In February 2021, Spotify introduced that it’ll launch a lossless HiFi (excessive constancy) streaming tier. The brand new tier was purported to be out there later that yr. However deep into March 2023, Spotify Hifi continues to be lacking with no indicators of it coming anytime quickly. So what occurred? Properly, after remaining mum for over two years, the corporate has lastly damaged the silence on the matter. Spotify’s Co-President Gustav Söderström not too long ago stated that HiFi streaming continues to be within the pipeline however delayed as a result of altering calls for of the business.
“We introduced it, however then the business modified for a bunch of causes,” Söderström stated in an interview with The Verge earlier this week. “We’re going to do it, however we’re going to do it in a approach the place it is smart for us and for our listeners. The business modified and we needed to adapt”. The Spotify govt didn’t elaborate on how the business modified and what exactly precipitated the delay. However he steered that the corporate continues to be evaluating the price construction. “We wish to do it in a approach the place it really works for us from a value perspective as nicely,” he stated.
Söderström’s phrases recommend Apple and Amazon providing lossless streaming free of charge has affected Spotify’s HiFi plans. The corporate needed to introduce a dearer streaming tier than the prevailing ones with lossless music. However Apple and Amazon have spoiled these plans. It could now be remodeling its methods to earn cash off HiFi music with out risking dropping clients to Apple Music or Amazon Music. Spotify is unlikely to supply it free of charge, although. Possibly its lossless streaming tier will include added perks corresponding to spatial audio, Dolby Atmos, audiobooks, and podcasts.
Spotify nonetheless doesn’t have a launch timeline for HiFi streaming
Spotify is the world’s largest music streaming service with greater than 500 million customers globally, together with over 205 million Premium subscribers. The service lacking lossless music continues to be baffling. The corporate has reportedly already made all needed preparations for HiFi streaming. It has ” re-ingested its whole music catalog in lossless high quality” and has additionally largely accomplished the technical work for the function.
The truth is, lossless music has been out there to some Spotify staff for greater than a yr now. Nonetheless, the streaming large is deliberately holding off rolling out the function to the general public. Söderström stated that Sopify HiFi “is coming in some unspecified time in the future” however didn’t share even a imprecise timeline. Hopefully, the corporate won’t preserve its 500 million plus customers ready for lossless streaming for much longer.