Spotify lossless audio mentioned to be near launch, with third branding

Greater than three years after Spotify lossless audio was first promised by the corporate, it nonetheless hasn’t launched. There have been a number of studies since, and the most recent of those claims that the service is now very near launching.

We’ve additionally heard three completely different model names recommended. The corporate initially introduced it as Spotify HiFi, then we heard Music Professional, and in the present day’s report says will probably be referred to as Spotify Lossless …

The Spotify lossless audio saga

The corporate made its unique announcement again in February 2021.

Spotify HiFi will ship music in CD-quality, lossless audio format to your system and Spotify Join enabled audio system, which implies followers will be capable of expertise extra depth and readability whereas having fun with their favourite tracks.

On the time, Spotify mentioned it will launch later the identical yr; it didn’t.

The information didn’t get any higher when that was additionally the yr Apple Music launched each lossless audio and Spatial Audio at no further price – whereas Spotify’s plan had all the time been to cost a premium for it.

We’ll skip all of the will-they-won’t-they studies alongside the way in which, and fast-forward to final month, when the corporate was mentioned to be gearing up for the launch of the brand new ‘super-premium’ tier. The deliberate Spotify HiFi branding was now set to be dropped in favor of Spotify Music Professional.

A brand new report in the present day once more says the corporate is near launch, however this time it’s reportedly going to be branded as Spotify Lossless.

The Verge studies:

After years of ready for Spotify to launch the lossless audio tier it promised, some leaked UI parts counsel the challenge is alive and kicking, if not (dare I say) probably near launch […]

Screenshots that reportedly reveal the options’ cellular app introduction display counsel Spotify can be rebranding HiFi to “Lossless” — considered one of a number of names which have been speculated because it was introduced again in February 2021, alongside more moderen rumors of a “Supremium” tier it could fall underneath.

After all, definitions of lossless differ, and it appears Spotify isn’t completely certain what it means by the time period. The report variously lists AAC 1,411kbps (which is CD high quality), AAC 2,117kbps, and FLAC – suggesting {that a} combine will probably be provided. Solely FLAC is really lossless, although only a few folks can hear the distinction, particularly when utilizing client headphones.

But when the corporate is hoping to upsell folks to a higher-priced tier, it could wrestle, provided that Apple Music provides lossless at no further price.

As for me, it’s all a bit late. I take one of many A/B assessments about yearly, and through the years my scores have decreased as my ears age. I’ve dropped from positively having the ability to hear the distinction by way of completely different ranges to a contemporary rating of ‘marginally higher than random guesses.’ I gained’t be signing up.

Photograph by Adrian Korte on Unsplash