Spotify's 'Supremium' tier with HiFi audio may come this year
Spotify announced a new tier dubbed 'HiFi' at the Stream On event in 2021. It's been two years since then, and the company is yet to launch the ultra-premium tier. It seems that the long wait is nearing its end. Bloomberg reported that Spotify could release the new plan later this year. The new tier is codenamed 'Supremium.'
Why does this story matter?
Spotify currently streams its audio at 320kbps in the Ogg Vorbis format. In this format, the audio is compressed to conserve the bandwidth. This leads to the audio losing its details. For years, Spotify users have been calling on the company to improve this. Spotify HiFi was touted as an answer to those calls. However, its release has been delayed for a while now.
The new tier will have lossless audio streaming
It is unclear whether Spotify would call the new tier 'HiFi' itself. What is clear, however, is that the new plan will have lossless audio streaming. But users will have to pay more for the feature. It will be Spotify's most expensive plan. The new tier will be first available to non-US users, per Bloomberg.
Spotify was caught flat-footed by Amazon and Apple
Spotify has had HiFi ready for a while. But the company couldn't release it due to a couple of reasons. In 2022, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek blamed licensing issues for the delay. Another reason is that the company was caught surprised by Amazon and Apple. Three months after Spotify's announcement, Amazon and Apple announced lossless streaming for no extra charge.
Spotify wants to provide its subscribers more value
When its rivals provide lossless and spatial audio for no cost, why would anyone pay Spotify extra for the same features? This question prompted the company to push the release of HiFi. "We're going to do it in a way where it makes sense for us and for our listeners," said Spotify's co-president, Gustav Söderström, when asked about HiFi.
How much will the new plan cost?
Spotify has been tight-lipped about other features in the 'Supremium' tier. A Spotify survey from last year detailed a new 'Platinum Plan' with features, including lossless audio, studio sound, headphone tuner, library pro, playlist pro, and limited ad podcasts. The survey suggested that the new plan will be priced at $19.99. However, that may not be the case now, considering the competition.
