As has already been suggested just download the tracks as Zip or Tar. Qobuz cannot remove files from Windows’ “Download” folder (assuming you are using Windows 10) just because you have logged out.
I have some sympathy with the OP here - ideally the Qobuz desktop app should provide an easy way to download and retain purchases.
Deletion of non-purchased tracks if you log out seems reasonable so long as it doesn’t through a wobbly if an external drive is no longer connected or requires you to re-enter your account password.
I have always used the manual downloading system from the web pages, but it is a bit of a chore. I quite like the tar downloads but they don’t include evrything such as PDF booklets, and you have the job of unpacking the tar arhcive and storing files where you need them +/- decision of whether or not to keep the tar file separately as a backup.
Perhaps Qobuz should have a lightweight downloader app for purchases which you can point to a directory, choose file format and easily download titles with an indicator of which purchases have and haven’t been downloaded to that specific location.
I’dhave to wonder if they might have a process monitoring the imported/download folders and if items are copied/moved they may delete the originals in those folders. Current delete all seems a bit of a sledgehammer to a crack a nut unless they’ve been slack and not encrypted imported non-purchased tracks in some way in the past and have implemented a quick ‘fix’ with side effects.
IIRC you can add booklets and images to the tar file. Extract to where you want then.
Maybe different on Windows when downloading via web.
The PDFs generally don’t seem to be in the tar when I download on Mac so have to get those separately. I also tend to download the artwork separately though I think that’s in teh tar but maybe occasionally not at full resolution - one of Qobuz positives is the very high-res artwork you can get.
Win10 here and purchases made on Qobuz are downloaded to a directory that is always available whether logged in to Qobuz or not. I can then play those downloads via any other music player app that I choose. I have made a backup along with my usual back up schedule so I shouldn’t lose them if I leave Qobuz, but I don’t see how they could or would delete them if purchased.
Re the streamed ‘added to playlist’ type files then yes I can see that you are paying to listen and if you stop paying then those files would disappear from view.
I have to admit I never saw the notice on the log out page, so that’s on me. But it expressly refers to imported music, not downloaded music, so that’s on Qobuz.
I really should get off my hobbyhorse. I have two viable workarounds - maybe a third if downloading individual files works. But when I make a purchase from the Qobuz store and Qobuz offers me two download options, neither should have the potential of my losing my files. As the Qobuz rep said, they are working to have file deletion apply only to offline library (imported) files. In the meanwhile there should be a warning about what could happen to files downloaded with the app.
Precisely - it should be an easy software fix in theory.
As with all other download services don;t rely on a single download location (I’m sure you’re not) which could fail, and have a couple of backups - Qobuz at least allow unlimited redownloads in all available formats/resolutions via the web, but should they fail as a company we need those backups.
Qobuz are quirky but I think it’s one of the reasons I like them - they honoured ridiculous pricing errors on purchases a few years ago which was very good.
Right, this seems more impressive than in the past when the download queue used to fail quite often, 1119 tracks split into 39 CD folders downloaded in around 2 hours to an external drive 24/96 FLAC files with cover art and booklets! Over 53GB.
So long as they don’t disappear before copying to ths NAS I’ll be happy!
And of course the troubles continue. There are a number of clicks in one of the download files (CD1 Part IV, and that’s as far as I got). I tried re-downloading with the same result. Haven’t listened to Guston yet.
So far, every aspect of my purchase from Qobuz has been a negative experience. I will not be purchasing from them again.
You have my sympathy. Since acquiring a streamer I’ve been buying from 7Digital, BandCamp and HDTracks. Of those 3 the hardest/stupidest process was HDTracks. Then I found an album which only Qobuz had. I’ve no need for an account especially as I think their selection is way limited in comparison to other sites but as my choice was there or no album I created an account; purchased and then went through all manner of nonsense to get 10 Black Uhuru tracks.
Eventually realised that, despite their insistence I needed their app or to download TAR files etc., I just needed to download each song one at a time by clicking the button next to it. Took 1 hour 45 minutes of poor advice from them and their users to get there. I’ll only use them again if there is literally no choice. BandCamp and 7Digital experience is vastly superior.
I’ve purchased a couple of tar downloads from Qobuz in the last week. It only takes a couple of minutes to extract the tar file with 7zip, check the metadata (correct in both cases) and move to my music folder.
Qobuz offer a link to 7zip which is excellent quality software that been around for decades.
Same here. Be it that I use Winrar to extract and mp3tag to modify the metadata (add a sequencenumber to the trackname). Never had any problems with it. As said, a 5 minute job,including the download itself.If it even takes that long. Can’t understand the fuss.
1 Like
Gosh millions of hardware and software variations and people “can’t understand the fuss”. Seriously?
What works for one may simply not work for another because of those many variations. Many people have problems with TAR for example because it doesn’t play nice with certain file entries. That’s a software issue not a people issue.
Personally I don’t touch anything zipped simply because it’s dead technology. There’s enough network bandwidth and speed to simply not need zip files in most circumstances. Whilst using them may be painless for some others look at it and, understandably, ask why they would ever need third party software for a mere FLAC file. Your mileage may very much vary.
From my perspective Qobuz leaves a lot to be desired in terms of basic messages and the process for obtaining FLACs directly was neither well communicated nor transparent.
TAR isn’t necessarily “Zipped” or compressed it just allows you to download a single file rather than one at at time.
I’m not sure how much simpler it can get.
1 Like
tar does not do compression, it is just for collecting several files into one archive. I suppose they use it for downloading a whole album at once. tar is a weird choice as it is not natively supported by Windows, but un-tarring it is not more difficult than un-zipping once you have a tool that supports tar like 7-zip.
Not sure you’re even anywhere near getting the point here.
If you can download the FLAC files directly why would you need to use third party software? That’s probably how much easier it could get? See FLAC. Download FLAC. If the site itself does not spell out what you would use and when and indeed when that functionality is only intermittent in some set ups then yes of course there will be issues and people are entitled to say so.
The assumption there is some user error going on here is way off.
1 Like
Yes but I don’t want to click Download 20 times for an album
1 Like
And… I’m not interested in it. See FLAC files. Click download. Works on other sites way better. Qobuz are a minority interest and will remain that way until they sort such things. Luckily for me their catalogue is relatively thin so I’m likely to have minimal need of them.