The coming year is sure to bring a plethora of new music to your ears. From the likes of TIDAL HiFi Plus, Apple Music and Amazon Music HD, to just about everything in between, you are going to find plenty of new ways to access your favorite tunes.
Amazon revises pricing for Spotify HiFi
One of the most popular features of Spotify is the HiFi feature. The service promises CD quality lossless audio streams, though the exact specifications have yet to be revealed. This will be a welcome addition to the music streaming service and it will come at a premium.
Although Spotify HiFi was announced last year, its release date remains unclear. While it was expected to debut in 2021, its launch is likely to be delayed until 2022 or beyond. In the meantime, the HiFi feature may be available to all users for a free trial.
Spotify has been developing a lossless audio format for five years. However, it is only recently that the company is promoting its new feature. Its new subscription option will allow users to experience the newest and best in lossless audio streaming.
While it might have been a bit of a stretch to call the feature a “surprise,” it is still a very important feat. For example, it is a big step up from the company’s current Very High quality.
Spotify is a leading music streaming service with over 30 million songs in its catalog. With the HiFi feature, Spotify will also up the ante against its rivals Apple Music and Tidal. Aside from the actual functionality, Spotify is also working on releasing a device that allows for wireless streaming.
It’s also possible that Spotify will offer a version of HiFi through its partnership with the leading speaker manufacturers in the world. These companies would presumably work together to ensure the best possible sound.
While it’s not yet clear what the specific technical specifications will be, Spotify is making a point of revealing more information in the future. After all, if a company can’t show its fans something new, why not?
In fact, the company is so serious about their new HiFi feature that they have signed up Billie Eilish as an ambassador. She is also one of the co-writers and producers of the song that made the Spotify HiFi feature a household name.
But the question remains: is the time right to make it a reality? If so, how much will it cost?
TIDAL HiFi Plus
If you’re a big fan of lossless audio, you’ll be happy to know that Tidal and Spotify are both getting lossless streaming services. Although they don’t have a release date yet, they’re likely to launch them soon.
The world’s leading music streaming service, Spotify, has announced that it will be offering lossless streaming later this year. In addition to the standard 320kbit/s audio stream, Spotify will also be offering CD-quality streams. This will allow users to hear music with higher quality than their current devices can provide.
While the exact details of Spotify’s higher-quality streams are still being sorted out, users are already speculating about how much they’ll cost. A recent survey found that users are willing to pay as much as $20 a month to gain access to lossless music.
If you’re a fan of lossless audio, you may want to start a trial on Tidal and Spotify. They both have a lossless quality setting, but the former is available as an upgrade and the latter has been tested with a small group of users.
Both services offer exclusive content, including supplementary videos with albums and interviews with musicians. Tidal also has 450K+ videos in its library.
You can search for music using genres, chart top lists, moods, and more. In addition, you can create collaborative playlists with friends. Unlike Apple Music, you can also download songs from Tidal.
Although the aforementioned services don’t offer collaborative playlists, they’re both free to try. You can also download your favorite songs and listen to them offline.
In addition, Spotify’s HiFi will allow you to hear music in CD-quality. You can get a 30-day free trial to check out their features.
However, Tidal’s HiFi Plus plan is a better deal. It offers a full catalog of music, plus an unedited version of the song. Additionally, it includes the ability to download the song, play in lossless high-fidelity audio, and get access to Sony 360 audio.
Despite the added cost, the Tidal HiFi Plus is a great option for audiophiles. Plus, you’ll get a free trial and get access to other features like Fan-centered royalties.
Apple Music
There has been a lot of buzz around the Spotify HiFi feature. It’s an audio streaming service that delivers CD-quality streams through Spotify Connect. The rumor was that it would cost $5 to $10 a month. But now, it looks like it’s going to be free.
While it won’t be the first streaming service to offer lossless audio, Spotify will be among the front runners. And if it’s any good, it will make Spotify a lot more reputable with music lovers.
Although there’s been little news about the feature since February, it appears to be getting closer to release. In fact, a new survey suggests it may be ready to go before the year is out.
As it stands now, the feature is still available for testing. Spotify users can toggle it on by tapping the little icon in the bottom corner. For a free trial, you’ll be able to stream lossless songs.
While Spotify doesn’t have its own hardware, it’s working with speaker manufacturers to make it work. This will allow customers to experience a wider, richer sound. It will depend on the type of headphones, of course.
The ‘big thing’ for the feature is the lossless quality setting. Interestingly, it’s already been available on rival services. Qobuz, for instance, claims to offer the world’s largest catalogue of lossless albums.
It’s also worth noting that Tidal isn’t far behind. They also support immersive audio streams.
Meanwhile, Apple and Amazon are both offering hi-res music streaming services. Though Apple has a smaller catalog than the competition, it offers a higher-res option that’s free. Aside from its own offerings, Amazon recently unveiled a high-res music streaming service that will be rolled into eligible Amazon Music Unlimited subscriptions.
So, it’s not clear whether the Spotify HiFi feature is coming to you in the near future. And as of now, it’s unclear if it’s worth it to pay for.
If it’s something you can use, you’ll be able to try it out for a few months before committing to a paid subscription. However, if it doesn’t live up to the hype, you can always switch to another service.
Amazon Music HD
If you’re into hi-res music, Amazon Music HD is something you need to keep an eye out for in 2019. It provides lossless audio quality at an affordable price. You can stream the service on your mobile device or through a desktop app. This is a service that can also be integrated into your Echo speaker and Fire TV devices.
Amazon Music is a streaming music service that is available in various countries. It offers over 60 million songs, and its prices are cheaper than most competitors. In addition, it offers a variety of subscription plans. Prime members can get discounts on the HD tier of the service. The company offers a free 90-day trial.
The standard Amazon Music Unlimited plan costs $10 a month, while Prime members pay $15. Amazon Music has 55 million subscribers. Although it’s a popular streaming service, it may not be the best option for people with limited data plans.
The Ultra HD tier of the service features lossless FLAC audio at 24 bits and 192kHz. That’s more than enough for most devices, but you might need an external DAC. For the best experience, it’s important to make sure your DAC can handle this type of audio.
As of 2019, the Ultra HD tier of the service has added 5 million songs to its catalog. These songs are effectively studio masters. They provide a more cinematic and expansive listening experience, giving the impression of a wider soundstage.
Amazon Music HD is available for Android, iOS, and web browser. It supports lossless FLAC and 3D Audio formats. Most iOS and Android devices can support the service, though some may need an external DAC.
Amazon has been in the music streaming business for over a decade. While it’s not as easy to use as Apple Music or Spotify, the company’s voice assistant, Alexa, makes it simple to search and play music.
Amazon Music is available in various countries, and you can choose from a variety of plans. The company’s catalog includes the latest albums from successful artists. There are also thousands of playlists created by music professionals.
