Spotify HiFi Release Date, Price, Compatible Devices & News

Spotify HiFi is the upcoming CD-tier quality streaming for music listeners. It was initially announced a few years back but still hasn’t launched. Let’s find out the latest update and news on Spotify HiFi alongside the expected release date, price, catalogue, compatible devices, and everything else.

Several streaming services like Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, and others already offer high-fidelity listening experiences to premium subscribers. Meanwhile, Spotify users still await the much-awaited feature despite being promised in 2021.

The company recently confirmed that it’s still coming but when? And, if it’ll be worth the hype? How much will it cost? We have answers to all your queries about high-fidelity music streaming on Spotify.

What Is The Release Date For Spotify HiFi?

Spotify initially announced HiFi, or “high-quality music streaming”, on February 22, 2021, at the Stream On event. Before that, they revealed a teaser for Spotify HiFi in 2017. Since then, users have been waiting to experience the CD-tier lossless music streaming quality.

When it was officially announced a couple of years back, Spotify promised that the top-tier streaming quality would be available for paying subscribers “beginning later this year.” However, it’s 2023, and Spotify still doesn’t have HiFi, while its competitors have already delivered it.

Meanwhile, Spotify users are still wondering what’s the release date for HiFi and if the app will ever get the feature. However, the company hasn’t denied it once. During an earnings call, it first confirmed the service was still coming last year. And Spotify again confirmed that HiFi was still coming just a few weeks ago.

Although no specific release date is available for Spotify HiFi yet, we expect the service to roll out near the end of this year or during the first quarter of next year. According to Verge, the processes required to bring HiFi to Spotify are already completed, and employees already have access to it. At this point, it’s a matter of ‘when‘ than ‘if‘.

Is Spotify HiFi Cancelled?

No, Spotify HiFi isn’t cancelled, and it’s still coming as per the latest update. The upcoming top-tier streaming quality has been under development for over six years. Over two years have passed since its official announcement. In January 2022, Spotify responded to queries about it on the Spotify Community Forum.

We know that HiFi quality audio is important to you. We feel the same, and we’re excited to deliver a Spotify HiFi experience to Premium users in the future. But we don’t have timing details to share yet. We will update you here when we can,” the company stated.

HiFi on Spotify

During an earnings call later in the year, CEO Daniel Ek confirmed to investors and analysts that the service dealt with licensing negotiations and was in “constant dialogue” with music labels to launch the highly anticipated feature. However, he failed to confirm the release date for Spotify HiFi.

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Why Is Spotify HiFi Delayed?

The specific reason behind Spotify HiFi getting delayed repeatedly is unknown. The company didn’t explain much when asked by users and investors. Recently, Gustav Söderström, the co-president of Spotify, confirmed that HiFi is still coming and will be available at the right time.

We announced it, but then the industry changed for many reasons,” Söderström said on an episode of Decoder. He added: “We are going to do it, but we’re going to do it in a way that makes sense for us and our listeners. The industry changed, and we had to adapt.”

We want to do it in a way that also works for us from a cost perspective. I’m not allowed to comment on our label agreements, nor on what other players in the industry did, for obvious reasons,” he concluded.

Spotify HiFi delayed

It’s reported that technical work for Spotify HiFi is largely complete for over a year. However, some sources believe that the feature got delayed due to Apple Music offering lossless audio for free while Spotify doesn’t plan to do so.

Spotify HiFi Quality: Is It Worth The Hype?

When Spotify first announced HiFi, it confirmed it would “deliver music in CD-quality, lossless audio format to your device and Spotify Connect-enabled speakers.” This gives fans more depth and clarity while listening to their favourite songs. That’s why it’s one of the most requested features by audiophiles lately.

Spotify currently has premium quality music, which is capped at a max of 320kbps. However, with HiFi, it would go up to 1,411kbps. Lossless audio files also carry more data. As a result, they are richer and more in-depth. However, due to its competitors, Spotify may need to work hard to deliver up to the hype.

HiFi quality

For instance, Tidal HiFi goes up to 9,216kbps with the Master tracks, and Qobuz also does the same. Amazon Music HD also provides a similar hi-res catalogue. However, Spotify isn’t expected to bring hi-res audio as they’re dedicated to bringing HiFi as CD-quality and not beyond that.

One of the top competitors of Spotify, Apple Music, provides three quality tiers- CD Quality, Loss, and Hi-Res Lossless. All 75 million songs are in CD quality or Apple Music Lossless, while more than 20 million tracks are in the top-notch Hi-Res Lossless format. It’ll be worth seeing if Spotify can compete with that and if their top-quality tier is worth the hype.

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What Devices Are Compatible With Spotify HiFi?

Spotify HiFi will only be available through compatible devices, including speakers, headphones, phones, tablets, etc. The company previously confirmed that CD-quality streaming would be provided through Spotify Connect on compatible devices without Bluetooth pairing.

In addition, the HiFi streaming will also be available on Bluetooth aptX and aptX HD when a user’s source and receiver both support the codec. The source can be the Spotify app and the phone it’s playing on, while a receiver can be a Bluetooth speaker or wireless headphones.

HiFi compatible devices

This means that Spotify will bring its top-tier streaming to phones, computers, speakers, televisions, gaming consoles, and other compatible devices via the Connect feature. It’s also possible that some new-age devices, like the latest televisions and PlayStation 5, could access CD-quality streaming before others.

We’re working with some of the world’s biggest speaker manufacturers to make Spotify HiFi accessible to as many fans as possible through Spotify Connect,” stated Spotify in a statement.

How Much Will Spotify HiFi Cost?

Spotify hasn’t provided any information on the plans, including CD-quality music streaming and how much they will cost. The price of HiFi on the app will decide if it is worth waiting for and if users should stay with the company, given that its competitors are already offering the best quality at affordable prices.

For instance, Apple Music provides Lossless and Hi-Res audio to all subscribers for only $9.99 (£9.99/ AU$11.99) per month. It didn’t bring along any exclusive plan for top-tier streaming quality. Amazon Music also follows the same strategy. Meanwhile, Spotify is expected to include HiFi with its Platinum tier.

Spotify Platinum

The Platinum subscription tier on Spotify costs $19.99 monthly, so you’ll have to pay that amount to get CD-quality tracks on the streaming service. You’d also require a compatible device to enjoy the best in-depth experience with top-notch clarity.

Can You Get A Spotify HiFi Free Trial?

Yes, users will likely get a free trial to try out HiFi when Spotify finally launches it. If it’s available with the Platinum plan, it offers a 1-month trial to all new subscribers. The offer will likely continue until CD quality is available on the plan. In some regions like India, Spotify also offers a three-month free trial.

However, if the company rolls out a new plan to access CD-quality tracks, it would reduce the chances of getting a free trial. Considering the company’s past with trials and offers, it’s likely that users would get an opportunity to try out the upcoming feature before actually paying for it.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Is Spotify ever getting HiFi?

A: Yes, Spotify hasn’t scrapped plans to bring HiFi or CD-quality music streaming and it’s coming soon. Originally, the company announced to launch the functionality near the end of 2021. However, it got delayed and should be available in the coming months as per the company’s latest statements.

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Q: Will Spotify HiFi be free for premium subscribers?

A: Spotify HiFi will likely be part of its Platinum offering. However, it wouldn’t be available to free users or Spotify Premium subscribers with plans other than Platinum.

Q: Which Spotify subscription do you need for HiFi?

A: Spotify hasn’t confirmed which subscription tier will provide access to CD-quality streams when it launches. However, it’s believed that HiFi should be available as part of the Platinum tier, which costs $19.99 monthly. It’s also possible that Spotify will release a new tier that exclusively provides access to the feature.

Q: Is Spotify HiFi better than Tidal and Deezer?

A: It’s impossible to determine if Spotify’s CD-quality streams will be better than Tidal and Deezer. Tidal provides Hi-Res music streaming, which maxes up to 9,216kbps while Deezer provides HiFi up to 1,411kbps. On the other side, Spotify currently has only 320kbps streaming quality which is expected to go up to Deezer’s capacity when they launch the much-awaited CD quality.

Final Words:

Spotify HiFi is one of the most awaited features by audiophiles but the music streaming service is yet to deliver it. Most of its rivals have already rolled it out. However, the industry leader is still working on it. The good news is that it should be available soon as the technical work is mostly complete.

The company is likely working on the strategy to roll out CD-quality streams with one of the largest catalogues. Are you eagerly waiting for it? Feel free to share your expectations from Spotify or any doubts about the service in the comments.

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