Spotify is prepping the launch of a lossless audio version of its streaming service, according to The Verge. The new subscription tier is said to be called Spotify Hi-Fi and will offer higher bandwidth lossless audio quality to members.

Currently, Tidal is the only major music streaming service to offer an optional "lossless" audio tier, although other, lesser known lossless services do exist.

C5y 7pQUYAARbWm


Tidal says tracks heard through its "CD quality" lossless service aren't compressed, so users are said to hear the music the way the artists intended – though whether one can tell the difference between compressed and uncompressed tracks can depend on the listener. What Spotify defines as lossless remains to be seen.

Spotify began testing the service with a small group of users on Tuesday, according to reports, offering the tier for $5 to $10 above the $10 per month price of a standard Spotify subscription.

However, users who received the invitation to sign up for the Hi-Fi service either got an error message or were told the service was unavailable in their area at the time.

A Tidal HiFi subscription costs $19.99. Apple Music streams at a bitrate of 256Kbps, while Spotify's current Premium tier streams at a maximum 320Kbps.

Tag: Spotify

Top Rated Comments

dannys1 Avatar
79 months ago
Apple Music streams at a bitrate of 256Kbps, which is lower than Spotify's current Premium tier at 320Kbps.
I wish you guys would stop pushing this myth. I use both services and they have pros and cons. But as Spotify uses Ogg and Apple Music 256kbps AAC it's not comparable on bit-rate alone, so you can't just say this and spread misinformation amoungst other people who don't understand it.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kalafalas Avatar
79 months ago
Currently:

Spotify uses OGG Vorbis (equilivent or slightly worse than MP3) with a choice between 96kbps, 160kbps, and 320kbps

Apple Music/iTunes uses 256kbps AAC (MP4) with the option of using 80kbps AAC+ On cellular connections (sounds similar to ~160 AAC)

Tidal uses a choice between 96kbps AAC+, 320kbps AAC, and Apple Lossless (Hi-Fi)

SoundCloud is 128kbps MP3
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamjackson Avatar
79 months ago
30 years after the compact disk was introduced, Internet Radio stations are finally offering music in CD-Quality.

LOL.


Yes I know Tidal exists and yes I know you could buy Lossless digital copies for many years and yes I know most people can't discern from 256KBS AAC w/ VBR & Losslesss but it is funny that my Mom listening to Pearl Jam's Ten on her Hi-Fi system was better sounding that the majority of people consuming music today.

I personally am waiting for Apple to offer FLAC / Lossless tracks in Apple Music. I'm an Apple Fanboy and don't see the point in going another route. I use a 256GB SD Card in my car w/ FLAC tracks and my 256GB iPhone is loaded up with Lossless tracks from iTunes. My Synology has a terabyte of uncompressed music going back to the 50s that I've transferred over from my CD collection. I see no point (personally) in paying $10 a month to listen to music I already own. I only wish Apple had continued with and released a 1TB iPod so I could finally have all of my music with me. I could always do what Puff-Daddy did and just keep multiple iPods on me. I can't find the story but I think he traveled with 5 iPods to hold his entire music collection.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
79 months ago
I wish you guys would stop pushing this myth. I use both services and they have pros and cons. But as Spotify uses Ogg and Apple Music 256kbps AAC it's not comparable on bit-rate alone, so you can't just say this and spread misinformation amoungst other people who don't understand it.
Yep, bigger numbers =/= better. Same goes for megahertz, megapixels...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
timmyh Avatar
79 months ago
I wish you guys would stop pushing this myth. I use both services and they have pros and cons. But as Spotify uses Ogg and Apple Music 256kbps AAC it's not comparable on bit-rate alone, so you can't just say this and spread misinformation amoungst other people who don't understand it.
That was an error on my part. So I've removed the word "lower", to avoid that interpretation.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
timmyh Avatar
79 months ago
It depends more than the listener.
The Audio Conversion Chip, the amplifier, the speakers and so on....
MR kinda played it fast and loose with this remark.
Sure, I'd hope that was obvious. Ain't this topic a minefield!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...