Spotify could finally launch Hifi audio this year, but there's a catch

Spotify has long been working on a lossless audio feature, but it has remained MIA even as competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music have been offering it to their customers for years. However, that could change soon, with Bloomberg reporting that the Swedish streaming giant is all set to launch its high-fidelity audio option later this year.

Despite the new feature all set to arrive soon, it may not be all good news for Spotify users. That’s because unlike Apple Music and Amazon Music that offer lossless audio as part of their standard plans, Spotify intends to make it a premium feature. As per the report, Hifi audio in Spotify will be available as part of a more expensive tier that the company has internally been referring to as ‘Superpremium.’ It will be Spotify’s most expensive plan, and will reportedly include a specific number of audiobooks for free per month.

Spotify may have yet another bad news for U.S. users looking forward to lossless streaming, as the company is apparently planning to first launch the new feature in foreign markets before bringing it Stateside in October. Still, if the report is correct, Spotify users in America will only around four months to wait before getting to stream their music in HD quality. That said, Spotify has yet to officially confirm the report, so it remains to be seen if the rumored timeline will hold true.

If Spotify does charge a premium for Hifi audio, it will be interesting to see how high the new pricing tier would be. Last year, the company carried out a survey that asked users if they’d be willing to pay $19.99 per month for a ‘Platinum’ plan with Hifi audio and a number of other features. However, given that the company’s current premium plan only costs $9.99, it is unlikely that the new tier would be priced that high. Either way, it will be interesting to see what the price will be, and how people will receive the new so-called ‘Superpremium’ plan when it’s launched.