If you’ve been waiting to stream lossless music on your Apple TV, you’re in luck. Spotify has confirmed that their Hi-res service will be available on the platform in the coming years.
High-res streams are coming in 2023
One of the most interesting developments on the horizon is the arrival of high-res streaming. A couple of years ago, we saw Apple introduce the first lossless audio format to stream on its platform, and now we’re seeing more and more streaming services follow suit. Some of these services offer more advanced technologies, like Hulu’s HDR content, which can deliver a high contrast range. In addition to that, many of these companies offer discounts for household sharing, or even free trials of the service for students.
Spotify has announced a HiFi option, which allows you to play music in CD quality audio. You’ll be able to toggle the feature on and off using an icon in the bottom corner of the app. At this time, Spotify hasn’t thrown any details about the features, including pricing.
While you’re waiting for the launch of the new service, you can test the waters with its lossless streaming partner MQA. The service is available on iOS and Android, and you can even play a track in high resolution on your Sonos speaker. Streaming services are increasingly offering higher resolutions, so this is a great time to get the most out of your music collection.
Tidal is one of the most popular hi-res streaming services, and it’s available on iOS, Android, desktop, and a growing number of smart speakers. It’s also the first service to offer 24-bit hi-res audio on Sonos. But if you don’t have a Sonos speaker, don’t despair. There are plenty of other options out there.
Amazon Music has been offering lossless and high-res music since the beginning of the year. The company’s lossless streaming service, which costs $8 per month for Prime members, has two tiers: a free one and an upgrade to High Definition. This offers a smorgasbord of audio quality, from compressed 320kbps streams to 24-bit/192kHz tracks. Streaming music has been a big deal for the company, and now it has added its own touch, allowing users to add music playlists to the Amazon Music app.
Although the announcement of a high-res streaming service is a little late, it’s a welcome addition to the world of DSP offerings.
Hi-res streams will go up to 9216kbps
High-resolution audio is the next step up from MP3s. It’s more data, more sample rates, and more depth. This means it takes more time to download, and it requires more computing power to stream.
Spotify is rumored to be adding a lossless audio feature to its service. The company has yet to announce details, but it has shown it is willing to try new features.
A HiFi version of the service is expected to arrive later this year. In the meantime, you can already enjoy lossless music by signing up for the Platinum plan. This tier includes a Headphone Tuner, Playlist Pro, and Audio Insights. If you want more control over your listening experience, you can upgrade to the Premium Duo plan.
However, you’ll only be able to enjoy the most high-res music if you have a good network and high-speed internet. Consumer headphones can’t generate the rich dynamic range that high-res files offer.
You can get a free trial of Amazon Music HD, which offers a slew of high-res tracks to try out. Tidal is also another option, although it focuses on sound quality rather than streaming speeds.
Spotify’s current highest-resolution stream is 320 Kbps via the Ogg Vorbis format. While that may not be the best, it’s better than nothing. And it’s still higher than the average MP3’s 96-Kbps streaming bit rate.
The company’s platinum plan will include a Studio Sound feature. This means you should expect to hear higher-res music, but it’s not clear if it will be immersive.
While it’s not clear if Spotify will actually launch a hi-res service, you’ll be able to test the waters with a free month of high-res music. Besides, you’ll be able to buy lossless music a la carte from the Spotify store.
With all the new services out there, you’re sure to find one that meets your needs. But what exactly is the best choice? Are you looking for a music streaming service with a large library of music? Or, do you want to hear the newest hits from your favorite artists? Which of these options will you choose?
Spatial audio is on the cards
Spatial Audio, also known as 360-degree music, is an immersive sound experience. It is produced by using Dolby Atmos technology to create 3D audio. The technology allows listeners to hear a live performance in a way that puts them in the audience.
Since its release, Spatial Audio has proven to be a popular addition to Apple Music. According to a recent Billboard article, it has increased the number of listeners by 50% in just one month.
Apple is working with Dolby to make it easier for musicians to create songs in the Atmos format. This will allow more artists to use this technology and produce more music specifically for the format.
Currently, the only audio streaming services that offer 360-degree or lossless music are Apple Music and Tidal. However, there are other services that support these features. Several companies are developing ways to give consumers more options.
In January, Apple launched a new Lossless Audio tier for its Apple Music service. This allows subscribers to stream more than 75 million songs in high-resolution and lossless formats.
With this, Apple could set itself apart from rivals such as Spotify. Although there is no word on whether there will be a lossless spatial audio option on Spotify, there is speculation that the company may be making some changes.
The first thing to note is that Spatial Audio will only work with audio that supports Atmos-enabled video content. For example, you can use the feature with movies, videos, and music with Atmos-enabled tracks.
If you have an iPhone, iPad, or HomePod, you can enjoy Apple Spatial Audio. And if you’re an Apple Music subscriber, you’ll get access to the feature in no extra cost.
The next step is to bring the feature to other devices. For now, you can listen to a few selected songs in Spatial Audio. But that will likely change when the feature launches.
While it’s still a bit early to tell, we expect that the service will eventually have a feature that allows users to select music in the format. We might even see a headphone tuner option.
Licensing issues have delayed the launch
Spotify’s HiFi feature has been delayed due to licensing tussles. The company originally said that it would launch by the end of 2021. However, it has now pushed back to at least 2022.
Spotify executives recently confirmed that it has had discussions with major music labels over the licensing issues. They also noted that the company is still working to find an answer for the problems.
Spotify’s new lossless audio offering was first announced last April. It promises near-CD quality streams. However, it’s not clear whether or not it will be free or charged. Also, the company has yet to roll out a public beta.
In the past, the company has faced hurdles from some music labels, such as the removal of a few songs after the Joe Rogan podcast. Some artists expressed displeasure at the company’s payment system. Those problems may have forced the company to share its lossless music library with all paid subscribers.
While Spotify has been testing Lossless Audio for years, the company hasn’t released specific details on when the service will be available. Ultimately, it’s a matter of when the company will be able to deliver a quality service to all its subscribers.
However, it’s likely that it will be available at no extra charge in the New Year. This would be a sweet deal for audiophiles.
Meanwhile, a new service called Qobuz has launched in the U.S., and it claims to have the world’s largest collection of CD-quality lossless albums. Aside from this, Apple Music and Amazon Music have also launched high-fidelity streaming features.
Unfortunately, it’s not known when Spotify will be able to resolve the licensing problems. However, if it can do so, it may be able to introduce HiFi music support as a paid upgrade. Alternatively, the company could just offer it as a free upgrade for all its subscribers.
Until then, it’s hard to know when Spotify will catch up to its rivals. But, the company is always in conversation with its users and its leading music labels, so it’s possible that it’ll be able to release HiFi music support sooner than later.