Spotify has announced a new tier of service called the Lossless Streaming Tier. This tier allows you to listen to your music in Hi-Res Audio or lossless CD quality. While this is a nice upgrade, there are still a few questions you may have about how much it will cost and whether or not you can expect to see your favorite artists on this tier.
Hi-Res Audio vs lossless CD quality
Spotify is introducing a new tier of streaming that offers CD quality lossless audio. It will allow Premium subscribers to access the feature through a subscription upgrade. In return, they will get a higher bitrate than standard streams. There are no specific details on which songs will be included, though it is safe to assume that they will be.
Although Spotify HiFi isn’t available yet, it is expected to launch sometime in 2021. As such, you may be wondering what the difference is between lossless and CD quality music. The answer is simple. For one thing, you can’t tell the difference between a CD quality song and a lossless one.
But this isn’t the only comparison. Streaming services such as Apple Music and TIDAL have also rolled out high resolution upgrades, and it is only a matter of time before others follow suit.
Among the benefits of the new tier, Spotify says users will be able to stream lossless music on their smart speakers and Bluetooth headphones. Additionally, they’ll be able to hear the “biggest library of CD-quality lossless albums” on the planet.
While the features that accompany the new tier are exciting, the question remains: what’s the difference? You can expect the same 320 kbps bitrate, but you won’t have the same access to songs and artists that are geared towards hi-fi lovers.
If you are interested in the hi-res audio experience, you can test your abilities with an online test. Alternatively, you can listen to familiar songs and compare them to a lossless version.
In the end, you have to decide whether you are willing to shell out more money for lossless music. That said, you should do your homework first and determine whether the extra cost is worth it. Some studies suggest that listening to lower-quality content can be disappointing.
In the end, the most important thing to remember is that lossless streaming isn’t for everyone. Nevertheless, if you are a die-hard hi-fi fan, you might want to check out what Spotify has to offer. And if you have a Bluetooth receiver, you might be able to stream lossless music with just about any device.
Which songs will be available in lossless CD quality?
If you’re not familiar with the concept of lossless streaming, it’s a way to enjoy your favorite music in a higher quality. Unlike other services that use “lossy” compression, which reduces the amount of data, lossless audio streams preserve sonic detail. The sound can be even better when compared to traditional CD-quality music. It’s important to remember, however, that it can consume a lot of data.
Streaming services like Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music offer a variety of options for high-quality streaming. While most of them use a format called MP3s, which are relatively lossless, others, like Amazon and Qobuz, offer much higher resolution tracks.
Both Amazon and Qobuz claim to have the largest catalogue of lossless albums in the world. They also support a variety of immersive audio streams, including Dolby Atmos.
In early 2017, there were rumors that Spotify would be offering a lossless subscription tier. As of now, the feature is not available, but the service has begun a test program to gather data on user listening habits.
The company has yet to reveal any technical details about the new high-resolution stream, but a representative recently responded to a thread about it. He did mention that the service would be compatible with other services, though.
As of now, Spotify is still in conversation with music labels. Some of these artists might receive an extra compensation for HiFi streams.
According to a survey, Spotify users want higher-quality music streaming. That’s why Spotify is planning to launch a new tier that will allow users to choose between high-res tracks and low-res audio. This will be available later this year.
Spotify’s new tier is expected to compete with rivals like Tidal and Apple Music. However, it’s unclear which songs will be available in lossless CD quality. And, as of yet, Spotify hasn’t revealed a price for the tier.
Ultimately, it will be up to Spotify to decide whether to charge for this new tier or offer it as part of their Premium service. Given how competitive the industry has become, charging for the service seems a bit counterintuitive.
Spotify’s partnerships with Instagram and Tinder
Tinder has teamed up with music streaming service Spotify. The partnership has introduced a new feature that gives Tinder members a better way to find matches.
Tinder users can now display their favorite artists on their profile. This allows potential matches to get a better idea of what sort of music you like. If you’re a member of both Spotify and Tinder, your profile will also feature the ability to play previews of other people’s favourite songs directly within the app.
Another feature will let you add a Spotify anthem to your profile. Similar to the MySpace’s snazzy profile song, you’ll be able to select a tune from the Spotify catalogue to share with prospective matches.
In the future, Tinder will add a “Music Mode” that works with your Spotify account. Music is an important aspect of the Tinder experience, so it’s only natural that the platform would offer a way to showcase it.
There are a number of ways to do this, including displaying your favourite tracks as “Anthems” and the ability to pin them to your profile. You’ll also be able to see other users’ musical tastes via their’swipe’ buttons.
Despite the name, the Anthem feature isn’t automatically playable on your profile page. For this reason, it’s a good idea to avoid bad photos. And the best thing about the feature is that it’s available to everyone, not just users of the dating site.
To get started, you’ll need to link your Spotify account to your Tinder account. Once you’ve done this, you can browse the Spotify library for some great playlists.
As a special touch, you can play a 30-second looped preview of your chosen song. Of course, it’s not quite as fancy as playing a full song, but it’s a nice courtesy.
Overall, the partnership is a win for all parties involved. Spotify’s integration with Tinder is likely to result in both more exposure and more potential customers. It will also likely reduce awkward dating scenarios. With Spotify, Tinder could find itself reaching far beyond the US.
Cost
For those who want to listen to lossless audio streams, the best option is Spotify. The streaming service has a large catalog of music. This includes more than 30 million tracks. It also offers ad-free on-demand access to 4 million podcasts. Users can choose different quality settings.
Besides the free tier, Spotify has a Premium subscription tier. A Premium subscription will give you ad-free on-demand access 80 million tracks. These include popular hits, albums, and tracks from different genres. You can also subscribe to a Premium plan to get access to live concerts and other special offers. In addition, it is possible to get discounts on lossless tracks.
But if you really want to hear the full spectrum of a song’s detail, you can opt for the Platinum plan. Platinum is priced a little higher. However, you’ll get the highest-quality audio. There are other streaming services like Tidal and Amazon that offer lossless music.
One thing that may make a difference is the speakers and headphones you use. Lossless audio streams aren’t compatible with all headphones. So, you’ll need to find the right ones. Having a good set of speakers can make a huge difference, but you can’t expect that to be free.
Nevertheless, the free tier is a great way to start. If you’re not bothered by advertisements, you can get started with a 30-day free trial. Plus, the service is available on a wide range of devices, including Mac OS and Windows.
Eventually, you’ll need to upgrade to the HiFi tier. The HiFi tier will give you CD-quality audio. At present, it’s not clear how much it’ll cost. Some sources say it’ll cost $20-$25 per month. Others say it’ll cost between $5 and $10.
The HiFi tier will be available soon, but there’s no word on when. Depending on the terms of the contracts with music labels, it could be available in 2021.
Those who want to get a sneak peek at what the HiFi tier will sound like should take advantage of online tests. These tests allow you to test your listening skills with a variety of audio equipment.