Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Spotify Readies Premium Tier With Hi-Fi Audio and AI Features
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
This comment doesn't really do much for us. I'd rather hear your reasons for being unsure. Prices, quality, competition, etc?
That's too broad, too sweeping.
It has been shown that some audiophile concerns are clearly reproducible.
I'm not convinced that the quality difference in lossless audio is necessary for me. Even when I used Apple Music I didn't have lossless enabled because it just used more storage for no reason (for me).
They said that 4 years ago. Spotify have consistently lied about their intentions. I don’t trust a word they say.
Music playback speed adjustment - can we please get ability to adjust the music playback speed / tempo? Thank you!
And yet there’s no way to stream lossless except via a wired connection! It’s nuts! You can’t even airplay lossless. At least Spotify Hi-Fi will likely work with Spotify Connect to stream to WiiM or Blue OS.
We cancelled SiriusXM and went with Apple Music Family sharing. It’s a pretty good deal IMO. YMMV.
Finally some competition! I use Tidal but their app devs are garbage. It seems like almost every "update" breaks something. I am routinely having to reinstall the app to fix things. And it took over 3 months for Tidal to fix the most recent bug that was driving me crazy, which was not being able to control the volume with my AppleWatch crown. It was such a pain to be running on a treadmill and try to control volume using my AirPods Pro stem. More competition is needed in the streaming space.
I wish Spotify would focus more on integrating their service with Apples HomePod rather than this. So close to just leaving Spotify and find something else
I use Qobuz. It doesn’t have the added features of Apple Music but the sound quality is excellent.
Wouldn't that be as much up to Apple as Spotify?
They can ready all they want, but they're not getting me to switch from my seamlessly integrated Music.
In the Apple music ecosystem since iTunes 1.0 for Mac OS 9 💿
In the Apple music ecosystem since iTunes 1.0 for Mac OS 9 💿
I think Apple really dropped the ball with not first introducing Apple Intelligence in their Music App. On device processing, that generated recommendations based on my interest, would be so huge. Apple Music weakest quality is how bad their playlists or My Station are. Spotify DJ, not perfect really added something to their service.
I wonder how many people could actually distinguish hi-fi audio without an audiophile setup, and an extremely quit, dead space to enjoy it.
Way less than would insist they could
You don’t need to spend a fortune. All you need is a really good pair of wired headphones and an open mind. Try it for yourself.
Most modern Bluetooth headsets provide mediocre sound quality.
I recently played some music on an old CD player via wired headphones and it was interesting hearing the difference in sound quality.
I think people have become so used to the sound quality provided these days on even so called high end devices.
Remarkably stupid by Spotify and will be a massive boon for Apple. I’ve been a Spotify user for probably almost 15 years and have tried Apple a few times but never liked the algorithm enough to switch, but this might be frustrating enough to change that.
Probably much less than 1% of Spotify users care about exclusive concert tickets and the other stuff they push on us. I’d actually be surprised if it was more than 0.1% of users who would actually care enough to choose Spotify over the alternative options. This is just another example of trying to make an extreme example happy while alienating the vast majority of people. I’ve been waiting so long for Spotify to have a hi-fi option that competes with Apple Music, but to slap us in the face with this is ridiculous.
Probably much less than 1% of Spotify users care about exclusive concert tickets and the other stuff they push on us. I’d actually be surprised if it was more than 0.1% of users who would actually care enough to choose Spotify over the alternative options. This is just another example of trying to make an extreme example happy while alienating the vast majority of people. I’ve been waiting so long for Spotify to have a hi-fi option that competes with Apple Music, but to slap us in the face with this is ridiculous.
Executives be like „I have an idea, let’s raise the prices!“
Bonuses payed out. Piracy reactivated.
Bonuses payed out. Piracy reactivated.
Too little, too late - Apple Music is now so good and of course integrates perfect with everything from my Watch to Sonos.
Spotify users waiting to learn when the service's long-delayed high-quality premium audio service will materialize may finally have something to chew on. Bloomberg reports that the streaming service hopes to roll out a new "Music Pro" tier later this year.
The company is said to be developing the new premium subscription plan that will cost up to $5.99 per month on top of existing plans, offering high-quality audio streaming, remixing capabilities, and exclusive concert ticket access, reports the outlet.
Pricing and timing have yet to be nailed down as Spotify works to secure necessary rights from major music companies. The additional fee is likely to vary by region, with lower prices planned for "developing markets," said the publication.
The new tier is said to include AI-powered features allowing subscribers to mix songs from different artists. Spotify is also exploring various concert ticket sales strategies such as pre-sale access and premium seating options through discussions with major promoters and ticket vendors.
The new tier comes as Spotify looks to diversify its revenue streams and target devoted music fans who regularly spend money on merchandise, concerts, and fan clubs, according to the report. The company apparently believes the enhanced tier could attract millions of subscribers, despite the higher price point.
Development of the additional tier has been in the works for several years, coming after recent price increases for existing subscriptions and the introduction of audiobook offerings. Spotify previously announced plans for a Hi-Fi tier in February 2021, but a launch never materialized, even as rivals Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited began offering high-quality audio streaming within their standard subscriptions.
Given the progress of its competitors, Spotify's paid-for "Music Pro" tier will need to be a more comprehensive offering that goes beyond just improved audio quality and some AI-produced playlists. What's actually offered remains to be seen.
Article Link: Spotify Readies Premium Tier With Hi-Fi Audio and AI Features
Especially if you consider how you can get 4K streaming video of contend that is way more expensive to create at largely the same price point. And we are not even back to talking about how bad the creators get payed in music streaming.
I use Spotify as well, and having tried Apple Music several times, always come back.
As for this tier? Naaa.