Spotify’s HiFi technique was one. Apple and Amazon ruined it

It was almost 4 years in the past that Spotify touted its subsequent huge characteristic for music lovers: lossless streaming, aka Spotify HiFi. 

Lastly, Spotify Premium customers would get the possibility to “improve their sound high quality” from Spotify’s lossy 320Kbps Ogg Vobis codec to lossless CD-quality audio, with Billie Eilish and Finneas extoling the virtues of lossless Spotify HiFi streaming in a promotional video. The launch date for Spotify HiFi: “later this yr,” that means someday earlier than the tip of 2021.

Left unsaid however implied in Spotify’s February 2021 announcement was that Premium subscribers could be charged further for lossless streaming. How a lot further wasn’t clear, however the entire “improve” wording certain made it sound such as you’d need to pay extra for Spotify HiFi, thus serving to Spotify inch its means towards profitability.

The plan made excellent sense. In spite of everything, in early 2021, lossless and high-resolution music streaming was nonetheless a distinct segment market occupied by the likes of Deezer, Qobuz, and (most of all) Tidal, with charges as excessive as $20 a month. (Spotify had already been testing a lossless add-on as early as 2017 at numerous worth factors.) So why shouldn’t Spotify cost further for lossless music streaming too?

Three months later, Apple and Amazon got here alongside and ruined all the things. 

Individually however on the identical day, the 2 corporations rolled out their very own lossless streaming choices. Efficient instantly, each Apple and Amazon mentioned they’d go the lossless means, topping Spotify HiFi with assist for not simply CD-quality tunes but in addition high-resolution audio tracks all the way in which as much as 24-bit/192kHz (CD-quality audio is restricted to 16-bit/44.1kHz), with spatial audio besides. 

The capper? Apple and Amazon’s paid music streaming subscribers would get all these lossless tunes for no further cost. 

It was a intelligent transfer that neatly undercut Spotify’s HiFi ambitions whereas additionally blowing up the enterprise fashions of the area of interest lossless streamers (all of whom needed to drastically overhaul their pricing plans within the ensuing years). Unexpectedly, Spotify didn’t need to discuss Spotify HiFi anymore. 

It wasn’t till January 2022 that Spotify lastly broached the topic of Spotify HiFi once more, saying it was “excited to ship a Spotify HiFi expertise to Premium customers” however that “we don’t have timing particulars to share but.” A month later, Spotify CEO David Ek blamed “licensing” points for the delay. 

Then adopted months of cussed silence, punctuated by rumors and leaks about Spotify HiFi’s destiny. There was chatter in late 2022 a couple of supposed “Spotify Platinum” plan that may supply lossless audio together with “limited-ad” podcasts and different options. By June 2023, the rumored Spotify Platinum plan morphed right into a rumored “Supremium” tier with lossless tunes and “expanded” entry to audiobooks. Almost a yr later, phrase had it that “Supremium” had been changed by a “Music Professional” add-on that packed lossless audio with “superior mixing tunes.” 

Lastly in July 2024, Spotify’s Ek floated the concept of a “deluxe model of Spotify” with “all the advantages” of a normal Premium membership plus “much more management, so much larger high quality throughout the board, and another issues that I’m not prepared to speak about but.” Ek prompt the brand new “deluxe” Spotify (which has but to reach) may cost a little “one thing like $5 above the present premium tier.”  

Behind the years-long delay, the rumors, and the trial balloons, it appeared like Spotify was casting about for a cause to cost further for lossless music streaming—an argument that was powerful to make provided that Apple, Amazon, and others weren’t charging extra for lossless tracks. (I’ve reached out to Spotify for remark.) 

Ultimately—maybe for lack of a greater thought—Spotify relented, saying Wednesday that it will supply free of charge lossless audio to its present Premium subscribers, just like what Apple and Amazon have been doing since mid-2021. 

“The wait is lastly over,” mentioned Spotify VP Gustav Gyllenhammar in a press launch. “We’ve taken time to construct this characteristic in a means that prioritizes high quality, ease of use, and readability at each step, so that you all the time know what’s taking place underneath the hood. With Lossless, our premium customers will now have a good higher listening expertise.” 

Spotify Lossless (the “Spotify HiFi” moniker has apparently been banished) nonetheless has some drawbacks in comparison with lossless listening on Apple and Amazon; audio high quality on Spotify is capped at 24-bit/44.1kHz, versus full-on 24-bit/192hHz for its rivals (good luck telling the distinction, to be honest), and there’s no point out of native spatial audio assist. 

In any occasion, Spotify wound up singing Apple’s and Amazon’s tune when it got here to lossless audio, folding it into its commonplace subscription plans for no further cost. What else may it do?