Qobuz and Rough Trade Put Discovery Back on the Record

The deal will make Qobuz the Official Streaming Service of all Rough Trade stores worldwide through 2028, with the partnership launching both in-store and online. It brings together two brands that have built their respective reputations around music discovery, catalogue depth and a belief that human curation still matters.

In a streaming market increasingly shaped by algorithmic recommendations, passive listening, and now AI-generated music, Qobuz and Rough Trade are leaning hard into a more deliberate model of discovery. It is less about endless background playback and more about the old-fashioned idea of knowledgeable people guiding listeners towards records worth spending time with.

Under the partnership, Qobuz will be integrated into the in-store experience across Rough Trade locations in the US, UK and Germany. The two companies will also collaborate on live in-store events, including performances and programming at Rough Trade stores in the UK, New York City and Berlin.

Dan Mackta, Qobuz Managing Director for North America and Northern Europe, said the partnership reflects a shared view of music retail and discovery:

Rough Trade is one of the best known and most respected names in music retail, and Qobuz is honoured to have been chosen as their Official Music Streaming Service. We are looking forward to working closely with the Rough Trade team to create meaningful new experiences for dedicated music fans.

The commercial side of the agreement will also see music from the Qobuz download store made available through the Rough Trade retail website. Rough Trade customers will be offered special streaming deals and other promotions, while Qobuz subscribers and employees will be able to access discounts at Rough Trade stores.

Rough Trade is marking its 50th anniversary this year, which gives the partnership a useful sense of symmetry. The company’s roots are firmly in physical music retail, but the Qobuz deal gives it a more direct bridge into high-quality digital streaming and downloads without abandoning the independent-store culture that made the brand matter in the first place.

Stephen Godfroy, co-owner of Rough Trade, said:

As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, there couldn’t be a more fitting partnership than expanding our artist-focused community into high-quality digital streaming with Qobuz — a like-minded independent platform that connects audiences and artists through deep curation, and champions emerging talent as passionately as established voices.

This is also where Qobuz looks to leverage more advantage, away from the scale-at-all-costs streaming race, and closer to listeners who still care about sound quality, context and music discovery. The French platform now operates in 26 countries and offers more than 100 million tracks in lossless quality, spanning CD quality, Hi-Res 24-bit/up to 192kHz, DXD and DSD.

Further details on specific in-store activations, live events and special offers will be announced during the partnership.

For more information visit Qobuz