Spotify has announced that it will be introducing a lossless, CD-quality streaming tier dubbed Spotify HiFi in 2021. The popular audio streamer announced the news during its recent Stream On event, which confirmed that the new tier would be available in select markets beginning later this year. Pricing is yet to be announced, but for reference, the company charges $9.99/month and $14.99/month for its Individual and Family accounts, respectively.
“High-quality music streaming is consistently one of the most requested new features by our users,” Spotify noted in its announcement. “Spotify HiFi will deliver music in CD-quality, lossless audio format to your device and Spotify Connect-enabled speakers, which means fans will be able to experience more depth and clarity while enjoying their favorite tracks.”
“Ubiquity is at the core of everything we do at Spotify, and we’re working with some of the world’s biggest speaker manufacturers to make Spotify HiFi accessible to as many fans as possible through Spotify Connect. HiFi will be coupled with Spotify’s seamless user experience, building on our commitment to make sure users can listen to the music they love in the way they want to enjoy it.”
Spotify HiFi should help the Swedish audio streamer better compete against the likes of alternatives such as YouTube Music and Apple Music, neither of which offer lossless plans. Amazon Music announced its lossless tier in 2019, while Jay-Z’s TIDAL service launched with both lossless audio and high-definition music videos many years earlier in 2014.