Ongoing – started in 2023
Qobuz
Proud to be the trusted partner for a world-leading music-streaming platform.
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Project Introduction
Qobuz is a premium French music streaming service offering high-fidelity audio streaming and downloads across desktop, mobile, HiFi devices, TVs, web, and even car systems.
ITSharkz was brought on board to support multiple areas of development, including backend performance optimization, embedded systems, desktop app modernization, and cross-platform integration.
Our team collaborated closely with Qobuz to deliver a more scalable, stable, and engaging experience for music lovers.
Our team collaborated closely with Qobuz to deliver a more scalable, stable, and engaging experience for music lovers.
Technology Stack
We worked with a wide range of modern and low-level technologies to improve infrastructure, backend logic, app performance, and smart device communication:
Backend & Infrastructure
PHP, Symfony, MySQL, ElasticSearch, AWS, Kubernetes, Docker
Desktop
React, TypeScript, SQLite, Qobuz Connect
Chromecast
JavaScript, Protobuf
Team & Project Scope
A cross-functional team of 3 experienced developers and 1 QA worked alongside Qobuz’s in-house engineers and business teams to ensure technical quality and delivery across multiple products.
Challenges:
- Managing real-time communication for over 500,000 users
- Optimizing cross-device synchronization with Qobuz Connect
- Migrating legacy desktop app data without disrupting user experience
- Modernizing a Symfony-based backend under heavy load and limited test coverage
- Integrating new features in an architecture with high technical debt
- Delivering high performance while maintaining platform stability and availability
Solutions:
- Built a high-performance Rust proxy server enabling real-time messaging with minimal memory on basic Linux machines
- Re-architected the desktop app cache layer, moving entirely to SQLite and supporting full-text search and offline use
- Designed cache-abort logic to optimize bandwidth when users navigate away mid-process
- Rebuilt the Chromecast application UI and integrated Qobuz Connect to sync across devices
- Optimized API performance by caching heavy calculations and refactoring popularity-based content ranking
- Launched a personalized discovery feed based on followed labels to boost engagement
Features & Capabilities
Desktop App:
Offline search, better caching, faster navigation
Chromecast:
Redesigned interface and Qobuz Connect integration
Backend Tools:
Artist/label discovery features, playlist subscription optimization
Goals & Outcomes
- Enabled support for HiFi and smart devices with minimal hardware
- Significantly improved application responsiveness and offline capabilities
- Increased user retention and satisfaction via enhanced UI and discovery tools
- Lowered infrastructure costs through performance tuning
- Future-proofed key systems with updated tools and scalable architecture
Conclusion
Alongside Qobuz, we help strengthen scalability, performance, and the user experience across all devices. By supporting backend modernization, improved multi-device synchronization, and richer features, Qobuz continues its mission: delivering a high-fidelity music experience that meets their high standards. This long-term collaboration serves a robust infrastructure and steady, controlled growth.
Watch our client’s video reviews
Nicolas Baudelot and Nicolas Massaviol – CEO and CTO at Medicalib
"With ITSharkz, we found a trusted partner, so we will continue working with them – and hopefully for a long time."
Tasks:
- Integrated government systems, implemented regulatory logic, and created a UI library.
Results:
- Integrated OpenID Connect, developed a quotation engine, and built a design system.
Carole Juge-Llewellyn – CEO and Founder of Joone
"They really got involved in understanding what we do, how we do it, and were proactive. That’s something I’ve never seen elsewhere."
Tasks:
- Developed new subscription checkout, implemented client-facing management system, and migrated thousands of subscriptions.
Results:
- Launched Newcharge checkout, built a customer dashboard for subscription management, and successfully migrated subscriptions.
Georges Fornay and Franck Véga – CEO and CTO at Qobuz
"It was the right compromise for me: very skilled people, competitive rates, and a nearby location."
Tasks:
- Optimized backend, modernized desktop app, integrated cross-platform features (Qobuz Connect).
Results:
- Improved device support & app performance, boosted user retention, cut costs, and future-proofed systems.