Spotify today announced plans to introduce a new premium “HiFi” at the end of this year, which will provide high quality lossless sound. According to Spotify, the feature will provide CD-quality music, which will allow fans to experience more depth and clarity in their favorite songs.
/article-new/2021/02/spotify-hifi.jpg?resize=560%2C315&ssl=1)
Streaming music services such as Tidal, Deezer and Amazon Music have provided lossless audio options, but so far, Spotify and Apple Music have not offered high-quality streaming options.
Spotify is Apple Apple’s main competitor, so with Spotify planning a HiFi music option, Apple may also plan to offer high-quality streaming in an effort to stay competitive. A lossless audio level would also pair well with Apple’s AirPods Max headphones, launched in late 2020.
No pricing information is available at this time, but Amazon Music’s lossless price is $ 14.99 per month ($ 12.99 for Prime subscribers), while Tidal charges $ 19.99 per month and Deezer charges $ 14.99 for his high-fidelity plan. Spotify plans to launch HiFi in certain markets later in the year and will be a premium level supplement.
HiFi was introduced at the Spot On Stream On event, which can be viewed in full on YouTube.
At the event, Spotify also said it intends to expand to more than 80 new markets in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, allowing the service to reach more than 1 billion new potential customers. A full list of countries where Spotify will be available soon can be found on the Spotify website.
Other announcements included the new podcast Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen “Renegade” from Spotify, new interactive podcast features for creators such as surveys and question and answer tools, and new resources to promote music for artists.