Spotify today announced plans to introduce a new premium “HiFi” level later this year, which will provide higher quality lossless audio. According to Spotify, the feature will offer CD-quality music that will allow fans to experience more depth and clarity in their favorite tracks.
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Streaming music services like Tidal, Deezer and Amazon Music have offered lossless audio options, but so far Spotify and Apple Music have not provided higher quality streaming options.
Spotify is the main competitor to “Apple Music,” so with Spotify planning a HiFi music option, Apple could plan to offer higher quality streaming in order to stay competitive. A lossless audio level would also combine well with Apple’s AirPods Max headphones that were released in late 2020.
No pricing information is available at this time, but Amazon Music’s lossless level is priced at $ 14.99 per month ($ 12.99 for Prime subscribers), while Tidal charges $ 19.99 per month and Deezer charges $ 14.99 for its hi-fi plan. Spotify plans to launch HiFi in select markets by the end of the year and will be a top-tier add-on.
HiFi was unveiled at the Spotify Stream On event, which can be viewed in full on YouTube.
At the event, Spotify also said it plans to expand to more than 80 new markets in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, allowing the service to reach more than 1 billion new potential customers. A full list of countries where Spotify will be available soon can be found on the Spotify website.
Other announcements included Barack Obama’s new “Renegade” podcast and Spotify’s Bruce Springsteen, new interactive podcast features for creators such as surveys and question-and-answer tools, and new music promotion resources for artists.