If you’re interested in lossless streaming, you’re in luck! Spotify is set to release the feature later this year. The company has announced that it will be launching a number of new features, including a HiFi mode which will deliver music in much higher quality than what you get with CDs.
Billie Eilish and Finneas to act as pre-release ambassadors
It’s no secret that Billie Eilish is one of the hottest pop stars in the country. The 17-year-old’s recent album, When We All Fall Asleep…, has a funky style that combines a tangle of coloured threads and playful vocals. She also has an ear for spooky sound effects and a ukulele.
In a move reminiscent of a genie in a bottle, Spotify has teamed up with the teenage pop star to launch a new product. In the past, the company has rolled out features like the Spotify connect, a feature that enables wireless streaming of songs and albums. However, a new feature, the Spotify HiFI, has gotten the most buzz. This feature delivers music at a quality that rivals CD equality.
The new product will roll out later this year in 85 countries and territories around the world, including the US, UK, France, and Germany. For now, the company has remained mum on pricing details. But it’s not difficult to surmise that the company is preparing to compete in the high-res audio market.
While it might be hard to justify a price hike for the service, the company is likely to make a splash by offering its customers a quality product. After all, the best way to attract more subscribers is to give them something that they aren’t already using, and this has the potential to be the company’s greatest competitive advantage.
One of the biggest hurdles for the music service is to keep users from leaving for the competition. To this end, the company is working with speakers and speaker manufacturers to create devices that support the Spotify HiFi feature. Ultimately, though, the most exciting news may be the product’s imminent launch in the aforementioned countries.
Until now, the most important question was ‘when will Spotify unveil its new product?’ Well, that’s something that the company isn’t yet revealing, but we’re sure to find out when it happens. And it’s not too far away.
For the time being, it’s best to take note of the aforementioned ‘big three’ features that will soon be making their debut.
HiFi will be higher-than-CD-quality
If you love audio quality, then you will be happy to learn that Spotify HiFi is going to come out later this year. This feature will allow you to listen to music at CD-quality.
Spotify has been in talks with major record labels to license HiFi. They are working with several companies that manufacture speakers. You will need a pair of headphones with Bluetooth protocol for it to work. The service has not announced an exact launch date.
Spotify has been in constant testing for this feature. The company has also been in negotiations with its major rivals. Apple Music and Amazon have launched high-resolution lossless streaming features. Those services offer CD-quality tracks, and Tidal offers 9216kbps streams.
Lossless music allows you to hear details you may not have heard before. Lossless formats can also give you a more immersive experience. It is said that Ogg Vorbis delivers excellent sound. And the company says that its Hi-Res Audio feature can deliver the sound of a recording studio.
A leaked video shows that the service will be able to play lossless music. However, Spotify has not released details about the lossless songs that will be available.
According to Tim Gideon, a resident audio expert at PCMag, the company is in talks with music labels. As for the pricing of the feature, it is expected to be around $20.
The HiFi icon was first spotted on the iOS app of Spotify several months ago. Some users speculated that it was a sign that the feature was ready to launch. Several weeks later, Spotify updated community forums to show that the feature was still being tested.
At the Stream On event in February, Spotify executives announced that the service would soon launch an audio streaming feature. When asked when, CEO Daniel Ek replied that it would be “in the future.” But he could not confirm a launch date.
It’s possible that Spotify will launch an audio streaming feature before Apple or Amazon. Although it doesn’t have a concrete timeline, it seems likely that the feature will launch in 2021.
Amazon revises pricing for the feature
The battle for the top spot in high-fidelity music streaming continues to heat up. Apple’s announcement of lossless audio has fueled a new round of discussion, and Amazon recently revised its pricing.
In May, Apple announced plans to offer lossless audio, which is a step forward for audiophiles. However, it’s not clear whether it’s a feature worth paying extra for.
While Spotify did announce its lossless tier last year, it hasn’t officially launched it yet. Instead, it’s under consideration, though it’s possible the company will go for it.
Amazon’s move comes in response to Apple’s announcement. It could spur other companies to follow suit, too. As of early 2020, Amazon had 55 million subscribers to its music streaming service, and was seen as a competitor to Tidal and Apple Music.
Amazon also made an upgrade to its Music HD plan, which previously offered both lossless and hi-rez music. Currently, the plan is available in the US, UK, Germany, France, and Italy. This new plan offers an additional 2 million songs, including a selection of Ultra HD tracks.
The service also offers an affordable Prime Music subscription. For a minimal monthly fee, users can access over a dozen different music videos, as well as a limited number of live performances.
Amazon has already boosted its own audio quality with the introduction of Dolby Atmos. It’s not clear how much it will cost to subscribe, but it’s safe to assume it will be at least $15 a month.
Considering how popular music streaming services have become, it’s no wonder Amazon opted to get in on the action. Its goal isn’t to become a niche player, but rather to reach a mass audience.
When it comes to the “biggest and best” things, a service’s most important offering is its newest feature. This may be one of the reasons Spotify hasn’t officially launched its HiFi feature, though. Although Spotify’s decision to go for the CD-quality option is probably enough to keep its own subscribers, it’s not sure if other services will follow its lead.
While a new subscription offering isn’t likely to bring Spotify’s high-fidelity offerings to the forefront, it’s still possible the company will launch something similar. That’s especially true if it offers a competitive price.
A free trial may be on the cards
If you’re a Spotify subscriber, you’ve probably seen the HiFi icon in the iOS app. This is an indication that the service is planning to offer lossless music streams. But it’s still not clear when that feature will arrive. A free trial may be on the cards in the near future, although it’s likely to only be available to new subscribers.
The Spotify CEO recently said that the company is “in constant dialogue with music labels” to improve the service. This could include working with the world’s biggest speaker manufacturers. Another rumor is that the HiFi service will include a headphone tuner.
Spotify’s current lossy streaming quality tops out at 320kbps. However, the service has a number of different audio quality settings.
Spotify has been testing CD-quality audio streams for a year. It’s also working on a variety of other features that would enable higher-quality music streaming.
However, the company’s premium tier has been delayed. In fact, Spotify isn’t even sure when it’ll launch. As a result, it’s possible that the new HiFi tier will not go live until later in the year.
The company has never officially revealed when it will launch the new tier, but it has confirmed that CD-quality songs will be compatible with the feature. Other companies, like TIDAL and Apple Music, already offer lossless music, but Spotify is the first to bring a streaming service to the market that will actually provide users with a real-life lossless experience.
It’s possible that Spotify will offer a free trial to new subscribers. Once you’re signed up, you’ll be billed a monthly price, and you’ll lose access to any songs you’ve downloaded in the meantime.
During the free trial period, you’ll be able to choose whether you want to listen to the Artist Radio, Composer Radio, or Composer Radio+. You’ll also have the option to listen to Spotify Wrapped. This will show you the total minutes you’ve spent listening to music, your favorite artists, and your listening statistics.
It’s a good sign that Spotify is willing to try new features, and that it’s always willing to work on fixing a problem if it doesn’t work.