MQA, the world’s leading company delivering master quality audio in a file small enough to stream, today announced that the company is expanding its innovative technology to the automotive market. MQA technology will be integrated within BlackBerry’s QNX Acoustics Management Platform, used by leading OEMs to build secure and scalable software solutions for connected and autonomous cars. To mark the launch of the new integration, an MQA-powered listening experience will be demonstrated in a showcase vehicle at BlackBerry’s booth (#7523 LVCC North Hall) at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (8-12 January 2019).
“As studio quality audio becomes the expectation of music fans – at home and on smartphones – consumers will also demand the best quality in the car. MQA’s integration with BlackBerry shows that it can be possible for manufacturers to deliver on that promise,” said Mike Jbara, CEO of MQA.
“QNX has long been on the forefront of automotive acoustics processing with handsfree, in-car communication and noise cancellation technologies,” said Len Layton, Acoustics Business Development Manager, BlackBerry. “Music will remain a key element of the driving experience. Our work with MQA will provide automakers with the ability to deliver audio that will satisfy even the most discerning music fans.”
MQA’s entry into the automotive industry follows its continued success in popularising premium audio playback in the home and mobile markets. The company has partnerships with all three major record labels as well as the independent sector; music services such as TIDAL and Onkyo Music offer MQA master recordings for streaming and download; and in the last 18 months, handset manufacturers LG and Essential have both launched mobile devices with MQA playback capability.
About MQA
Using pioneering scientific research into how people hear, the MQA team has created a technology that captures the sound of the original studio performance. The master MQA file is fully authenticated and is small enough to stream or download, while also being backward compatible, so you can play MQA music on any device. MQA’s award-winning technology is licensed by labels, music services and hardware manufacturers worldwide and is certified by the RIAA. MQA is a UK-based private company.