Two weeks ago we reported on AIRIA, which could be the next big thing in wireless high-resolution audio. Formerly known as SCL6, the music codec promises smooth, seamless and scalable audio streaming on any connection and on any device – but it will take audio partners to deliver on that promise. We already knew that hardware has been promised for 2024, and the streaming source of songs in the new codec has now been announced, and it will be with HDTracks.
HDTracks has been around since 2008, when it was launched to provide high-quality FLAC downloads, and made headlines with several high-profile hi-res audio releases, including those of The Beatles. Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Bandthat it added in 2017. Rather than trying to be all things to all people, the service has focused mainly on classical recordings, covering jazz, classical and soft rock, and is marketed more towards the audiophile market than the mass market.
The new version of the service has not yet launched, but according to HDTracks co-founder David Chesky, it will improve the existing offering. “Fans can choose their format – PCM/FLAC or MQA (AIRIA) – in a service that guarantees high-resolution audio streaming whether you’re at home or on the road,” he says.
AIRIA is also coming to more services and hardware
According to John Banks, the chief strategy officer of AIRIA’s owner MQA Labs, “The service will be available across platforms. In addition to its native mobile applications, the service will make its way into many of the world’s leading high-end audio ecosystems. apps and brands that rely on service providers for their content.”
Because MQA Labs is part of Lenbrook, a group that includes the hi-fi and home cinema brands Bluesound and NAD, hardware announcements will not take long. It has previously indicated that it expects to have multiple partnerships operational by 2025.
AIRIA’s main selling point is that no matter what bitrate you give it, it should deliver better quality audio than competing codecs like LDAC or aptX HD – so whether you listen at 20 Mbps or 200 kbps, you’ll get the best possible sonic performance for your streams.
And for streamers, MQA Labs says it offers better reliability while lowering costs. That means that while HDTracks is the first streamer to promise an AIRIA-powered service, it might not be the last.
We don’t know when this streaming service from HDTracks will arrive, let alone how much it will cost compared to the likes of Tidal, Apple Music, or Spotify, or what features we can expect. But we’re looking forward to trying it, probably in 2025 once the hardware to support the technology is available.