Don’t give up on Spotify HiFi – leaked code hints at pricing and hi-res audio features
We first heard about Spotify HiFi back in 2021 and we haven’t heard much else since, which made us think it would never happen, but it looks like it could finally happen if the latest round of rumors is true.
Newly discovered code in the Spotify app reveals details about a currently unannounced ‘Spotify Supremium’ service, which will deliver higher quality audio for a higher price.
The code was discovered by Redditor Hypixelicthe Edge, and it’s quite a leak. It tells us what the service offers, what options are available and what it may cost.
What do we know about Spotify Supremium?
The new higher-quality Hi-Res audio layer has been long delayed due to negotiations with record labels, which own the rights to most of the music Spotify streams.
But it looks like those negotiations have finally (or almost) concluded, as the code in the app strongly suggests a launch is imminent. Rather than a placeholder for ‘put HiFi stuff in here’, the app is reportedly very descriptive. According to Hypixely, this is what you would get from Spotify Supremium:
- 24-bit Lossless music with “no lag and delays”
- The ability to create playlists with AI
- 30 hours of listening to audiobooks every month
- Individual, Duo and Family subscriptions
- The ability to filter your library by mood, activity and genre
- Advanced blending tools
- Adjust the order of a playlist based on BPM or danceability, or use ‘smart order’ to create the best sequence using key and tempo
- Enable smooth transitions, using fixed cue points for seamless transition between songs
- Filter by moods and genres in a playlist
- Sound check: tells you about your listening behavior and discover which mix of sounds is “unique to you”.
The price appears to be $19.99 per month, and while that may be a placeholder, it does fit with previous rumors of a $19.99 level. The name change also appears legitimate, as first reported by Bloomberg earlier this year.
As always, Spotify will not comment on unannounced services. But it will be interesting to see if this new service will reach significant numbers, especially considering that the top music streaming services already offer it.
With lossless music, Spotify wants to charge extra for something that Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited users get as part of their standard subscriptions.