Deezer and Sonos Bring Music Lovers The First Global High-Resolution Streaming Experience

DENVER, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Deezer, the premier digital streaming music service, and Sonos®, an innovator in wireless home audio products, today announced an exclusive partnership that will bring streaming High-Resolution Audio (HRA) to music lovers around the world. Deezer's product "Deezer Elite" is the first global HRA streaming service available to consumers and it's offered exclusively through Sonos, a system of smart speakers that let you stream all your favorite music to any room in your home in high fidelity sound. As part of the global launch, US consumers can access a Deezer product on their Sonos system for the first time ever.

Music quality has gone backwards from vinyl to CDs to MP3s and Deezer Elite reverses that trend. For the very first time, music lovers everywhere can stream music with the depth and richness of what the artist intended. Deezer Elite subscribers can choose from Deezer's 35 million track library and stream FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) files at a standard of 1,411 kbps or higher in any room, or multiple rooms together through Sonos speakers and components.

"Deezer has built a global audience of over 16 million people by meeting the many needs of music consumers. Audio enthusiasts no longer have to choose between a streaming service and high quality audio, with Deezer Elite they can have both for the first time," said Tyler Goldman, CEO of Deezer North America. "We are focused on super-serving the needs of underserved market segments to continue to grow the music streaming category."

Deezer Elite on Sonos Features:

• Enjoy music the way it was made, at 5X the top bitrate of other streaming services
• Get the largest music catalogue in the world at your fingertips, with over 35 million songs
• Discover new music through Deezer radio, recommendations, top playlists and friends
• Synch all of your past music history from any service to get started immediately
• Listen to your music on any device, including smart phone, tablet and TV
• Explore artists and albums, and interact with other music fans through comments and shared music
• Get on-demand playlist recommendations and expertise with your personal music concierge
• Elite Customer Service to help you configure your devices, import your music collection and answer questions 24/7
• The promotional price for Deezer Elite on Sonos is $9.99 a month for users that sign up for a full year of service.  This is 50% off the regular price of $19.99 a month.   The cost for users that opt to pay monthly is $14.99 for the new high resolution streaming music service.
• Sonos customers in the US can try Deezer Elite in beta on September 15 with a 30-day free trial.

MP3s made music transfer and sharing easier than ever, but the files needed to be compressed due to storage and bandwidth limitations, leading to a noticeable loss in sound quality. Now you can listen to performances as the artist intended with digital lossless captures of original analog audio sources. Deezer defines HRA as the same or higher sampling frequency and bit depth of a physical CD, which is 16-bit/44.1kHz or 1,411 bitrate (kbps), captured in a lossless format like FLAC, WAV etc. With the vast majority of music listeners using MP3 format (320 kbps or lower), the 1,411 bitrate standard represents a significant jump in music quality.

"The world of streaming is accelerating and as great music services like Deezer expand, it's an exciting thing for our customers," said Sonos CEO, John MacFarlane. "With the introduction of Deezer Elite, you can easily stream your favorite music in high definition audio on any Sonos speaker throughout the home."

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) published research that showed consumers are ready to embrace HRA, and that the appeal of high quality audio electronics extends beyond enthusiasts. CEA research finds four in ten (40 percent) consumers with a moderate interest in audio indicate they are willing to pay more for high quality audio electronics devices. Nine in ten consumers say sound quality is the most important component of a quality audio experience.

Deezer Elite will first be available in the US on September 15th through Sonos and Home Integrators, followed by a global rollout. There are approximately 22,000 Home Integrators in the US that represent an estimated $14 Billion in annual revenue, according to a CEDIA industry study. Professional integrators can enroll in Deezer Elite for Sonos at www.pro.deezer.com to offer the product exclusively.

ABOUT DEEZER
Deezer is the first truly worldwide digital music streaming service in 182 countries, with 16 million monthly active users and 5 million paid subscribers worldwide. Deezer is at the forefront of a music revolution, allowing fans instant access to the largest music catalogue in the world, with more than 35 million songs and 30,000+ radio channels on any device. Combining the best of man and machine, Deezer's global editorial team searches for the best music around the world and its algorithmic recommendations help fans discover music they will truly love.  Deezer is available on your favorite device, including smartphone, tablet, PC, laptop, home sound system, connected car, smart TV or Xbox.  

Launched in 2007, Deezer is a privately-held company, headquartered in Paris with offices in San Francisco and around the world.  Deezer is currently available as a free download for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows devices or on the web at http://www.deezer.com globally outside the US.

ABOUT SONOS
Sonos^® creates the Wireless HiFi System – smart speakers and home audio products that let you wirelessly stream all your favorite music to any room in your home in high fidelity sound. In addition to playing your personal digital music collection, Sonos gives you access to millions of songs and thousands of radio stations by partnering with music services all over the world. Sonos is available from retail partners globally or direct at www.sonos.com. Founded in 2002, Sonos, Inc. is a privately-held company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California with offices in the United States, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany and China.

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SOURCE Deezer