Spotify has several packages available for students, individuals and even family users. But in addition to these, Spotify is also launching Spotify HiFi, a new streaming package that pledges to offer a high-quality music experience.
Since its debut, the highest streaming quality offered by Spotify is 320kbps. You can choose quality depending on your personal preferences. On Mobile, Spotify offers five different quality streaming options – Automatic, the default, Low, Normal, High and Very high.
But even the highest possible streaming quality available(Very high) is not lossless. That’s where Spotify HiFi comes in, a rival to Tidal HiFi, Deezer HiFi, Amazon Music and others.
Spotify HiFi will take it a notch higher in streaming delivering music in a CD-quality, lossless audio format.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming package.
Spotify HiFi Price
Spotify HiFi was announced at the company’s 2021 StreamOn event. Pricing is yet to be revealed but, expect to see a slightly higher subscription price than regular Spotify packages.
Alternative Hi-res audio streaming packages cost an excess of $10. For instance, Tidal costs $19.99 per month, and Amazon Music costs $14.99 per month. Given that Spotify Premium already costs $9.99 in the US and an equivalent of £9.99 per month in the UK, Spotify HiFi will cost slightly higher. On the upside, we bet on less than $20. The lowest it can go? Maybe $14.99, but let’s wait and see.
Spotify HiFi Streaming Quality
Spotify has been vague about the streaming quality we should expect to see with Spotify HiFi. For now, CD-quality, lossless audio format is all we got. Currently, Spotify Premium maxes out at 320kbps.
Such audio quality is termed as lossy because parts of the audio are lost in compression, especially to lossy MP3 audio file format. The primary reason behind this is to reduce the file size as much as possible.
For instance, other audio file formats exist, for instance, FLAC, that preserves much of the original parts of the song as it should be. While it’s not clear what the vague “CD-quality, lossless audio” means in precise streaming quality, a safe bet would be for the platform to try and equal 96kHz / 24-bit audio offered by Tidal. But the sky is the limit! CDs offer a 1,411kps bitrate.
Spotify HiFi Launch Date
Spotify HiFi will arrive sometime later in 2021. However, there’s no solid launch date provided, at least as at the time of writing.
The company says, “Beginning later this year, Premium subscribers in select markets will be able to upgrade their sound quality to Spotify HiFi and listen to their favorite songs the way artists intended.”
Countries Supported
Spotify HiFi will not be available in all markets served by the Swedish music streaming giant at launch. In its announcement, Spotify said the package would be available in select markets. No countries have been mentioned so far. However, Spotify will share more details soon.
Spotify HiFi Music Catalog
The new lossless streaming package will offer over 30 million songs. That means not every song available on the platform will be available in lossless audio quality.
