While music streaming services like Tidal and Amazon Music already had HiFi streaming, Spotify’s announcement that it’s moving into that space is sure to catch the attention of anyone responsible for managing their own company’s music streaming.
Spotify, which says its accounts surged to over 150 million late last year, is the leading subscription music service.
Their new lossless streaming tier will allow account owners access to extra-high quality streams.
More from The Verge:
Spotify HiFi will be available later this year and “will deliver music in CD-quality, lossless audio format to your device and Spotify Connect-enabled speakers, which means fans will be able to experience more depth and clarity while enjoying their favorite tracks.”
Amazon rolled out Amazon Music HD in 2019. The lossless plan costs $14.99 per month (or $12.99 for Prime customers), a premium over the standard Amazon Music Unlimited service. Tidal, which has supported high-resolution audio since its very beginning, is priced slightly higher at $19.99 monthly for the “Hi-Fi” plan. Tidal offers what it calls “Tidal Masters” that can even exceed high-resolution 96 kHz / 24 bit audio. Smaller services like Qobuz have also sought to appeal to audiophiles with lossless streaming.
Apple Music, on the other hand, still lacks any kind of lossless streaming tier, despite Apple selling the very high-end AirPods Max headphones.
Two things might prevent IT and building managers from considering this service for their own organizations. One, pricing is yet to be announced, which suggests it might be a considerable investment for smaller businesses.
Two, whatever HiFi music streaming means to Spotify is yet to be discussed. Presently, their service “tops out” at 320kbps audio, The Verge article says.
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We’ll see what the package entails, but Spotify has certainly become a household name in the last few years. Maybe, it will become a corporate one, too.
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