It’s been almost four years since Spotify announced the creation of a HiFi tier for its music streaming service that would support lossless audio. The wait could end this year, Bloomberg reports, as the company works to finalize details, including streaming rights.
Spotify may charge up to $5 or $6 extra per month for the new tier, which is said to be called “Music Pro,” which is in line with CEO Daniel Ek’s estimates shared last year. Spotify’s premium tier currently costs $11.99 per month, excluding family or student discounts, the result of two price increases in the past few years.
Competitors such as Apple Music include lossless streaming in the base price of their services, but Spotify reportedly plans to justify the extra charge by including more features in Music Pro, including song remixes and concert ticketing, which will give subscribers exclusive offers and early access to music.
Earlier this month, Spotify signed a new multi-year licensing deal with Warner Music Group to secure future streaming rights and help “shape the future of audiovisual streaming,” presumably including HiFi in that vision. In late January, it struck a similar deal with Universal Music Group, with UMG specifically teasing HiFi streaming and offering further ideas on what the music service could offer to “superfans.” Notable offers included priority access to deluxe edition content and early music releases, as well as exclusive invitations to listening parties and Q&A sessions with artists.
It took a little longer than expected, but it looks like the world’s largest music streaming service may finally be ready to turn up the volume on HiFi in 2025.
