[IDEA] Streaming from Qobuz native app

[the_bertrum]

What I can't see there is a any FOSS licenced code that could be integrated into moOde. Are there any pages aimed st developers - my quick browse didn't show any up.

[MagicBandwidth]

What I can't see there is a any FOSS licenced code that could be integrated into moOde.  Are there any pages aimed st developers - my quick browse didn't show any up.

Caveat: I'm not a developer.

I do see Volumio on the list of brands integrated with Qobuz Connect.  

Do any developers working on moOde happen to know any developers working on Volumio?  Maybe they could share tips and advice?

FWIW, here's what ChatGPT recommends:

Volumio's integration of Qobuz Connect is the result of a close collaboration with Qobuz, involving access to their proprietary SDK and adherence to specific integration guidelines. This partnership allowed Volumio to implement the feature across its entire product line, including the Raspberry Pi-based Volumio OS .Volumio Community
For developers aiming to integrate Qobuz Connect into a Raspberry Pi-based operating system, the following steps are recommended:

1. Establish a Partnership with Qobuz: Reach out to Qobuz to initiate a collaboration. This partnership is essential to gain access to the Qobuz Connect SDK and to ensure compliance with their integration requirements.
   
2. Obtain the Qobuz Connect SDK: Upon establishing a partnership, Qobuz will provide access to their SDK, which contains the necessary tools and documentation for integration.
   
3. Review Qobuz's Integration Guidelines: Familiarize yourself with Qobuz's integration guidelines to understand the technical and user experience standards expected for Qobuz Connect implementations.
   
4. Develop the Integration: Utilize the SDK and guidelines to develop the Qobuz Connect feature within your operating system. This may involve creating a receiver application that can communicate with the Qobuz app, handling playback commands, and managing audio streaming.
   
5. Testing and Quality Assurance: Conduct thorough testing to ensure the integration functions correctly and provides a seamless user experience. Address any issues identified during this phase.
   
6. Certification and Approval: Submit your integration to Qobuz for certification. This step is crucial to ensure that your implementation meets all of Qobuz's standards and can be officially recognized as a Qobuz Connect-compatible device.
   
7. Release and Support: Once certified, release the updated operating system to users. Provide ongoing support and updates as necessary to maintain compatibility with Qobuz's services.
   

By following these steps, developers can effectively integrate Qobuz Connect into their Raspberry Pi-based operating systems, offering users a native and seamless streaming experience directly from the Qobuz app.

[the_bertrum]

Yup, so that means Volumio paid a developer to work with Qobuz to implement Qobuz' closed code into their app. They'll recoup the cost through charging a premium for the feature.

That's not going to work for moOde, we'd need Qobuz to at least make an API available so a FOSS connect application could be developed.

[roderickvd]

We could ask. Tim or I could try and do that with hopefully some credentials. I don’t expect much but hey who knows!

Barring that, depending on how it goes with Deezer Connect, I could look into reverse engineering it. I’d need to have access to a supported device to assess if that’s feasible at all.

[Tim Curtis]

Yup, so that means Volumio paid a developer to work with Qobuz to implement Qobuz' closed code into their app.  They'll recoup the cost through charging a premium for the feature.

That's not going to work for moOde, we'd need Qobuz to at least make an API available so a FOSS connect application could be developed.

We could ask. Tim or I could try and do that with hopefully some credentials. I don’t expect much but hey who knows!

Barring that, depending on how it goes with Deezer Connect, I could look into reverse engineering it. I’d need to have access to a supported device to assess if that’s feasible at all.

Music service API's are licensed with NDA's and typically paid for by a recurring periodic payment to the service provider, and there are minimum dollar mounts that have to be met and sustained or a license won't be granted. This make it a no-go for FOSS.

From what I've seen, players that do license an API usually implement a low function version of the Music services native application. I wouldn't want that and definitely would never pay for it as a player "feature" particularly since I'm already paying for the Music service which already includes a nice app.

The best approaches IMO make use of the Music services native app for example the "Connect" protocols like Spotify Connect, the "Casting" protocols like AirPlay2 and "Network" protocols like Bluetooth.

[roderickvd]

Yes I was also referring to the Qobuz Connect protocol which came out of beta this month.

[Tim Curtis]

Got it. That could make for an interesting "librebuz" project.

[roderickvd]

I've spent a few hours digging into Qobuz Connect and it looks doable to build a headless player for it - along the lines of librespot or pleezer.

No promises yet, but I'll start exploring it further. If you'd like to support the effort, I'd appreciate sponsorship at https://github.com/sponsors/roderickvd. It'll help cover the Qobuz subscription and tools needed for protocol analysis and development.

[Tim Curtis]

I've spent a few hours digging into Qobuz Connect and it looks doable to build a headless player for it - along the lines of librespot or pleezer.

No promises yet, but I'll start exploring it further. If you'd like to support the effort, I'd appreciate sponsorship at https://github.com/sponsors/roderickvd. It'll help cover the Qobuz subscription and tools needed for protocol analysis and development.

Sure, no prob.

Do you know at this point whether authentication will be by user's Qobuz account id and password or does some sort of developer token need to be used?

[roderickvd]

Thank you for your support Tim.

From first analysis I think username/password authentication should be possible, like with pleezer. That is the goal.