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Spotify has confirmed that it still plans to launch a lossless music experience, but the timeline and structure of the service remain undecided. The announcement comes more than two years after the music streaming giant first revealed its intention to introduce a premium tier dubbed “HiFi”, which would offer users access to a catalog of CD-quality music tracks.
Originally, Spotify had set an end-of-2021 launch date for the service, but similar moves by rivals upended the company’s lossless strategy.
Apple Music now includes lossless listening options as part of its standard subscription, while Amazon no longer charges extra for its lossless music library. As a result, it seems unreasonable for Spotify to ask users to pay more for a like-for-like service.
“We announced it, but then the industry changed for a bunch of reasons”, explained Spotify co-president Gustav Söderström in a recent interview with The Verge. “We are going to do it, but we’re going to do it in a way where it makes sense for us and for our listeners. The industry changed, and we had to adapt”.
According to reports, Spotify HiFi has been ready to launch for over a year, with Spotify employees already having access to HiFi.
However, the service was initially intended to cost more than the standard plan. With Apple and Amazon already offering lossless listening options as part of their standard subscription, Spotify is now expected to offer a more extensive plan, including access to spatial audio tracks and other perks to do with audiobooks and podcasts.
The timeline for when the plan will arrive is still unknown, with Söderström only able to confirm that HiFi “is coming at some point”.
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While Spotify has yet to reveal any concrete details regarding the launch of its lossless service, industry insiders are keeping a close eye on developments. Many believe that the company will need to offer something extra to differentiate itself from competitors and justify charging users more for a lossless experience.
For now, it seems that Spotify is taking a cautious approach and working on a plan that will make sense for the company and its listeners.
