Spotify HiFi was announced all the way back in February 2021, and although we have heard very little about it in the meantime, it now looks as though a launch of a higher-quality tier called Platinum is now imminent.
An individual who had canceled Spotify got in touch with 9to5Mac (opens in new tab) to say that the email encouraging him to resubscribe mentioned a Spotify Platinum plan for $19.99 a month (twice the standard price). That Platinum plan included a mention of Spotify HiFi.
As well as the high-resolution audio, the email also refers to features such as Studio Sound, Headphone Tuner, Audio Insights, Library Pro, Playlist Pro and Limited-ad Spotify podcasts – although we don’t have any information on what they all involve.
Not long to wait
The email in question also said that the subscription tiers would be available in the next 30 days, suggesting that we’re going to see Spotify HiFi rolling out inside a month – potentially with this new Platinum label attached to it.
Apple Music already includes Lossless audio and the Spatial Audio feature as part of a standard $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 subscription. With that in mind, it’s possible that the powers-that-be at Spotify feel they need to offer more to justify a price hike.
If the information in the resubscribe email is correct, then we don’t have long to wait to know for sure – and as soon as Spotify makes any kind of official announcement, you will of course be able to read about it here.
Analysis: will the price be right?
The lossless, CD-quality audio that has been promised by Spotify HiFi will bring it more into line with services such as Apple Music and Tidal, but what’s not clear is just how much an extra level of audio fidelity matters to the average Spotify subscriber.
Asking users to double their monthly payment is going to be a tough sell – if indeed that is how the pricing ends up – and adding in some additional features is certainly going to sweeten the deal. Exactly what Library Pro, Playlist Pro and the other features are remains to be seen, but they must refer to extra functionality of some kind.
We’ve seen Spotify expanding its reach into podcasts and audiobooks in recent years, as it looks to entice in more monthly subscribers. Getting existing or new subscribers to pay double the going rate every month would absolutely boost the finances of the streaming service as well.
Spotify itself has seemed uncertain about when exactly Spotify HiFi was due to launch, and it seems as though that question is about to be answered. The next question is how many people are actually going to pay for it.