Spotify has long teased its Hi-Fi tier, but it has yet to deliver on its promise. The music streaming giant has been hinting at a high-quality, lossless audio feature since 2021, leaving many users eager but still waiting.
In the meantime, competitors such as Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music have introduced their own lossless audio options, making Spotify’s delay all the more confusing. Hints about the anticipated tier resurfaced in 2022 and 2023, and a Bloomberg report early in 2024 suggested the launch might finally occur this year, albeit with a potential $5 surcharge.
Despite these updates, the feature remains unavailable. However, Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek has confirmed that a “Super Premium product offering” is in the works, promising improved sound quality along with additional features.
Recent developments have sparked renewed excitement, as reverse engineer Chris Messina discovered new code strings hinting at the impending release of the lossless tier. Moreover, updates to the app’s user interface indicate that Spotify is preparing users for this new sound experience.
The updated UI highlights tracks that support lossless streaming and allows users to choose from various quality settings, including:
– Low: 24 kbps
– Normal: 96 kbps
– High: 160 kbps
– Very High: 320 kbps
– Lossless: Up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz Free Lossless Audio Codec
These updates also note that users will need “compatible headphones” and a wired connection to fully enjoy the lossless audio experience. It appears that this feature will be bundled in a new, more expensive plan, potentially resulting in an additional charge of $5.99 on top of existing subscriptions for the new ‘Music Pro’ plan.
With so much anticipation surrounding this, music lovers are hoping that Spotify will finally deliver the high-quality audio it has long promised.
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