Spotify HiFi will stream lossless audio to Premium subscribers for an additional fee

[mood]

Spotify HiFi will stream lossless audio to Premium subscribers for an additional fee

 

 

Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services in the world today, and it’s about to add one of the most-requested features — lossless audio quality.

 

During its Stream On event today, Spotify announced that starting later this year, the platform will start offering lossless audio streaming. The new offering will be an additional quality tier available to Premium subscribers in “select markets.” Spotify confirmed to 9to5Google that this won’t be included in the cost of Premium, but will be a competitively priced add-on.

 

The company says more details are coming “soon.”

 

Artists and fans have told us that sound quality is important to them. We agree, and that’s why today at Stream On we announced Spotify HiFi. Beginning later this year, Premium subscribers in select markets will be able to upgrade their sound quality to Spotify HiFi and listen to their favorite songs in the way artists intended. 

 

When this feature arrives, it will deliver “CD-quality, lossless audio” to your device as well as compatible Spotify Connect speakers. Apparently, the company is working with some major speaker manufacturers to ensure that more people can experience the improved audio quality of Spotify HiFi.

 

 

During the Stream On event, Spotify also announced a partnership with AGBO, the entertainment company founded by Avengers directors The Russo Brothers.

 

 

Source: Spotify HiFi will stream lossless audio to Premium subscribers for an additional fee

[Ryrynz]

The funny thing is the vast majority of people won't be able to hear a difference. OGG at 320kbps is basically indistinguishable from lossless.
You need a trained ear a young ear and or some rather high end equipment to help and even then it doesn't help much.
The people in the below survey couldn't distinguish a difference between CD quality and 256kbps AAC and Ogg at 320kbps is better still.
https://cdvsmp3.wordpress.com/cd-vs-itunes-plus-blind-test-results/
 

Still, this will tickle the fancy of some who have avoided Spotify and gone Tidal, will be interesting to see the comparisons against the highest quality premium offering and this new one although I do expect the same results as above.
I do know that people can hear differences vs Tidal's lossless offering but that should mostly be down to the recordings on file rather than the actual encoding differences,
Might be a good laugh to filter through peoples comments about how they can and cannot hear a difference after it's released, whatever makes money I guess.. one less bunch of complainers.

 

If you're listening to music from any streaming source at 256kbps or greater you're already listening to it "as the artist intended" this is just a marketing gimmick but pay for HiFi n compare for yourself.

Could be actually useful for people archiving audio on their PC and already using a tool to rip to FLAC anyway, no more padding!