Sony Launches New Mora Qualitas Hi-Res Streaming Service In Japan
The dam just might be at the breaking point for high-resolution music as another new service has been introduced. Sony Music Entertainment Japan (SMEJ) launched its new Mora Qualitas service in Japan in partnership with Napster.
Mora Qualitas was first announced last December, but now has launched publicly. It features FLAC-streamed files at either CD quality 44.1kHz/16 bit or 96kHz/24 bit. It will cost the equivalent of approximately $18.20
This comes on the heals of Amazon’s announcement of its Amazon Music HD service last month.
What’s interesting here is the fact that Mora Qualitas has only launched in Japan, but I suspect that’s because of a licensing issue. The streaming services will feature music from Universal Music Japan, Warner Music Japan, Victor Entertainment and more in addition to Sony Music Entertainment Japan’s roster of global artists.
Japan is actually an interesting music market as it’s mostly based on the sale of physical product which is purchased by fans more in support of their favorite artist than as a music delivery method. Streaming adoption there has lagged behind other countries, but it has increased by almost 33% in the last year.
The new service now joins a growing number of hi-res streaming options, including Amazon Music HD, Tidal, and Qobuz. Of course price is still a large impediment to adoption, with a regular Spotify premium account costing around the equivalent of $9 per month, while an Amazon HD account costs $16.20.
Apple Music is still the one everyone is waiting for though, since the company has been requiring masters be submitted as hi-res files of at least CD quality or better as part of its Mastered For iTunes program. MFIT, as it’s known in the trade, was launched in 2012, which means that the company may have the largest vault of hi-res files available of any company. The question has always been when the company would release them.
Mora Qualitas is a step in the right direction though, and it’s worth keeping track to see if and how it’s adopted.
