Ever belted out a chorus at full volume only to realize you’ve been butchering the words for years? Qobuz has just handed you a way to check yourself. The hi-res streaming service rolled out a redesigned mobile and tablet app on July 23, and its headline addition is real-time synchronized lyrics that scroll line-by-line as the vocals hit — complete with translations so you actually know what that non-English track is on about.
That’s the crowd-pleaser, but the whole interface has been rebuilt from the ground up. The new player is more immersive and information-dense, and its visuals now dynamically shift to match the album artwork, pulling the colors and aesthetic of the cover into the surrounding UI. It’s a smart touch that makes the app feel less like a database and more like the record itself.
Practicality gets a boost too. The mini player stays pinned and visible no matter where you wander in the app, so playback control is always a tap away. From that customizable mini player you can tweak audio output, favorite a track, or drop it into a playlist without breaking stride. Managing your queue is now a swipe affair — add or remove tracks with a flick, dating-app style — and the listening queue plus autoplay both surface the next three tracks, so you can see and reorder what’s coming.
For the endlessly indecisive, the new Explore section serves up similar albums and artists, playlists, radio stations, and content tied to whatever genre or station you’re on. You can jump straight into Qobuz Magazine’s editorial pieces on an artist from the player, and follow an artist or label directly. The credits layout has also been reworked for better access to reviews, biographies, and technical file data — the kind of detail hi-res die-hards actually want.
Qobuz has thrown in fresh playlists as well, including one built around the best songs to sing along to. Cue the inevitable Sweet Caroline.
The overhaul is live now on iOS and Android for both phones and tablets, with other platforms set to follow. It builds on Qobuz’s February update to its CarPlay app, which added more features and Siri voice controls.
At £12.99 a month, Qobuz sits above Apple Music but lines up level with Spotify and Tidal, at least in the UK. Whether synced lyrics tip the scales in its favor is up to you — but at the very least, your next karaoke argument now has a referee.
