Spotify could finally be set to join all the other music streaming services and launch its hi-res audio tier later this year, according to a new report.
In a recent Bloomberg newsletter, it’s claimed that Spotify’s long anticipated advanced tier, with its higher audio streaming quality, could be almost set for launch.
It seems this new tier is being referred to as Music Pro internally, though it could change in time for its rollout later this year.
What will Spotify Music Pro include?
Besides finally offering a higher level of audio quality, as the likes of Tidal, Deezer, and Apple Music already do, Spotify Music Pro will throw in a couple of interesting bonuses.
One of these will be preferential access to concert tickets. The other is the intriguing promise of tools that will let subscribers edit or remix songs.
Spotify will be testing these new Pro features out over the coming months, it’s claimed.
Unsplash – Heidi Finn
How much will Spotify Music Pro cost?
Apparently, this Music Pro tier will cost $6 more than the current subscription. Given that Spotify currently offers a one-to-one conversion between US and UK prices, that likely means a £6 increase in this country.
Following on from last year’s price bump, this would translate to a subscription price of £17.99/$17.99 per month. That’s a lot higher than its rivals, none of which charge extra for access to hi-res music.
Deezer costs £11.99/$11.99 a month, while Tidal and Apple Music cost £10.99/$10.99.
Amazon Music Unlimited costs £11.99/$11.99 a month for non-Prime members and £10.99/$10.99 for Prime members.
Why has Spotify’s HiFi tier taken so long?
It’s remarkable to note that Spotify announced that it would be releasing a new HiFi subscription tier way back in 2021. At the time, it was one of the top features requested by its customers.
Back in June we heard that this delayed HiFi tier would be rolling out in late 2024 with a $5 premium added onto the existing subscription price.
Reasons bandied around for why it has taken so long include trouble securing the necessary streaming rights for such high quality music. As we’ve already noted, however, Spotify’s rivals were able to secure such rights years earlier.
Of course, Spotify is by far the biggest streaming service in town. You can bet that all sides (Spotify, music publishers, and major artists) have been driving a hard bargain. One thing seems certain – the customer is going to have to pay a considerable premium for those high resolution tracks at the checkout.
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.