Qobuz Player – Redesigned Mobile Playback with Synchronised Lyrics, Expanded Credits and Direct Access to Editorial Content

Qobuz is not changing the quality of music playback with its new mobile player, but it is changing the way listeners engage with the track currently playing. Lyrics can now follow the music in real time, credits and editorial features sit closer to playback, and recommendations can be explored without leaving the player. For a service that has long defined itself not only through its Hi-res Audio catalogue but also through background information and curated content, the redesign amounts to far more than a purely visual overhaul.

Key Facts Qobuz Player

• Product: Redesigned player within the mobile Qobuz app
• Platforms: Smartphones and tablets running Apple iOS or Google Android
• Lyrics: Time-synchronised real-time display and translations
• Operation: Persistent, configurable mini-player, redesigned playback queue and split-screen tablet view
• Discovery: Similar albums and artists, playlists, radio stations, genres, labels and Qobuz Magazine content
• Additional information: Credits, album reviews, biographies, digital booklets and technical audio-file information
• Availability: Available now to all Qobuz subscribers through the mobile app

A redesigned player within the existing Qobuz app

Calling it a new player should not suggest that Qobuz is introducing a separate application alongside its established mobile app. What has been redesigned is the part of the Qobuz app that acts as the central point of access to the current track, album, queue and supplementary information during playback.

Its appearance now adapts dynamically to the album artwork. The intention is to connect the player more closely with the visual identity of each release without compromising usability. The mini-player remains permanently visible while navigating the app, so listeners do not have to choose between following the current playback and searching for new music.

On tablets, Qobuz makes use of the larger screen through a split-screen mode. Music continues playing while users browse additional content within the app. It may not be a spectacular innovation in isolation, but in daily use it is precisely the kind of adjustment that can reduce unnecessary switching between different views.

Lyrics that follow the music

The most immediately visible addition is the new lyrics function. Lyrics are not simply presented as static text but synchronised with the music as it plays. This allows listeners to follow the current passage directly during playback. Qobuz also offers translations intended to make lyrics in other languages easier to understand.

The service is thereby closing a functional gap that has become increasingly relevant to many music-streaming users. For Qobuz, however, the feature carries particular significance. The platform explicitly addresses listeners who want to engage with albums, performances and the people involved in a recording rather than treating music as incidental background entertainment.

Qobuz has also assembled new playlists featuring familiar songs intended for singing along. The lyrics function is therefore not confined to the player itself but also becomes part of the platform’s editorial approach to presenting music.

From the current track to the next discovery

The Browse section uses the track currently playing as the starting point for further recommendations. It can present similar albums and artists, suitable playlists and radio stations, as well as content associated with the relevant genre or label.

The important point is the continuity of the experience. Following a recommendation or reading an editorial feature does not require listeners to leave the current playback view. The Qobuz Magazine can now also be accessed directly through the player, placing articles about artists, albums and individual songs closer to the music they discuss.

This connection suits the profile of Qobuz far better than a player restricted to artwork, a progress bar and transport controls. Recommendations still originate within a streaming platform, but here they are linked to reviews and editorial context.

Credits, booklets and file information in one place

Qobuz has also reorganised the presentation of credits. The revised layout is intended to make it easier to identify the people involved in a recording. Album reviews, biographies, digital booklets and technical information about the audio file currently playing can also be accessed through the player.

Artists and labels can be followed directly from the player. Qobuz thus links the detailed view of a track more closely with the subscriber’s personal music library and future discoveries.

The combination of credits and digital booklets is particularly relevant to listeners who approach music by the album. It cannot necessarily replace a printed booklet in every case, but it does return greater visibility to production information that is often reduced to a minimum on streaming services.

More direct control over the playback queue

The playback queue has also been redesigned. The next three tracks are now immediately visible, making it easier to see how playback will continue. Entries can be rearranged or removed with a swipe.

Automatic playback has been revised as well. Qobuz does not describe a fundamental change to the underlying recommendation principle, but promises more intuitive mobile operation and easier access to upcoming tracks.

A mini-player configured around individual use

The mini-player provides three action fields that can be configured individually. Available options include selecting the audio output, adding a track to favourites and saving it to a playlist.

The selected functions remain accessible while navigating the app. Listeners who frequently switch between headphones, an external audio system and the mobile device’s built-in speaker can therefore prioritise audio-output selection. Those who primarily collect tracks in playlists can place that function within immediate reach instead.

“Qobuz subscribers actively engage with the music they listen to. The new player is designed precisely around this active listening experience. It offers a modern design, an intuitive user interface, synchronised lyrics, detailed information about contributors and recommendations based on our editorial content. Users therefore receive even more information about artists and their music. Following the redesign of the CarPlay app, this is another step towards improving the Qobuz experience.”

Axel Destagnol, Chief Product Officer at Qobuz

CarPlay and Siri marked the previous step

The current redesign follows the revised Qobuz app for Apple CarPlay introduced in February 2026. That update added shuffle playback, direct access to albums and artists during playback, editorial recommendations and the DailyQ and WeeklyQ mixes in the car.

Genre filters, the ability to add tracks to favourites and alphabetical sorting within the music library were also introduced. Since then, Apple Siri has allowed Qobuz to be controlled by voice commands both through Apple CarPlay and within the mobile app.

The Most Important Advantages at a Glance

• Lyrics in time with the music: The current passage can be followed directly while the track is playing.
• Easier access to lyrics in other languages: Translations can help listeners understand unfamiliar languages.
• More context for each recording: Credits, biographies, reviews, booklets and file information are available directly through the player.
• Discovery without interrupting playback: Recommendations and Qobuz Magazine articles can be explored while the music continues.
• Clearer playback queue: The next three tracks are immediately visible and can be rearranged or removed with a swipe.
• Configurable mini-player: Three customisable action fields keep frequently used functions within reach.
• More effective use of tablets: Split-screen mode combines ongoing playback with the search for further content.

Price & Availability

The redesigned Qobuz Player with synchronised lyrics has been available since 23 July 2026 to all Qobuz subscribers through the mobile app for smartphones and tablets running Apple iOS or Google Android. Qobuz has not announced any additional charge for the new functions. The company intends to introduce the features gradually across its other applications, although no specific timetable has yet been provided.

Getting to the point

With its redesigned player, Qobuz brings together the elements intended to distinguish the service from straightforward access to a large music catalogue: playback, background information, contributors and editorially guided discovery. Synchronised lyrics are not in themselves a revolution within the streaming market. Combined with translations, credits, digital booklets and direct access to the Qobuz Magazine, however, they form a coherent whole.

The decisive question will be how consistently lyrics, translations and credits are available across different genres and areas of the catalogue. The direction is convincing: listeners who want to engage more closely with an album should have fewer reasons to reach for a second app.