaven

Qobuz and Drowned in Sound logos, side by side, on white background — (Image credit: Qobuz, Drowned in Sound)

The partnership brings together two indie organizations that to me seem fully committed to artist-first values and human curation in music.

Qobuz, which has always passed over AI-created playlists and Wrapped-style rollouts (pointing instead towards its support for hi-res formats including DSD, organizing its music by record labels as a means of helping you discover new acts, and its Qobuz Club community forum, where actual humans can talk about music), announced back in March of this year how much it pays artists per stream.

Qobuz is one of the best music streaming services for music fans who like to go their own way (and aren't bothered by Wrapped-style posters for their Instagram stories), because it pays artists an average of US$0.01873 per stream – which the company says is "four times the industry average". So if you really want to support the bands and acts you love in this difficult financial climate, that could be quite a significant switch, no?

Drowned in Sound was founded in the UK in 2000, and has also evolved with the times. What began as a music mag, a record label and online forum has matured into what founder Sean Adams calls “community organizing infrastructure”, balancing music discovery, recommendations and investigative journalism to help music fans understand and use their collective power.

Dan Mackta, Managing Director of Qobuz, said of the collaboration: “Having been a reader and fan of DiS since the early days of the music blogosphere, I couldn't be happier that Qobuz is able to contribute to its continued evolution and growth. Music people recognise their own – we take this stuff seriously!”

“This cooperation aligns with everything DiS is about,” added Adams. “Qobuz pays artists four times more than other platforms, values human curation, and is independently owned… This comes at a time when grassroots media is struggling, and it emboldens our mission to empower music fans, recommend exceptional music, and create solutions-led journalism that builds useful resources.”

You can listen to the Drowned in Sound podcast now – but I can't wait to listen to future episodes.

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Becky became Audio Editor at TechRadar in 2024, but joined the team in 2022 as Senior Staff Writer, focusing on all things hi-fi. Before this, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.

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