If you’re a Spotify subscriber, you may be wondering if the music streaming service will offer you access to a tier that delivers High-Resolution audio streams. And, if so, would you like to know when it is coming?
Lossless audio quality
Lossless audio quality is coming to Spotify’s Hifi streaming tier, a service that promises CD-quality audio. Currently, the audio quality offered by Spotify tops out at 320kbps, which is the same as the MP3 format. It has not been clear whether or not the service will offer higher-quality music streams, but this could come soon.
Currently, the lossless streaming tier offered by Spotify is only available in select markets. However, the company plans to make its service more accessible to as many users as possible.
Streaming services that support lossless audio generally offer tracks that are up to four times the audio quality of the MP3 format. This allows listeners to hear more detail in their songs, which can sound more immersive. The file size is also smaller, which saves space on your computer.
The term “hi-fi” used to refer to stereo, but these days, most professionals define hi-fi as high-resolution. Some people use the term to describe the level of audio quality of vinyl records, CDs, and DVDs. In order to listen to lossless music, you’ll need speakers or headphones that can support the higher-resolution formats.
Last year, Apple launched a Lossless Audio upgrade for its Apple Music service. Tidal is the only other major music streaming service that offers a lossless tier.
But the question is, how do you tell the difference between an MP3 and a lossless track? There are several ways to test your equipment. You can do an ABX test, which measures the sonic accuracy of your headphones and speakers.
You can also try out other streaming services that offer higher-quality music. Amazon offers free streaming at higher-resolutions, and Deezer and Tidal have lossless tiers that are offered at no extra cost. If you want to test out the difference, you can use your headphones to see if they can handle the higher-resolution audio.
When launching the HiFi service last February, Spotify promised to offer CD-quality music, and said that the feature would launch before the end of 2021. But the release date was later delayed. Since then, the service has been silent about its plans.
Spatial audio
Earlier this year, Spotify announced that it was introducing a new music streaming tier called “HiFi” that would allow users to enjoy CD quality tracks. The company also said that the feature was coming in the near future. This has been a highly anticipated upgrade, but despite the hype, it appears as though it’s not quite ready to roll out.
While the feature is still in the works, Spotify has not released pricing information or a release date. It’s possible that the service will be available on a trial basis, so new users will have the opportunity to test it out for themselves. However, that’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Currently, the only way to get high quality music streams on Spotify is to pay an extra dollar. Even the most expensive tier is just 320 kbit/s. With the HiFi feature, users will be able to enjoy lossless audio and other improvements.
The HiFi service will be available to subscribers of Spotify Premium, which is currently priced at $9.99 a month. In addition to the enhanced sound quality, the service will allow users to wirelessly pair their headsets via the Connect service. Also, there’s a potential Headphone Tuner feature.
In a February 2021 announcement, Spotify noted that the HiFi feature was one of the most requested features. This prompted the company to introduce a new lossless streaming tier, which was expected to be rolled out in the following months.
Although this tier will be available in select markets, the company has not confirmed when the service will launch. A survey on the Spotify Community website has asked users if they’d like to try the Platinum service, which includes the HiFi feature. They also included some information on what the Platinum service has to offer.
In the meantime, Spotify hasn’t made any significant changes to its service, which hasn’t changed from its original $9.99 price tag since it first launched over two decades ago. That makes it tough to tell when the company will bring back the HiFi feature, which will be available to more users.
One of the more exciting aspects of the new Spotify HiFi service is that it will support spatial audio. This feature allows for songs to be heard in a more realistic 3D environment. It’s been used in movie theaters for years, but it’s starting to make its way into other industries.
High-resolution audio streams
In the last year, Amazon Music and Apple Music have made major moves in the high-fidelity streaming space. Spotify is not far behind.
Spotify has announced a new HiFi tier that will deliver CD-quality, lossless audio streams. This is a step up from the usual 320kbps audio and will be available only in select markets.
While announcing the new tier, Spotify said that high-resolution audio is the most popular feature request. The company is still in talks with music labels, but it is unclear how it will roll out this feature.
It’s possible that this feature is part of a bigger initiative to offer better streaming options to subscribers. The company has made some small experiments in the past. Currently, Spotify streams music in a variety of bitrates ranging from 320kbit/s to 1411kbps. However, this is not enough to keep audiophiles happy.
One user on Reddit has leaked an image of the upcoming lossless tier, which will include 9216kbps streams. Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek hasn’t confirmed whether the service will be ready to roll out in 2022, but he has hinted that the company may be working to improve licensing issues.
The company has been a longtime proponent of higher quality streaming, and has already rolled out several smaller features to its Premium subscribers. For example, it recently launched a wrapped experience that provides information on the most-listened to music. Hopefully, this will be the first of many high-fidelity features to come.
The new tier is expected to debut in select markets later this year. If it does, it will likely be bundled with the Premium tier and will only be available through the Spotify Connect platform. Until then, users can stream in AAC format, which offers a lower data rate.
As for the other features that the new tier will offer, it’s unclear exactly what they are. But there is a hint that they are related to the aforementioned Studio Sound.
The service has also announced a list of pre-release ambassadors, including Billie Eilish, who has signed on to be a brand ambassador. Meanwhile, the company has updated its community forums.
Free trial
The new Spotify HiFi streaming tier is coming later than expected. It was supposed to launch by the end of 2021, but the company has decided to delay the feature’s debut. A spokesperson said that the company was trying to figure out licensing issues.
But there’s still no official word on how much the feature will cost, or when it will be available. While it’s still unclear how much it will cost, Spotify is tinkering with it and experimenting with different features. Some of them are more ad-free than others.
However, it is expected that the company will offer a free trial of the feature. This could happen for new users who upgrade their Spotify Premium account to a higher tier, or for existing Premium subscribers who are willing to try out the new service.
Spotify has had a history of testing out new features. They’ve even done a few tests of higher-quality streaming in the past. There’s no reason to believe that they will stop doing that.
For instance, last year, Spotify announced a lossless subscription tier. Lossless audio is better able to reveal new details in songs. It’s also more immersive, and can make a song sound wider. That’s why it’s an increasingly popular format.
Meanwhile, Apple Music added Lossless support to its service in May. Previously, it was rumored that Spotify would offer CD-quality audio in its HiFi streaming tier. But it hasn’t talked about that in relation to its Platinum tier.
With all the tinkering going on with its HiFi feature, it’s possible that it won’t even be available by the time Spotify is ready to launch it. Even if it does, it will be offered in selected markets.
The company hasn’t revealed which countries will get the lossless music tier first, though it’s probably a good idea to look ahead to the US and Europe. Typically, the new features are launched in those regions before they’re made available globally.
If this turns out to be true, it’s likely that the new streaming tier will be available on a sliding menu. Users will be able to choose their type of streaming and their internet connection. In addition, they’ll be able to listen to local files on mobile devices.