I’m hard-pressed to search out one other instance of a tech firm saying one thing after which ready over 4 years to really ship it, however that’s precisely the state of affairs we’ve reached with Spotify and its long-delayed HiFi function. The newest studies point out it’s lastly coming in a matter of months as a part of a Music Professional bundle that Spotify hopes will make sure the service’s continued profitability.
However this has develop into fairly the saga.
By all accounts, this aggressive method from each firms completely derailed Spotify HiFi, which was at all times going to demand an upcharge over the service’s common Premium subscription. The corporate went radio silent on the function, and Spotify spokespeople by no means offered any significant updates on its standing.
However I feel Spotify additionally got here to comprehend that higher-bitrate music streams alone wouldn’t be sufficient to prop up an “final” subscription tier. Lots of people merely can’t hear the distinction between lossy audio (like Spotify provides at the moment) and CD-quality streams — or they lack the form of headphone/speaker {hardware} that may spotlight such an improve.
So the corporate has been remodeling the plan right into a broader “Music Professional” add-on that extends far past audio high quality. It’s nonetheless unclear precisely what it will find yourself trying like: previous studies have talked about all the things from early-access live performance ticketing to DJ remixing instruments. It’s additionally been rumored that Music Professional may supply an “optimization” trick for particular fashions of earbuds, headphones, and audio system. Spotify’s consumer surveys have hinted at different prospects together with karaoke — one other factor Apple Music is already doing — and the choice so as to add an extra consumer account to any Music Professional subscription.
Spotify itself is likely to be undecided on simply what Music Professional ought to entail: Bloomberg reported that the corporate “plans to roll out the plan in phases, including instruments and options over time” and continues to be planning to check new capabilities all through 2025. However the surest signal that Music Professional is definitely taking place is that Spotify is speaking in regards to the venture once more. CEO Daniel Ek has talked about an upcoming deluxe tier on a number of events. Final 12 months, he mentioned it might supply “the entire advantages that the traditional Spotify model has, however much more management, quite a bit greater high quality throughout the board, and another issues that I’m not prepared to speak about simply but.” And just a few weeks in the past, Ek claimed Spotify plans to “double down on music in 2025.”
Every time it does finally arrive, Music Professional will tack an additional $5 or $6 onto an ordinary Spotify Premium subscription, which at present begins at $11.99 per 30 days. I’ve already made the swap to Apple Music, as I like realizing I’m getting the highest quality attainable for my cash. However even I’ll be tempted to attempt Spotify’s final plan as soon as it’s prepared. I don’t notably miss Spotify Wrapped anymore, however it’s nonetheless the platform the place most of my buddies do their listening. If the corporate can string collectively an attractive bundle of perks, there’s at all times an opportunity I’d return. It’d be a tricky capsule to swallow after utilizing the far much less bloated Apple Music app for therefore lengthy, although.