Spotify to finally go lossless
Featured snippet from the web
In February 2022, Spotify HiFi was announced as a way to stream CD-quality lossless audio to users. At the time, it was expected to launch later in 2021. Two years later, the prospect of the service was raised again. This time, a "Supremium" tier was proposed, with the expectation of a launch in late 2023.
The conversion by streaming service Spotify, the 800-pound gorilla, is nearly upon us. In some respects, this is a good thing. On the positive side, Tidal has already lowered its monthly subscription cost for the hi-rez tier, so consumers save money and assume their headphones or system are up to it for better sound. On the other hand, does this mean Tidal will no longer be able to pay higher streaming royalties to artists? Spotify jumping in on hi-rez may also negatively impact Qobuz, the favored service of many serious audiophiles, including me. Word on the Street is that Qobuz is preparing the release of "Quobuz Connect," joining Tidal and Spotify with this advantage because I do not need to merge stored and streamed playlists/files and vastly prefer using a streaming service native interface to an API version as offered by Roon and other hardware and third-party software manufacturers.
Overall, this is a positive development for the mid-to-high-end audio industry, as we expect this will drive increased access and support for lossless downloads fully integrated into one seamless application and monthly subscription. The more people know they can get better streaming sound quality for the same money, the more they will be interested in investing in better sound quality, driving the sale of better DACs, streamers, amplifiers, and loudspeakers!
Featured snippet from the web
In February 2022, Spotify HiFi was announced as a way to stream CD-quality lossless audio to users. At the time, it was expected to launch later in 2021. Two years later, the prospect of the service was raised again. This time, a "Supremium" tier was proposed, with the expectation of a launch in late 2023.
The conversion by streaming service Spotify, the 800-pound gorilla, is nearly upon us. In some respects, this is a good thing. On the positive side, Tidal has already lowered its monthly subscription cost for the hi-rez tier, so consumers save money and assume their headphones or system are up to it for better sound. On the other hand, does this mean Tidal will no longer be able to pay higher streaming royalties to artists? Spotify jumping in on hi-rez may also negatively impact Qobuz, the favored service of many serious audiophiles, including me. Word on the Street is that Qobuz is preparing the release of "Quobuz Connect," joining Tidal and Spotify with this advantage because I do not need to merge stored and streamed playlists/files and vastly prefer using a streaming service native interface to an API version as offered by Roon and other hardware and third-party software manufacturers.
Overall, this is a positive development for the mid-to-high-end audio industry, as we expect this will drive increased access and support for lossless downloads fully integrated into one seamless application and monthly subscription. The more people know they can get better streaming sound quality for the same money, the more they will be interested in investing in better sound quality, driving the sale of better DACs, streamers, amplifiers, and loudspeakers!
