Whither Spotify HiFi? The Saga Continues…

The quest for Spotify HiFi, a feature promising lossless audio for the streaming giant, has been a long and winding road, filled with anticipation, delays, and unanswered questions. Announced over three years ago, in February 2021, Spotify HiFi was poised to revolutionize the listening experience for millions of users. Pop stars were brought on board, experts chimed in on the benefits of lossless audio, and a launch window was declared. Yet, silence followed.

The ensuing years have been peppered with rumors and leaks, each hinting at the imminent arrival of Spotify’s lossless audio offering. However, these whispers gained renewed momentum recently, thanks to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, who has been teasing a new, premium music tier that could finally deliver lossless audio to Spotify users.

So, is Spotify HiFi still on the horizon? What other rumors have surfaced regarding Spotify’s lossless audio plans? What will it cost? And, for those unfamiliar, what exactly is Spotify HiFi?

Here’s a comprehensive look at what we know and don’t know about Spotify HiFi, and when it might finally make its debut. This article has been updated on November 25, 2024, with details from recent comments by CEO Daniel Ek about a "higher-priced" version of Spotify, coming soonish.

Initially, Spotify HiFi was pitched as an upgrade for Spotify Premium subscribers, allowing them to enjoy "CD-quality, lossless audio format." This feature aligns with TechHive’s extensive coverage of top music streaming services.

"CD-quality" generally refers to audio encoded with a 16-bit depth and a 44.1kHz sampling rate. The defining characteristic of lossless audio is that the stream retains all the sonic information from the original source. The primary advantage is experiencing music as the artist intended, with every nuance and detail preserved. Spotify even released a video (later made private) featuring Billie Eilish and Finneas, who praised the merits of lossless audio streaming.

Currently, Spotify streams audio at 320Kbps using the "lossy" Ogg Vorbis format. This compression method sacrifices some audio detail to conserve bandwidth. During its initial announcement, Spotify didn’t provide a specific release date, stating only that Spotify HiFi would launch "later this year" in "select" markets.

It’s safe to say that Spotify HiFi missed its projected launch window by a considerable margin.

The short answer is that the exact arrival date of Spotify HiFi remains a mystery, but recent clues suggest that the feature is still in development.

In July 2024, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek informed investors during the company’s second-quarter earnings call about an upcoming "deluxe version of Spotify." This enhanced version would include "all the benefits" of the standard Spotify, along with "a lot more control, a lot higher quality across the board, and some other things that I’m not ready to talk about yet.”

This "much better version" of Spotify will come at a premium. Ek suggested a price point of "something like $5 above the current premium tier," bringing the total to around $17 to $18.

When will this "deluxe" Spotify, presumably with lossless audio, finally be available? Ek remained vague, describing the new offering as being "in its early days."

In mid-November, Ek reiterated to investors that the "higher-priced" tier with "better sound quality and a bunch of other things" is still in the works. However, he declined to provide a specific timeframe. "I can’t get into specifics," Ek said.

This new "much better version" of Spotify aligns with a recent Bloomberg report detailing an add-on for Spotify Premium users. According to Bloomberg, this add-on would cost an additional $5 per month (check) and include Spotify lossless audio, as well as "new tools for creating playlists and managing [a user’s] song libraries," as reported by anonymous sources.

The launch date for this Spotify lossless audio add-on is purportedly "later this year," according to Bloomberg.

However, previous Bloomberg reports have presented different scenarios, possibly reflecting Spotify’s evolving strategies for HiFi. A June 2023 report from Bloomberg indicated that Spotify was preparing a new, pricier tier that would "likely" include Spotify HiFi, along with "expanded" access to audiobooks. This new tier, reportedly called "Supremium" internally, would be Spotify’s most expensive plan, initially launched in "non-U.S. markets." The report also suggested a launch date by the end of 2023, which obviously did not materialize.

In September 2023, a Spotify user discovered code within the official Spotify app that appeared to support the Bloomberg report. The code suggested that Spotify HiFi might offer high-resolution (better than 16-bit/44kHz) lossless tracks. However, the code didn’t reveal any information about the release date.

In April 2024, the same user found code in newer versions of the Spotify app suggesting that the "Supremium" tier was "dead." Replacing it was a "Music Pro" add-on (sound familiar?) that would offer up to 24-bit/44.1kHz lossless playback, along with a headphone "enhancement/optimization" feature. Music Pro could also include "advanced mixing" tools, similar to those described in a Wall Street Journal article.

Before Ek’s 2024 comments about a "higher-priced" Spotify tier with "better sound quality," Spotify had been largely silent about Spotify HiFi, only reiterating that it was still coming.

In a March 2023 interview with The Verge, Spotify co-president Gustav Söderström stated that the company is "still going to do" Spotify HiFi, but that "we’re going to do it in a way where it makes sense for us and for our listeners," adding that "the industry changed and we had to adapt."

Söderström didn’t provide a timeline for the arrival of Spotify HiFi, only offering a vague "at some point."

In January 2022, the company issued a vague statement with limited details about Spotify HiFi’s fate: "We know that HiFi quality audio is important to you. We feel the same, and we’re excited to deliver a Spotify HiFi experience to Premium users in the future. But we don’t have timing details to share yet. We will of course update you here when we can."

Prior to this, in October 2022, a Reddit user who had switched from Spotify to Apple Music reported receiving a survey about a new plan called "Spotify Platinum." This plan would include HiFi, as well as features like "Studio Sound," a "Headphone Tuner," "Audio Insights," "Library Pro," "Playlist Pro," and "limited-ad" podcasts, all for an additional fee. The Redditor stated that the survey asked if they would switch back to Spotify "in the next 30 days" for "one of [those] features."

Unsurprisingly, those 30 days passed without any sign of Spotify Platinum. In May 2021, a "HiFi" icon was spotted in the Spotify app, and a leaked "Hi, HiFi" video circulated online a few months later.

Based on the latest rumors and CEO Ek’s comments, Spotify lossless audio is likely to be available as an add-on to your monthly Spotify Premium subscription, potentially costing an extra $5.

Interestingly, this aligns with the wording of Spotify’s original HiFi announcement: "Premium subscribers in select markets will be able to upgrade their sound quality to Spotify HiFi," suggesting that lossless audio would be an add-on rather than a separate tier.

Spotify tested CD-quality audio streams as early as 2017, charging an extra $7.50 per month for the privilege.

However, other pricing models have been suggested over the years. Bloomberg’s 2023 report about Spotify "Supremium" indicated that the new tier, including HiFi functionality, would be Spotify’s most expensive. The "Spotify Platinum" rumor pegged the price at $19.99 per month. The Spotify user who found code within the Spotify app also discovered a reference to a $19.99/month price, but noted that "this could just be a placeholder."

In February 2022, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek blamed "licensing" issues for the delay of Spotify HiFi during a company earnings call. As reported by TechCrunch, Ek stated: "Many of the features that we talk about and especially that’s related to music ends up into licensing. So I can’t really announce any specifics on this other than to say that we’re in constant dialogue with our partners to bring this to market."

Another factor that may have contributed to the delay of Spotify HiFi is the moves made by Apple and Amazon. Just three months after the Spotify HiFi announcement, Amazon and Apple simultaneously announced that they would offer lossless, high-resolution, and spatial audio music tracks, all at no extra cost. Apple was new to lossless and spatial audio streaming, while Amazon had previously charged extra for these features.

These announcements may have prompted Spotify to re-evaluate its plans. Paying extra for CD-quality music (and potentially no spatial audio) became less appealing, leading Spotify to potentially retreat and reassess its strategy.

Many of Spotify’s competitors, including Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music, Qobuz, and Tidal, offer "high-resolution" music streaming, which is audio encoded at a higher resolution and sampling rate than CD-quality 16-bit/44.1kHz audio.

Most industry experts consider 24-bit/48kHz to be the threshold for high-resolution audio, with some services offering streams up to 24-bit/192kHz.

In its initial announcement, Spotify only promised "CD-quality" audio, which qualifies as "hi-fi" but not "hi-res." However, the Spotify user who found details in the Spotify app discovered code referencing "24-bit Lossless music," indicating that Spotify HiFi might offer high-resolution audio.

The audibility of the difference between CD-quality and high-resolution audio is a topic of debate, as is the ability of most people to distinguish between lossy and lossless audio.

Spotify’s initial Spotify HiFi announcement made no mention of spatial audio, which is music mixed with 3D surround effects.

Competitors like Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Tidal offer spatial audio tracks in formats such as Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio.

Given the competition, Spotify likely has plans for spatial audio, which may be related to the "Studio Sound" and/or "Headphone Tuner" features mentioned in the Spotify Platinum rumors.

While anything is possible, Spotify has been known to discontinue features that don’t gain traction. For example, Spotify ended production of Car Thing, a touchscreen display for in-car Spotify streaming, citing "product demand and supply chain issues."

Spotify also has a history of testing, teasing, and releasing features that later disappear or reappear without explanation. However, Ek’s recent comments suggest that Spotify HiFi, or something similar, is still on its way.

The official Spotify HiFi announcement remains on Spotify’s website.

Updated on November 25, 2024, to add new developments and analysis.