What to learn about lossless audio coming to Spotify

Apple Music‘s obtained it, Tidal‘s obtained it, Amazon Music’s obtained it, so the place’s Spotify’s lossless audio possibility?

In February 2021, Spotify announced that it was planning to launch a HiFi subscription tier the place customers can take pleasure in CD-quality, lossless audio. It was imagined to launch later in 2021, which might’ve been extra well timed to be able to compete with different streaming platforms that have already got lossless audio as an possibility.

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However now, three years later, there’s a whole lot of uncertainty on when Spotify HiFi will launch, if ever. So in the event you’re questioning what Spotify HiFi even is, when it is possible for you to to make use of it, and what you are able to do as a substitute of ready for it, this is every little thing it’s essential to know.

The state of lossless audio on Spotify

The entire ethos of Spotify HiFi is offering a lossless audio possibility for Spotify customers. This could enable customers to pay extra to decide on once they wish to hearken to lossless tracks, because it’s deliberate as a unique tier of Spotify subscription from the common Premium subscription. Since it is going to be pricier, it can in all probability embody extra than simply CD-quality audio to make it extra value it in comparison with different streaming platforms, however extra on that later.

CD-quality or lossless audio right here refers to music recordsdata with a bitrate of 1411kbps (16bit/44.1kHz), which is the standard of the music you’ll get on a bodily CD. At present, Spotify streams music at a most high quality/bitrate of 320kbps, which is the equal of a top quality MP3 file (although Spotify makes use of the Ogg Vorbis codec as a substitute of MP3).

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When Spotify HiFi will launch, if ever

Since Spotify introduced that Spotify HiFi would launch again in 2021, all we have actually been capable of do is speculate on when it is truly coming. First it was imagined to arrive “later” that 12 months, after which it by no means got here. Subsequent, there was a discussion board submit from a Spotify moderator in January 2022 who stated it might be coming “sooner or later.” Later in 2022, TechCrunch reported that Spotify’s CEO indicated that licensing points have been inflicting delays in HiFi’s launch.

Then, in March 2023, Spotify’s co-president informed The Verge that HiFi would nonetheless be coming sooner or later, however would not say when. The Verge in that very same article said that they discovered that HiFi was already principally full, however Spotify was dealing with points with regard to pricing.

The truth that Spotify is taking a very long time to launch that is notable. Amazon Music has had CD-quality music since September 2019, Apple Music added ALAC as an possibility in June 2021, and Tidal launched FLAC help in July 2023. With different streaming platforms having huge catalogs and lossless audio as an possibility, one would anticipate Spotify to be dashing to determine it out so they do not lose subscribers, however that has but to be seen.

Spotify HiFi may price greater than different streaming platforms

There’s been hypothesis for some time now that Spotify HiFi will price $19.99. There was a survey given to some Premium subscribers about the opportunity of a $19.99 tier, which appears to again up this rumor.

In September 2023, The Verge reported {that a} Redditor checked out Spotify’s code and located a “Supremium” tier that will price $19.99, and embody options like superior sorting choices and mixing instruments, in addition to 30 hours of audiobook listening month-to-month.

This value is fairly hefty in comparison with different streaming platforms. Apple Music provides lossless audio as a part of its common subscription for $10.99, and Amazon Music does as effectively for $9.99. So if Spotify goes to ask customers to pay that rather more for lossless, it might make sense if it consists of different options like these talked about above, in addition to others like Spatial Audio or Dolby Atmos help.

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Options to Spotify HiFi

Should you don’t wish to wait longer for Spotify to drop the HiFi tier, you’ve a number of different choices for lossless audio, whether or not you wish to stream it or purchase it.

Different widespread streaming platforms like Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music all have lossless audio of their catalogs already, so you can begin listening to prime quality music instantly if you want. Different streaming choices embody Qobuz and Deezer, which each assist you to stream music in FLAC format. Should you’d favor to modify to purchasing music reasonably than streaming, you can too purchase music straight from artists on Qobuz and Bandcamp. You can even go the traditional route and purchase bodily CDs out of your favourite artists.

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For now, Spotify HiFi appears to be indefinitely delayed, however hopefully, sooner or later it will be an possibility that Spotify customers could make full use of. For now, it could seem to be an elusive promise with seemingly countless ready, however that is simply how it’s generally within the tech world.