All the way back in 2021, Spotify confirmed that a new tier of its music streaming service with high fidelity audio output was in development. Four years laters, that aural nirvana is still nowhere to be seen. That might finally change this year.
According to Bloomberg, Spotify will roll out a new “super fan” subscription add-on that will bring higher quality audio streaming to its platform. Other benefits include access to remixing tools for mixing songs using AI and the ability to buy concert tickets.
Now, before you get your hopes up, here’s the standard dose of caution. This is not the first time we’re hearing about the imminent launch of Spotify HiFi, as similar speculations emerged in 2024, as well.
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So, when exactly is the service launching? We only have a “later this year” timeline, according to Bloomberg, but it seems the company will be hawking its new product under the Spotify Pro label. Pricing and release timeline haven’t been set in stone as Spotify is still hashing out the licensing details with music labels.
As per the report, Spotify is currently mulling a $6 add-on for the different bundles it offers in the US market. The pricing will likely vary for other markets, especially developing countries, where the subscriptions cost lower.
In the span that Spotify has continued to develop its hi-res music streaming system, the likes of Amazon, Apple, and Tidal have continued to strengthen their presence in the audiophile community with their respective high fidelity music streaming products.
At the moment, Spotify’s peak audio bit rate goes only up to 320kbps. When the company revealed plans for Spotify HiFi, it promised ”CD-quality, lossless audio” without going into the technical details. This is what Spotify currently has to offer:
To put that into perspective, the “Low” tier of Tidal offers up to 320 kbps range. As you go higher to the “Max” level where the HiRes FLAC codec comes into the picture, the figures climb up to 24-bit, 192 kHz range.
Apple Music, for comparison, offers a range of 16-bit/44.1 kHz (which the company refers to as CD Quality) to 24-bit/192 kHz with its “lossless” upgrade. Notably, Apple doesn’t charge extra cash for its high-quality streaming perk.
Amazon Music’s Unlimited tier delivers a sample rate of 44.1 kHz with a peak bitrate of 850 kbps. Tracks labeled as Ultra-HD reach a 24-bit depth (44.1 kHz up to 192 kHz) at an average bitrate of 3,730 kbps.
Other benefits of the $6 Spotify Pro add-on might include priority access to ticket sales and beat seat choices for concerts. Spotify already offers a curated live events feed that lets you find concerts happening nearby.
Spotify plans currently start at $5.99 per month (for students) in the US, $11.99 for individuals, and go all the way up to $19.99 for the family plan. Convincing music enthusiasts to spend nearly 50% higher tariff for accessing hi-res music, especially in the face of lower-priced competition, won’t be a cakewalk for the company.