Top six high-resolution audio download sites

With a strong catalogue offering hi-res music from all genres and a website that makes buying music easy, 7digital is an excellent all-rounder.

There’s a useful search function and the website is simple to navigate. You can easily spot hi-res recordings thanks to a ‘24-bit FLAC’ badge, and there’s also a dedicated hi-res section. The drawback is that it offers downloads only in FLAC format. Prices are affordable, though, and you can buy individual tracks and full albums. Music discovery and front-end intuitiveness get full marks on French download store Qobuz. Both the website and dedicated app are easy to navigate, and you can search by genre or new releases, which can be sorted by sample rate. There is a strong Francophile focus, although the catalogue is growing every day.

Pricing is competitive, but the hybrid Sublime+ subscription service costs £350 a year, though you do get discounts on hi-res albums. All the benefits of the 7digital catalogue, but with an exclusive hi-fi focus – not a single MP3 here, everything is CD quality and above. Hi-res files are available in FLAC from 24-bit/44.1khz up to 24-bit/192khz, and marked with a ‘Hi-res’ badge on the thumbnail artwork.

The minimalist interface is custom built, making Technics look and feel different from 7digital. Pricing is similar, though, which means Technics Tracks is a top place for hi-res tunes. 37