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Among the biggest music streaming platforms, Spotify was one of the first to announce its plans to bring HiFi features to its subscribers. It gave the impression that Spotify could have been the first to launch the service but, as it turns out, it ends up being the only major player without a HiFi option.
The company announced “Spotify HiFi” back in February. The streaming giant even got help from Billie Eilish and Finneas, who both appeared in a video explaining why the availability of HiFi listening is just as important to artists as it could be for their fans.
At the time, Spotify did not provide a specific release date for the release of Spotify HiFi. But the company said the goal was to launch it “later this year.” Since its announcement, though, the company has been silent about the feature’s development. Spotify has yet to offer any updates about its development or launch window. And with only a week left in 2021, it seems that the streaming platform is more likely to push its release to 2022.
There are also several things Spotify has yet to address about the release of the HiFi feature on its platform. On the technical side, it is still unknown if the company plans on matching what Apple Music currently offers. Announced in May, Apple’s lossless audio offers a music listening experience starting from the standard CD quality (16 bit at 44.1 kHz) up to 24 bit at 48 kHz.
With the right device, Apple Music members can also listen to their favorite songs at a hi-res lossless quality that goes up to 24 bit at 192 kHz. So far, what Spotify only confirmed in this department, “Spotify HiFi 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.”
Apple Music, as well as Amazon, have also started offering Dolby Atmos support to their subscribers without raising prices to premium plans. That leads to another question of whether or not Spotify will introduce HiFi as a separate tier or if it will cause a price increase in its existing Premium tiers.
On the other hand, Spotify seemed to have been working on the HiFi feature behind the scenes. In May, some Reddit users spotted a dedicated HiFi button on the streaming app. But it has yet to lead to any updates about its release.
Photo by David Pupaza on Unsplash
