7digital premieres Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) content
HI-RES AUDIO
London, UK and Las Vegas, US, January 7 2016 – 7digital, leading B2B digital music and radio services company, announces their first content available in MQA, a new revolutionary end-to-end technology that delivers master quality audio in a file that’s small enough to stream or download.
Following the announcement of their global strategic partnership as the leading platform provider of MQA, from January 11, 7digital will for the first time have indie label content available in this higher quality format on their platform for B2B clients. This content will also be available for download by customers of both the 7digital D2C web store and mobile apps, with the company becoming the first digital music platform provider to offer MQA for both download and streaming.
In addition, Onkyo – one of the world’s foremost creators of innovative home entertainment products – is working with 7digital to include the new MQA technology into its high resolution audio store, onkyomusic. From January 8, users will be able to access indie label MQA content in onkyomusic, a store powered by 7digital (branded e-onkyo music in Japan). Onkyo, and its subsidiary Pioneer, are also launching digital audio players with MQA playback capability.
Currently, 7digital has 46 B2B clients running digital music services accessible to consumers in 33 countries around the world. The company also has licensing rights in 82 countries, to enable quick time-to-launch for prospective new client services throughout the world.
Pete Downton, Chief Commercial Officer of 7digital, commented:
“Our existing reach, coupled with the proposed acquisition of French B2B digital music provider Snowite, gives us an unrivalled footprint for enabling future growth in the digital music streaming market globally. A great deal of work has gone into making MQA ready for our commercial partners and we are excited to be serving up this advanced and necessary technology to our existing and prospective clients. 2016 will be the year that 7digital and MQA offer master quality, high resolution music to the world’s digital services, thereby eradicating the need for music fans to sacrifice quality for convenience.”
Bob Stuart, creator of MQA, added:
“MQA transforms music listening by delivering every nuance and subtlety of the original studio performance. 7digital’s commitment to excellence and sound quality has made the team a natural partner for MQA as we’ve prepared for the launch of this revolutionary technology. We are delighted to be working together to expand the MQA music library and bring the experience of the studio to the masses.”
Hiroshi Izutani, President, Onkyo USA, commented:
“Customers of Onkyo are passionate about audio quality, and our mission is to ensure they are able to listen to their favorite music, in the highest fidelity, on their chosen device. With our partners 7digital, we are proud to be providing consumers the option to listen in master quality with MQA – whether at home or on the move.”
Included in this MQA premiere is catalogue from Nordic label 2L, nominated for 23 GRAMMYs over the last decade for its innovative sound recordings.
Morten Lindberg, owner of 2L and GRAMMY-nominated balance engineer and recording producer, remarked:
“2L is a premium brand music label with very high production values. It’s important to us that all our output maintains the flawless standards we are known for throughout the industry. Collaborating with both 7digital and MQA enables us to use the best in new technology to share with music fans exactly what we experience live at recording venues and in our mastering studio, which is hugely exciting.”
MQA has also announced support from a range of playback partners including AURALiC, Aurender, Bluesound, Berkeley Audio, dCS, Kripton, Ixion, Meridian Audio, Mytek, Onkyo and Pioneer. In addition, HTC will demo a prototype device – the One A9 smartphone – with MQA playback capability at CES in Las Vegas this week.
7digital CCO Pete Downton will be appearing on the CES International News Stage on Friday January 8 (1pm, PST) and will also be available to meet with press at the event upon request.
About 7digital
7digital is a B2B digital music and radio services company. The core of its business is the provision of robust and scalable technical infrastructure and extensive global music rights used to create music streaming and radio services for a diverse range of customers – including consumer brands, mobile carriers, broadcasters, automotive systems, record labels and retailers. 7digital also offers radio production and music curation services, editorial strategy and content management expertise.
7digital fosters industry growth and innovation by simplifying access to music for clients such as Onkyo, Guvera, OpenLIVE, and The Overflow. From years of being the largest independent producer of programming for the BBC, launching Radioplayer in multiple territories, and powering services for partners like HMV, Panasonic and ROK Mobile, 7digital is perfectly positioned to lead innovation at the intersection of digital music and next-generation radio services.
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 is a revolutionary end-to-end technology that delivers master quality audio in a file that’s small enough to stream or download. It is backwards compatible, so will play on any device and because it’s fully authenticated, the listener can be sure they are hearing exactly what the artist recorded and approved in the studio. MQA is the first technology to capture this crucial timing information – to transport the listener to the original performance.
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