Hi-Rez Highway

New high resolution SACD releases, players and technology.

Return to Hi-Rez Highway

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

Can't sign up for Qobuz Sublime+ from USA

165.227.134.89
Posted on June 5, 2017 at 17:19:50
Loan Arranger
Audiophile

Posts: 76
Location: California Desert
Joined: August 21, 2000
 No matter how I try, with or without a proxy, I can't sign up using the web site, either in French Or English. All the services on the offering page are possible except Sublime and Sublime+ and that click gets directed to a message that the site does not exist and to contact customer service. I did send a message as instructed but have had no reply. Has anyone succeeded in actually signing up for the Sublime+ from anywhere? I have tested it and sounds equal to Naxos 24 bit.

How do you pay for the service: is PayPal accepted? Thanks for any help.

 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
RE: Can't sign up for Qobuz Sublime+ from USA, posted on June 5, 2017 at 19:22:15
PAR
 Qobuz checks the IP address of the request and provides a form for subscribing that matches the originating country of that request. For example I just clicked on the Sublime+ subscribe option and the form generated has a URL ending in GB for my country.

This obviously only works if the requester's country is valid. So even if you use a proxy it won't necessarily work if the proxy IP address does not indicate an origination in France, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Austria or Italy. Obviously your proxy address does not hence your being directed to a page asking you to contact customer service.

Paypal is shown on the form page as an acceptable payment method.

 

Looks like I have to fly to Paris for the weekend..., posted on June 5, 2017 at 19:29:29
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 Or a French Proxy server?

Or give someone in France my login credentials and PayPal info?

Or will they use the existing PayPal account if I'm currently using PayPal for my monthly subscription?




First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

RE: Looks like I have to fly to Paris for the weekend..., posted on June 5, 2017 at 19:42:14
Loan Arranger
Audiophile

Posts: 76
Location: California Desert
Joined: August 21, 2000
 I have tried a VPN with server in either France or Italy but always get the same result. Everything starts out in French or Italian but when I click on either Sublime service the result is the same,"The site you are looking for does not exist ". The normal trial services will go through.

 

RE: Looks like I have to fly to Paris for the weekend..., posted on June 5, 2017 at 19:43:18
PAR
 If and when you reach the Sublime+ subscription form you will find that there is an option at the bottom for existing Qobuz subscribers. So maybe you can simply change your subscription from CD quality to Sublime+ directly ? You may be able to do it from the options in "My Account" ( or the equivalent in French) when you are logged in to your existing subscription.

If you are going to fly to France then why not stop off in London and sign up to the UK service and get it in English? However that would seem to require the creation of a new account.

 

RE: Looks like I have to fly to Paris for the weekend..., posted on June 5, 2017 at 19:47:16
PAR
 If you managed to get the French or Italian introductory pages up then it could just be that there is some kind of temporary access problem to the subscription page for Sublime+ in those countries. Try again tomorrow.

PS; wouldn't it be best for you to try for the UK service and get it in English? The UK Sublime+ subscription page is certainly working as I just accessed it.

 

The healthcare is better in France..., posted on June 5, 2017 at 20:56:57
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 If Britain leaving the EU means all of the English people retired in the South of France lose their free French healthcare and have to sell their places and go back to the UK, we may be able to afford a nice place there after all. ;-)

People ask how I cans spend so much time living in France when my French is so poor. I explain that half the people living in Provence are retired Brits there for the weather and the health care.






First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

RE: The healthcare is better in France..., posted on June 6, 2017 at 03:06:18
PAR
 That is so true, as is the situation in Spain where I have a number of ex-pat friends.

The British are so numerous in southern Spain that one town near the Andalucian coast even has (or had) a British mayor.

Settling the reciprocity of healthcare between EU and British citizens is supposed to be the first thing on the agenda of the Brexit talks which start very shortly. Of course right now we do not know who will represent the British side. I suspect that whichever UK government the period of negotiation will lead to fluctuations in currency value and FTSE index which is why I have bought a dCS Vivaldi DAC and master clock now so as to listen to Qobuz and to try to keep this thread on topic :-). Arrives later this week/early next. NB: I don't think it has the new MQA option as I believe that is in the upsampler/streamer box which I haven't bought, not being a fan of upsampling.

" People ask how I cans spend so much time living in France when my French is so poor. "

In Spain I knew a couple who met there. Husband British, wife Russian. He speaks no Russian, she has around four English words only ( hello, goodbye, yes, no). Each goes everywhere with an i-pad using Google translate in order to communicate with each other.



 

Loved the time I spend in southern Spain..., posted on June 6, 2017 at 06:40:55
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 But, again to keep this thread on topic, I am not sure they have QOBUZ in Spain as yet. :-)

And, if I had to have a Russian wife, the iPad would be PERFECT!




First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

RE: Can't sign up for Qobuz Sublime+ from USA, posted on June 6, 2017 at 10:32:15
Isaak J. Garvey
Industry Professional

Posts: 1207
Location: Hollywod, CA
Joined: January 7, 2016
 Sorry for late reply. Just came back from London, and it was a mess.

Yes, pay pal is accepted and it is how I have always paid for downloads.

I am sorry you have had a hard time signing up. As noted by other posers, a French IP may help, but ultimately customer service's response will tell you what exactly going on.

 

RE: Loved the time I spend in southern Spain..., posted on June 6, 2017 at 10:35:22
PAR
 " But, again to keep this thread on topic, I am not sure they have QOBUZ in Spain as yet. :-)"

Spain and Poland are the next countries to be added by Qobuz later this year. Thinking about it, it is odd that they didn't add Ireland when they brought the service to the UK. For obvious reasons that is the usual thing to do concerning product or service distribution.

Edit: It now seems from Lone Arranger that they are supplying IE.

 

RE: Loved the time I spend in southern Spain..., posted on June 6, 2017 at 11:34:02
Loan Arranger
Audiophile

Posts: 76
Location: California Desert
Joined: August 21, 2000
 Here's a reply from Qobuz in response to my request for service in the US.

Qobuz is currently only open in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, NL, Belgium, Luxembourg Ireland.
Qobuz is really sorry you cannot find our service in your country.
Although, you should know our International developpement is growing, we might open soon in your country ! :-)

Best regards

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Michel Girard | Customer Service
support@qobuz.com
Qobuz - Xandrie,
NEW ADDRESS from March 27
Centre d'activité de l'Ourcq, 45 rue Delizy - 93692 PANTIN-CEDEX

 

RE: Loved the time I spend in southern Spain..., posted on June 6, 2017 at 14:10:38
PAR
 Considering the route that you took to disguise your country of origin it seems that Qobuz have become rather sophisticated in spotting it .

Still thanks for posting their response which adds a couple of countries to my to my knowledge of who they supply.

 

Regional restrictions, posted on June 6, 2017 at 14:20:09
Charles Hansen
Manufacturer

Posts: 6984
Joined: August 1, 2001
 >> I can't sign up <<

As far as I know, all of the regional restriction placed upon both streaming services (eg, Qobuz) and download services (eg, HDTracks) are mandated by the record labels. I'm sure that Qobuz would like nothing better than to have world-wide customers, as it would increase their audience and revenue dramatically.

I am unsure why the record labels don't simply allow for this, as Qobuz would pay royalties for each customer regardless of where they live. I would guess that it is simply a hold-over from the days of physical media. In that situation the record labels would not want "grey market" imports of physical goods competing with the "authorized" importer. (We also see this behavior in the distribution of video content, whereby both DVD and Blu-ray disc have region codes to prevent content sales to other markets.)

Strictly my own opinions, and not necessarily those of my employer or father-in-law.

 

RE: Regional restrictions, posted on June 6, 2017 at 14:42:00
PAR
 " I am unsure why the record labels don't simply allow for this"

As my job for over a quarter of a century was licensing third party users of record rights I will try to explain.

For most of the major labels the local rights owner does not own anything other than the right to press and distribute copies of the recording plus broadcasting in their country. Other rights such as digital distribution by whatever means are either not owned by the record company at all via their contract with the artist (now less common) or are with the parent company, usually American. My experience was that the American companies were generally unwilling to to license such rights in other countries due to their unfamilarity with the relative monetary values involved and fear that a precedent may be set which may be used against them in their own deals in the USA ( viz. DoJ). Easier to just say no instead of all of the work involved in justifying a business case that involves other territories.

OK I am now out of date but I believe that is still largely the case. Comments welcome.

 

Makes sense to me, posted on June 6, 2017 at 15:09:14
Charles Hansen
Manufacturer

Posts: 6984
Joined: August 1, 2001
 >> Easier to just say no instead of all of the work involved in justifying a business case that involves other territories. <<

Thanks for explaining the actual situation in detail - very much appreciated. It makes me wonder if one of the obstacles facing European streaming services trying to enter the US isn't actually due to existing conflicts. Out of curiosity, do you know the geographical extent of Apple's streaming service? Also I believe that Spotify is based in Sweden, yet they are readily available in the US. Perhaps it boils down to waving dollar bills at the record label executives.

Strictly my own opinions and not necessarily those of my employer or pet monkey.

 

SUCCESS!, posted on June 6, 2017 at 15:30:35
Loan Arranger
Audiophile

Posts: 76
Location: California Desert
Joined: August 21, 2000
 Ah Ha, I am finally aboard. What a job just to spend my own money, and a lot of it; over $400/yr using the PayPal exchange.

Success came after realizing I was still using an old sign in that I had created last year when doing a 15 day trial. That sign in showed clearly my location in the US.

After creating a new sign in,using my iPad VPN switched to Germany,everything else was a piece of cake. I am currently stuck with the Qobuz Desktop in German however the browser player in Chrome and Google Translate is an acceptable work around until I can get customer service to switch my language preference.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.

 

RE: Makes sense to me, posted on June 6, 2017 at 15:52:05
PAR
 Well, Spotify may be geographically based in Sweden but the ownership is now American.

No idea about anything from Apple. But again, American.

Much easier to extend an American service to other countries than have the other countries set the running.

As this thread is about Qobuz I suspect that it getting to America will be , um, difficult.

 

RE: SUCCESS!, posted on June 6, 2017 at 15:56:20
PAR
 Well done. However there is no language preference as Ivan303 knows well. The language that you get is related to the service that you subscribe to. You have subscribed to the German service so time to brush up your German.

 

RE: SUCCESS!, posted on June 6, 2017 at 16:05:19
Isaak J. Garvey
Industry Professional

Posts: 1207
Location: Hollywod, CA
Joined: January 7, 2016
 Bravo! And Congrats!!

 

RE: SUCCESS!, posted on June 6, 2017 at 16:57:06
Charles Hansen
Manufacturer

Posts: 6984
Joined: August 1, 2001
 Congratulations! It's nice to know that there are multiple options available. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the service regarding all aspects - depth of catalog (both by genre and also resolution), user interface, and sound quality. Please keep us posted.

 

Welcome to the sublime + club, posted on June 6, 2017 at 18:49:27
maxim
Audiophile

Posts: 458
Joined: May 22, 2000
Contributor
  Since: September 24, 2013
 Keep us posted on your experience, please

 

Great news...., posted on June 6, 2017 at 19:20:05
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 That said, no weekend trip to Paris for you! ;-)




First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

RE: what doesn't make sense to me, posted on June 7, 2017 at 06:49:27
bean
 is that labels won't sell what people want to buy.

But, at least I am used to it.

 

RE: what doesn't make sense to me, posted on June 7, 2017 at 07:12:33
PAR
 " labels won't sell what people want to buy."

Because they may not be able to due to contractual restraints or regulatory restriction. Often in these situations the gain to ne made from the transaction can be outweighed by the risk of action being taken, for example by the DoJ in the USA or the European Court of Justice over here.

This is all a great game for lawyers.

 

Page processed in 0.030 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]