If you’re interested in Spotify, you may already know that it’s about to get more exciting with the introduction of the HiFi tier. It’s a service that will let you stream music at a much higher quality than what you’re used to, including CD-quality audio. And it’s coming to 80 more countries.
Streaming music at 320Kbps in “lossy” Ogg Vorbis format
It’s a big announcement from Spotify: they’re launching a HiFi tier. This will allow you to stream music at 320kbps in “lossy” Ogg Vorbis format.
The company announced the feature earlier this year. However, it won’t launch until 2022.
It’s not the first time Spotify has offered lossless streaming. Back in 2017, they ran a test of CD-quality audio. At the time, they charged $7.50 for a month’s worth of streaming. They haven’t made any official announcements since.
The 320 kbps setting is the highest sound quality available on the platform. In fact, it’s just as good as CD. You can enable lossless audio in the app settings.
Lossless audio is the process of compressing an audio file without losing any of the data. Essentially, a lot of the data that’s thrown out during the encoding process is lost, but it’s not exactly lost forever. Rather, it can be converted back into a compressed version.
For many people, high-resolution sound is the holy grail. But it’s not as simple as having the best codec. Sound quality depends on a lot of factors.
Some of the other services on the market offer HD or CD-quality streams. Deezer, Qobuz, Amazon Music HD, Tidal and others all provide the option.
The biggest con of high-resolution audio is the file size. Streaming services tend to compress audio in order to minimize the amount of data they use. While a smaller file may be more convenient for some, it means a lesser quality audio experience.
Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal choice. Unless you’re willing to shell out a ton of money, you may want to stick to the 320kbps version. That way, you can still enjoy your favorite music while you’re on a mobile device.
Streaming music at CD-quality without losing the audio format
There’s a new way to stream music at CD-quality without losing the audio format. This is called lossless streaming. Lossless streaming doesn’t reduce sound quality, but it does discard some of the data from the file.
You can find several lossless streaming services, such as Tidal and Qobuz. These services also offer CD-quality streams. However, they’re not the only ones offering high-resolution music.
The most popular streaming services use a bitrate of around 160 kbps or more. This provides the same quality as CDs, but it takes up less storage space. In the past, lossless audio was a premium service only available on certain platforms. But today, most of the industry is starting to offer it.
Apple recently stepped in and introduced its own lossless audio format, ALAC, which can be played on iPhones and other Apple devices. The service’s ‘Masters’ tier offers CD-quality streams.
A lossy digital audio format removes both the high and low frequencies from the audio, reducing the dynamic range of the music. The result is a much smaller file size, and the sound isn’t as rich or detailed as it could be.
If you’re looking for CD-quality music, you’ll need to subscribe to one of the services that offer lossless audio. These include Primephonic, Amazon Music HD, Idagio, and Tidal. Some services, such as Deezer and YouTube Music, don’t offer hi-res music.
When you want to hear the best possible audio, you may need a higher-end converter and a good audio interface. Hi-res isn’t always the best option, however, and some listeners have complained about lost information.
Streaming services have come a long way from the days when uncompressed WAV files were the only way to get high-quality sound. Today, there are a wide variety of formats that are playable on smartphones.
Available in 80 new countries
The music streaming service Spotify has announced the release of its new hi-fi tier. It comes with a lossless compression format and CD quality sound. However, the feature has not yet been launched in all markets.
To help its artists, Spotify has introduced a variety of tools, including the Anchor creator platform. Aside from this, it also has a full podcast catalogue and an extensive list of playlists.
Spotify is launching in 80 new countries and regions in the next few days. This is the largest concentrated market expansion the company has done. As a result, the service will be available to more than 1 billion people worldwide. Besides that, it will add support for 36 new languages.
On top of that, Spotify announced the launch of a new subscription tier for high-quality audio. It will cost a minimum of $20 per month to access the hi-fi tier.
Spotify is also launching a mobile experience for users. In addition, it will offer family plans for select markets.
In February, the service announced a new feature, the ‘Hi-Fi’ tier. Until now, it has not been clear what the feature will actually look like, but a Reddit user has spotted hints of it.
In the coming months, the company will also introduce other platforms, including a desktop web player. And, it has also unveiled the new ‘Spotify For Artists’ toolkit.
Spotify has also thrown its hat into the ring by acquiring a podcast startup called The Ringer. By acquiring it, the company will expand its podcast catalog and give underrepresented podcasters a platform to showcase their talents. Moreover, the company will work with local partners to introduce the platform.
HiFi interface graphics and settings
Spotify HiFi is a new streaming tier that will enable users to enjoy lossless audio streams. This new tier was announced in February and will be launched in select markets.
Those who are already subscribers to the service will be able to upgrade to the HiFi tier. Previously, they would have paid $7.50 per month for higher-quality streaming. It is unclear how much the upgrade will cost, but it is likely to be more expensive than the current plan.
Several months ago, a user spotted a HiFi icon on the iOS app. Now, the app is showing a new video that seems to explain the feature. The video includes an interactive graph that shows the most listened to songs. Other features include a slide-out menu that indicates the strength of the internet connection and the type of music being played.
Users are also expected to get a free trial. During this time, they’ll be able to download up to 10 thousand songs on up to five devices. They can listen to their favorites offline, but they’ll have to surf the Internet once every 30 days.
Those who opt for the Platinum plan will get an Audio Insights app, plus a Headphone Tuner and a Studio Sound feature. Apparently, the latter will be high-resolution, but Spotify hasn’t mentioned this yet.
One Reddit user posted a video that showed the interface for the tier, but it’s unclear whether it will offer spatial audio. However, Spotify Connect, which supports wireless listening, will be available. Bluetooth headphones and speakers require the right protocols, but it appears that the company has worked with the world’s biggest manufacturers to build a platform that’s capable of transmitting high-quality music.
HiFi vs Spotify Premium with CD-quality audio
As more people get access to music services, there’s been a growing demand for high-quality audio. Spotify and Tidal are two of the most popular. However, both of them are missing out on something: a true HiFi streaming service.
In February, Spotify announced plans to create a tier for those who want to listen to lossless audio. While the company hasn’t outlined pricing or technical details yet, it’s expected that this will be available soon.
The Platinum tier would give users a chance to stream lossless audio. It would also include a host of sweet perks. Among them, a Headphone Tuner and Audio Insights. But it wouldn’t be cheap. A Platinum plan would cost twice as much as an Individual plan.
Currently, the Premium tier offers a range of streaming quality. You can choose to listen to a maximum of AAC 320 kbps, Ogg Vorbis at 320 kbps, or HD-AAC at a resolution of 9216 kbps. If you’re not sure which setting is best for you, you can sign up for a free trial.
With so many different music streaming options, you might be wondering which service is better. In addition to Spotify and Tidal, Apple Music and Amazon Music HD offer a higher-quality catalogue.
While Spotify and Apple both have higher quality options, both of them charge no extra for lossless streams. Meanwhile, Tidal has licensing agreements with major record labels.
When you’re traveling, you can download a song and play it on your portable player. That’s why Tidal is preferred by audiophiles. On the other hand, Spotify encourages you to download songs so that you can enjoy them wherever you go.
Still, many users are unhappy with the quality of their Spotify streams. For example, some users have claimed that it’s impossible to tell the difference between a CD-quality track and one that’s been compressed to a lower-resolution format.