MQA
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What MQA does
MQA Labs, founded in 2015 and headquartered in London, is a privately held audio technology business operating as a division of Lenbrook Industries Limited within the Lenbrook Media Group. The company develops proprietary audio codecs and signal-processing technologies — most notably the MQA reference codec, the Airia codec for streaming and wireless, the FOQUS analogue-to-digital converter, and the QRONO digital-to-analogue playback technology — alongside the INSPIRA and ENDURA studio plugins for impulse response and noise shaping. Together these products cover the full music chain from recording through distribution to playback, serving four primary customer segments: music creators, broadcasters, streaming platforms, and hardware manufacturers.
The company's business model combines a product-led direct channel for its studio plugins (sold through its own e-commerce site with a 7-day free trial) with a B2B licensing and royalty model for its codecs and conversion/playback technologies, which are embedded into third-party streaming platforms and OEM audio equipment. A notable reference deployment is Spotify's Lossless tier, which uses MQA Labs' QRONO d2a technology. The company is led by CEO Mike Jbara, operates with 11–50 employees, and has no disclosed outside funding, making it wholly owned and resourced through its parent Lenbrook group.
MQA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MQA
- Legal name
- MQA Labs
- Website
- https://mqa.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MQA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Audio Technology / Audio Codec Software
- NAICS
- Other Sound Recording Industries (512290)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audio Encoding & Processing (Surround, Atmos, Normalization) (MPAHAHAI)
Keywords
Where MQA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
MQA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Studio Plugins (INSPIRA, ENDURA): Sale of studio plugins for improved impulse response and noise shaping, sold with 7-day free trial option.
- Audio Codec Licensing (MQA, Airia): Licensing of proprietary audio codecs to hardware manufacturers and streaming services for integration into their products and platforms.
- Hardware Technology Solutions: Technology solutions provided to hardware manufacturers including FOQUS (A-to-D conversion) and QRONO (playback) for integration into audio equipment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Studio Plugins with 7-Day Free Trial |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
MQA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MQA Labs develops and licenses proprietary audio technologies including the MQA reference codec for lossless high-fidelity audio, the Airia codec for streaming and wireless applications, FOQUS analogue-to-digital conversion, QRONO playback technology, and the INSPIRA and ENDURA studio plugins. The company serves music creators, broadcasters, streaming services, and hardware manufacturers across the full music value chain.
Product overview
MQA Labs is a technology company offering a portfolio of audio solutions across the entire music chain - serving creators, broadcasters, streaming services, and hardware manufacturers. The company provides two distinct audio codec technologies: MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) as the reference codec for lossless studio-quality audio, and Airia as an alternative codec optimized for streaming and wireless applications. Studio users are served through INSPIRA and ENDURA plugins for improved impulse response and noise shaping. Signal chain solutions include FOQUS (analogue-to-digital conversion) and QRONO (digital-to-analogue playback technology). QRONO d2a enables Spotify Lossless hardware integration. All solutions are offered as standalone products, and the company operates as a division of Lenbrook Industries Limited.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- INSPIRA: Studio plugin for improved impulse response.
- ENDURA
- FOQUS
- QRONO
- Airia
Products and services
- MQA Codec (Master Quality Authenticated) Proprietary reference audio codec for high-fidelity audio applications, designed to deliver studio-quality sound in a compact file size. Licensed to hardware manufacturers and streaming services for integration into audio products and platforms.
- INSPIRA
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivering exceptional playback quality for Spotify Lossless
Companies that use MQA
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
MQA technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature6 records
MQA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Lenbrook Industries LimitedcoreLenbrook Industries Limited is the parent company of MQA Labs. MQA Labs operates as a division of Lenbrook Industries, which is part of the Lenbrook Media Group.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
MQA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bose: Bose is a global consumer and professional audio company producing headphones, speakers, and automotive audio systems with proprietary processing and codec integrations. Comparable as a broad incumbent that participates in the ecosystem MQA Labs targets with its codec and playback technology.
- Bowers & Wilkins: Bowers & Wilkins manufactures premium speakers and headphones that integrate high-fidelity audio codecs and have supported MQA decoding. Comparable as a broad incumbent hardware brand overlapping with MQA Labs' licensing targets.
- Sonos: Sonos is a major consumer audio hardware company that integrates premium codecs (including MQA support historically) into its multi-room speaker systems. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the high-quality home audio space that competes for codec integration decisions.
Direct peers
- Dolby Laboratories: Dolby develops and licenses premium audio codecs and processing technologies (Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Audio) to streaming services, hardware manufacturers, and broadcasters. Directly comparable to MQA Labs as another premium audio IP licensor spanning the music chain.
- Meridian Audio: Meridian Audio develops high-fidelity audio processing technologies (LPC, MHR) and partners with automakers and premium hardware manufacturers on lossless playback. Comparable to MQA Labs in its focus on reference-quality audio codec and signal-chain IP for high-end applications.
- Qualcomm: Qualcomm's aptX and aptX Lossless codecs are licensed to hardware OEMs and integrated into Android devices, headphones, and speakers for high-quality wireless audio. Closely comparable to MQA Labs' Airia codec strategy of licensing audio IP to streaming services and device manufacturers.
- Sony: Sony offers Hi-Res Audio, LDAC, DSEE, and 360 Reality Audio, providing proprietary codec and processing technologies for premium music playback across hardware and streaming. Directly comparable to MQA's reference codec positioning and end-to-end music chain coverage.
- Xperi (DTS): Xperi's DTS brand licenses audio codecs and immersive audio technologies (DTS:X, DTS-HD, Play-Fi) to hardware OEMs, streaming services, and broadcasters. Comparable as a competing audio codec licensor with similar B2B licensing model.
Emerging players
- Audyssey: Audyssey develops audio processing technologies (MultEQ, Dynamic EQ) integrated into AV receivers, speakers, and soundbars. Comparable as an emerging audio processing player licensing IP to home audio hardware manufacturers in segments MQA Labs also targets.
- Dirac Research: Dirac develops room-correction and audio processing software (Dirac Live, Dirac Virtuo) licensed to headphone, smartphone, and automotive audio brands. Comparable as an adjacent audio processing IP licensor competing for similar hardware manufacturer budgets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MQA social profiles
Digital presenceMQA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MQA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
MQA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MQA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MQA
What does MQA do?
MQA Labs develops and licenses proprietary audio technologies including the MQA reference codec for lossless high-fidelity audio, the Airia codec for streaming and wireless applications, FOQUS analogue-to-digital conversion, QRONO playback technology, and the INSPIRA and ENDURA studio plugins. The company serves music creators, broadcasters, streaming services, and hardware manufacturers across the full music value chain.
Is MQA a public or private company?
MQA is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was MQA founded?
MQA was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MQA based?
MQA is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does MQA make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Studio Plugins (INSPIRA, ENDURA) is the primary driver. The others are audio Codec Licensing (MQA, Airia) and hardware Technology Solutions.
Who are MQA's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bose, Bowers & Wilkins and Sonos. Direct peers are Dolby Laboratories, Meridian Audio, Qualcomm, Sony and Xperi (DTS). Emerging players are Audyssey and Dirac Research.
Does MQA have an API?
No public API is recorded for MQA.
What industry is MQA in?
MQA's product category is Audio Technology / Audio Codec Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHAHAI, Audio Encoding & Processing (Surround, Atmos, Normalization). Its NAICS code is 512290.