Drowned in Sound Announces Partnership with Qobuz

11 December 2025 - Press release

25 year old music publication and ethical streaming platform partner to support mission-driven journalism and music discovery

 

Drowned in Sound, the independent music publication, podcast and online community, has today announced a new partnership with Qobuz, the independently-owned high-quality music streaming and download platform.

This collaboration is for Drowned in Sound (DiS) podcast seasons running from December 2025 through to June 2026, kicking off with its best of 2025 coverage, predictions for 2026, and exclusive interviews with electronic music titan Kelly Lee Owens as well as one of the most exciting new artists in the world right now, Sofia Isella.

The partnership brings together two independently-owned organisations committed to artist-first values and human curation. Qobuz, which pays artists an average of US$0.01873 per stream (that’s four times the industry average) will serve as title sponsor for the podcast, with DiS also curating weekly companion playlists on Qobuz.

Founded in 2000, Drowned in Sound has evolved from traditional music journalism, a record label and online forums into what founder Sean Adams describes as “community organising infrastructure” - balancing music discovery and recommendations with investigative journalism and resource-building that helps music fans understand and use their collective power.

“This cooperation aligns with everything DiS is about,” said Adams. “Qobuz pays artists 4x more than other platforms, values human curation, and is independently-owned. They’re building a platform for music enthusiasts the way ethical experts recommend. Even the guests on our recent Spotify Exodus podcast episodes agreed Qobuz is the place to go, and as a user of the platform for several years myself, I’m thrilled to team up. This comes at a time when grassroots media is struggling and it emboldens our mission to empower music fans, recommend exceptional music, and create solutions-led journalism that builds useful resources. Bring on 2026!”

Dan Mackta, Managing Director of Qobuz added “Having been a reader and fan of DiS since the early days of the music blogosphere, I couldn't be happier that Qobuz is able to contribute to their continued evolution and growth. Music people recognise their own - we take this stuff seriously!”