Spotify promises Lossless Audio formats later this year with Spotify HiFi
This feature is coming to selected markets later this year.
Published: 24th February 2021 | Source: Spotify |
Spotify promises Lossless Audio formats later this year with Spotify HiFi
Spotify HiFi will deliver audio in a CD-quality lossless audio format in selected regions, enabling a superior audio experience. Songs will sound as their artists intended them to sound, and audiophiles may finally be able to find the quality of Spotify's music streams to be acceptable.
Right now, the pricing of Spotify HiFi is unknown. Spotify's upgraded audio quality is not expected to be available for free to existing Premium subscribers, as Spotify HiFi has been marketed as an "upgrade" and not as a new feature. Premium Subscribers to Spotify will be expected to "upgrade their sound quality", suggesting that Spotify HiFi will be a higher cost option, just like Netflix's HD and 4K video options.
Read on for five things you need to know about our new high-quality music experience:
- High-quality music streaming is consistently one of the most requested new features by our users.
- Spotify HiFi will deliver music in CD-quality, lossless audio format to your device and Spotify Connect-enabled speakers, which means fans will be able to experience more depth and clarity while enjoying their favorite tracks.
- Ubiquity is at the core of everything we do at Spotify, and we’re working with some of the world’s biggest speaker manufacturers to make Spotify HiFi accessible to as many fans as possible through Spotify Connect.
- HiFi will be coupled with Spotify’s seamless user experience, building on our commitment to make sure users can listen to the music they love in the way they want to enjoy it.
- Spotify HiFi will begin rolling out in select markets later this year, and we will have more details to share soon
You can join the discussion on Spotify HiFi on the OC3D Forums.
Most Recent Comments
Tidal would struggle more as well as the other above cd quality apps.
As it is I'd look into it but Tidal is still probably going to sound better at probably the same priceQuote
CD quality is plenty, it all boils down to the record's production value and your gear.
Only reason some releases sound better when, for instance, ripped off vinyl at "24bit/96kHz", is because vinyl pressings rarely took part in loudness war which plagued CDs.Quote
You won't notice any difference between CD quality and 24bit/96kHz, unless you slow the music down, where sample rate will matter. But who does that?
CD quality is plenty, it all boils down to the record's production value and your gear. Only reason some releases sound better when, for instance, ripped off vinyl at "24bit/96kHz", is because vinyl pressings rarely took part in loudness war which plagued CDs. |
End result was what the sound engineers predicted, The audiophiles thought the 24bit/96KHz was 24bit/44KHz, The 24bit/44KHz was 24bit/96KHz but they all got the 24bit/48KHz correct.
Although I think if you're listening over the net there would be a perceivable difference the higher you go as you are at the mercy of latency, Interference etc...Quote
Spotify has been a plague to the music scene in many ways, just like illegal downloading. The reality is, if you're not Billie Eilish or Sia, putting your music on Spotify is often done begrudgingly and with the knowledge that you're throwing money away. With the human malware destroying the gigging scene globally, bands have been hit some of the worst in recent years. Their income and passion has been shot to bits.
But in spite of that, Spotify has been game-changing for me. I've found so much amazing music through it, and it's now my primary app for listening. The sound quality sucks. The app is extremely limited when I compare it to the custom versions of MusicBee and Winamp I've used over the years; even the shuffle function is terrible because it's not random. It's buggy. Bands don't see enough revenue from it. And there's more.
If someone came along and offered the same music variety, higher quality audio (it doesn't have to be FLAC and it doesn't have even have to CD quality), an app that's not built for simpletons, and supports the artists fairly, I will 100% jump ship even if it costs way, way more. But that doesn't exist. No one has come forward with that yet. So I'm left with two choices: One, miss out on tons of amazing music because I cannot afford to buy it all on CDs or MP3s. Two, continue listening to inferior quality audio of all the music I love dearly in a convenient but lacking package for dirt cheap.
If Spotify made a few improvements, even at a higher price, I'd pay it.Quote