Spotify HiFi: A long-awaited saga nears its end?
Thursday, July 25, 2024 at 11:30PM 
Image: Spotify
After over three years of anticipation, Spotify's promised high-quality audio tier, HiFi, is finally taking shape. Initially touted as a standalone premium service, it's now evolving into a deluxe add-on to the existing Premium subscription. This strategic shift comes as Spotify attempts to catch up with competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music, who have already offered lossless audio as a standard feature.
CEO Daniel Ek confirmed the development during Spotify's earnings call, describing the upcoming tier as "a deluxe version of Spotify that has all of the benefits that the normal Spotify version has, but a lot more control, a lot higher quality across the board." It's expected to cost around US$17-US$18 per month, offering lossless audio, enhanced library management, AI-powered playlists, headphone optimization, and other unspecified features.