If you’re a music lover who is looking for an easy way to listen to your favorite songs and albums, you may be considering signing up for Spotify. However, there’s a bit of a catch. After you sign up for Spotify, you’ll be asked to pay a monthly fee. That cost may vary depending on your location and the subscription type you choose.
Lossless vs CD-quality audio
Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have launched lossless and CD-quality audio features. These new audio formats allow listeners to hear details they could not previously hear. However, most users cannot tell the difference between lossless and lossy streams. Depending on the original source, these files can vary in quality.
Some of these streaming services, such as Tidal, have a higher quality than others. For example, Tidal offers a 9216 kbps stream, which is much higher than the 320 kbps offered by Spotify. Similarly, Amazon Music Unlimited has a CD-quality sound.
Spotify is preparing a new version of its service, called Spotify HiFi, that will offer high-resolution audio, according to a report from Bloomberg. While the company has not said exactly what this will entail, it has indicated that it will be available later this year in select markets. It is expected to rival Tidal, which has been offering a similar service for many years.
The company has been testing a lossless audio feature for a year now. In the process, it has also developed partnerships with some of the world’s largest speaker manufacturers. As such, Spotify is able to deliver its HiFi service to a wider audience.
Spotify has not released details about its HiFi feature, but the company has confirmed that CD-quality streams will work with certain devices. It is unclear how the new technology will affect pricing. However, a trial of the service is expected to be available for new subscribers.
Until now, most music streaming services have only used lossy compression, which allows for a smaller file size. However, in June 2017, Apple launched lossless streaming, starting with a tier that starts at CD quality.
Meanwhile, Tidal has been offering a hi-fi service since its launch. This tier of the service offers a CD-quality sound, as well as a wider array of lossless albums. Additionally, the company has licensing agreements with major record labels.
As such, the new service is expected to be a hit. But it will be up to Spotify to decide if it will share this feature with its rivals.
Apple Music’s HiFi Plus
There’s a lot of excitement over Apple Music’s HiFi Plus streaming quality, but the actual rollout of the feature has been somewhat underwhelming. While there’s been a lot of buzz, the company has yet to reveal pricing or launch dates.
The company says that HiFi will be available to users of Spotify Connect-enabled speakers, and it will deliver CD-quality audio. This comes as a welcome upgrade for fans of lossless music.
However, the HiFi plan also comes with a price. It costs $20 a month for the HiFi Plus tier. You’ll get the HiFi sound quality as well as four other streaming qualities: HiFi, HiRes Lossless, Dolby Atmos, and Spatial Audio.
In addition, the home screen features a banner of featured content, as well as a collection of suggested new albums and tracks. If you’re not sure where to start, the curated playlists are a good place to get started.
While Tidal has a similar feature set to Apple Music, the service does not offer the same high-quality, lossless songs. Similarly, it does not allow you to add pieces to your own playlists. Lastly, the company does not allow you to share your playlists with others.
On the other hand, Apple Music’s recommendation system is very accurate and it is personalized to your listening preferences. Moreover, the service offers a six-month free trial.
Apple Music’s lossless streaming quality is available for a lower cost than Spotify’s, but if you’re looking for the highest-quality songs, it’s probably best to opt for a Spotify Premium subscription.
Another option is to download your favorite songs. For $10 per month, you can do this with the iTunes Store and other providers.
Currently, there’s no information about when the hi-fi feature will be available to Spotify customers, but it’s likely to arrive in the near future. And, according to a recent survey, it’s not unreasonable to expect to pay a decent amount of money for the feature.
The service currently streams songs in three different formats. However, the company has promised to launch all of its catalogue in Lossless by the end of 2021.
Amazon Music’s HiFi Plus
Amazon Music offers high-resolution audio at no extra cost to its subscribers. This is one tier of its Unlimited subscription. In September 2019, Amazon introduced a new tier of Unlimited that provides lossless FLAC audio at 24-bit/192 kHz. It is now available on Android and iOS devices.
There are also dedicated playlists to highlight artists and genres. Users can listen to playlists offline.
The service is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows devices. Besides streaming, users can download tracks to listen to later. For those who are not Prime members, the service costs $9.99 a month. That’s a good deal for lossless audio.
If you are looking for high-res streaming, then Amazon Music is a tempting alternative to Tidal. It also boasts a huge music catalog. With 70 million tracks, there is a lot to choose from.
Besides Amazon Music, Spotify also has a library of high-resolution music. The service has a lot of different quality tiers. A few notable features are that it offers CD-quality streams and hi-res streams. You can also add songs to playlists, and you can view lyrics.
Unlike other streaming services, Spotify’s “now playing” window pops up when you hover over a song. But, it doesn’t show lyrics or interviews with the artist. Also, it has a less-than-stellar royalties policy.
Some of the more interesting features of Tidal HiFi include the possibility of paying $2 per song streamed and receiving 10% of the monthly fee of a streamed artist. However, Tidal’s pricing structure remains higher than that of Amazon’s HD plans.
One of the coolest features of the service is that it can be played with Amazon’s Echo devices. You can also stream songs to Google’s Chromecast or Nest smart speakers. Other supported devices include Apple TV 4K and Sonos multi-room wireless speakers.
While Amazon Music HD is not quite as feature-rich as Spotify, it is a good alternative. Tidal HiFi offers more fidelity and is a great way to spend some money on your favorite musicians. Plus, there are a variety of discounts and price tiers.
TIDAL HiFi Plus
TIDAL HiFi Plus is a music streaming service with a more extensive selection than its competitor, Spotify. Tidal offers a range of genres, audio and music videos, and exclusive content. The company has three subscription tiers: the free plan, the Premium Family plan, and the HiFi Plus plan.
In addition to offering an enormous library, the company also pays its artists more than Spotify for streams. It uses algorithms to suggest songs to listeners based on their listening habits. A special “Wrapped” feature sums up music listening patterns in an animation, allowing users to see which artists are popular.
While not as streamlined or as user-friendly as Spotify, TIDAL still offers a great selection of music and videos. For example, Hip-Hop fans can find a massive library of songs and videos, including Beats & Rhymes, TIDAL Rising, and more. Those looking for a more immersive experience can opt for Sony 360 Reality Audio, which simulates spatial sound. This type of audio works with headphones and a virtual speaker, putting the listener in a simulated ear-shaped space.
TIDAL HiFi Plus subscribers also benefit from Dolby Atmos Music, which enables them to listen to high-quality audio. If you’re considering a paid TIDAL subscription, the company’s Early Access program allows you to try features in beta before they’re released. There’s also a new fan-focused royalties program in the works for HiFi Plus subscribers.
TIDAL also allows users to transfer their existing music libraries to the service. Users can download lossless audio files for offline playback. However, there are some restrictions. Users can’t transfer CD-ripping libraries or playlists to the service.
In order to make the most of the service, users can participate in the TIDAL Rising program. This program offers support for upcoming artists, as well as tour support. Artists are professionally photographed and have their music placed on the front page of the TIDAL app.
TIDAL HiFi Plus has a dark color palette and a slick interface, with blue accents. While the company does not offer voice search capabilities, it does allow for four streaming qualities: Master Quality, Enhanced Audio, Dolby Atmos, and MQA.
