After a lengthy delay, Spotify is reportedly planning to launch its high-fidelity subscription tier later this year. The audio streaming service first introduced the idea of a Hi-Fi audio offering in 2021, and is referring to the program internally as “Supremium,” Bloomberg reports.
A more expensive subscription service would address two ongoing issues for the streaming company by bringing in more revenue and addressing calls from investors and the music industry to raise its prices.
Spotify did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The service would present music in a “CD-quality, lossless audio format” to subscribers’ devices and Spotify Connect-enabled speakers, the company said at a presentation in 2021.
Spotify currently charges $15.99 per month for a family plan and $9.99 monthly for an individual premium account in the United States, a price that Spotify has stuck to since its launch.
The Bloomberg article did not cite a price for the new subscription plan. However, rival streaming company Tidal introduced its hi-fi audio plan for $19.99 a month back in 2015. Tidal now offers two hi-fi tiers, including an ad-supported subscription plan that charges $9.99 a month.
Amazon also launched a subscription plan, Amazon Music HD, in 2019 that offered 50 million songs high definition (16 bit, 44.1kHz, similar to the audio quality of a CD) and “millions” in what they described as ultra high definition (24-bit and up to 192 kHz) for an extra $5 per month for existing Amazon Music subscribers. Apple Music began offering “Spatial Audio” tier with Dolby Atmos to existing premium subscribers for no additional cost in May 2021.
