Any thoughts? Lock in 3 years of Qobuz at today's rate

I took advantage of the one year offer, but I would really like to take advantage of the three year deal.  However, I’m a few days from my 87th birthday.  Seems like I’m gambling on my potential life span. And since I already took advantage of the one yea offer, what would happen if I bought a 3 year plan….would I sign up for four years then?

Qobuz is private, so there is no motivation for them to release financials. They do not use advertising, only monies from subscriptions to obtain revenue. There has been a fair rebuke of online services by artists this year as the artist themselves feel they are not getting a fair shake in profits. Artists claim that streaming services are an unsustainable revenue model for them, and that will make a difference going forward as they have the power to force change in the industry. 

Also, Qobuz was bought out in 2015 and the French buyer paid monies on what was reported to be 3 years of debt at that time. It was reported that Oobuz was close to bankruptcy at the time. Quite likely that a 3-year membership is aimed at reducing the debt occurred since the buy-out. What's more is that the buyer's company had only been in business for three years before the buy-out. Hence, there is not a whole lot there that should make anyone warm and fuzzy about Qobuz's probable longevity. 

In addition, there is no lack of competition in the streaming industry and Qobuz is unique in that they are all-in on audiophiles and the growth of that demographic. While it is a demographic that is trending up, that may be because of cheaper hi-fi systems available (headphones; incorporating audiophile systems into TV). But with the current attack on cheaper overseas electronics via taxes, that demographic trend is certainly in danger of disappearing.

But for those that ask if the price will rise. Well, of course it will, this is capitalism. If the company is showing a sign that it needs a cash infusion, and they have neglected to make financials public, then if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck!

>> "But for those that ask if the price will rise. Well, of course it will, this is capitalism."

That's not always true -- sometimes innovation and competition lowers prices.  I bought my first computer in 1980 for $2,000 -- B&W screen, 2 floppy drives, no hard drive, and the memory was 128K, double what was standard at the time. I bought a new PC last week for $330. It has a 1 TB drive, 32 G of RAM and tons of other features that were non-existent in 1980. 

I like Qobuz a lot, mainly for how they present new releases on a weekly basis and let me find new artists in my preferred genres. Much better than any of the other services I've tried. So I've decided to stick with them on a yearly basis. If they go belly-up or prices go up too much, there are plenty of alternatives. And I already have my own large collection of music I love so the worst that can happen to me is that I go back to how I obtained music in the decades before streaming. 

I'm on the fence too. The offer suggests a need for a cash inflow. If they can't sustain things with the current subscriber base, the long term prospects seem shaky. I want to buy music access, not pay down corporate debt. 

I'll probably stick with yearly. Competition should keep prices reasonable.

All,

Thanks to everyone who posted their comments above regarding locking in a 3-year subscription to QoBuz.  

I understand there might be some risk that QoBuz goes out of business, or I might not be here in 3-years.  In any case, I believe their prices will increase shortly so I like locking in at today's rate.  I asked some of my audio friends and they also believe it is a good deal.  

I signed up for the QoBuz 3-year plan and they credited my account for the time remaining on my current 1-year subscription.   Thanks again for your comments.