Skip to main content

Spotify could launch its HiFi lossless audio tier any day now

In February, Spotify announced its ambitions to join the increasingly popular lossless audio space with a new subscription tier called Spotify HiFi. At the time, the streaming music company was silent regarding pricing or the potential timing for the new tier’s debut, but a recently spotted video suggests it could happen imminently.

Late last week, Reddit user Nickx000x posted a video to the Spotify subreddit that appears to show an introductory animation for Spotify HiFi. The video — spotted first by WhatHiFi? — looks like it’s designed to take Spotify mobile app users through the quick process of understanding what Spotify HiFi is, how it works, and how to know if they’re actually getting the higher-quality lossless audio stream on their device.

The video of the animation has since been uploaded to YouTube. Digital Trends reached out to our Spotify contacts to verify if the animation was theirs. They would not confirm or deny, saying only, “All information about Spotify’s plans for HiFi can be found on our blog, For the Record. We don’t have any additional details to share at this time.”

Spotify HiFi Onboarding Preview

The animation explains that when you’re listening to a lossless track, you should see a bright green “HiFi” logo appear at the bottom right corner of the playback screen. This is a fairly common practice among streaming music services that offer more than one tier of audio quality. Tidal notes when you’re listening to its lossless tracks, and also marks its “Master” audio tracks the same way. Apple Music indicates if you’re listening to lossless, hi-res lossless, or Dolby Atmos.

However, the Spotify HiFi introduction goes further, with a checklist to help you understand why that green logo might not be lit up when you’re listening. It also reminds folks that in order to get Spotify HiFi on a wireless speaker from your phone, you’ll need to use Spotify Connect as opposed to Bluetooth. Though the animation doesn’t explain why, it’s because Bluetooth simply doesn’t have the bandwidth to transmit lossless audio at CD quality, which is what Spotify HiFi will provide when listening at its highest setting.

Assuming the animation is legit, which it certainly appears to be, it could mean that Spotify will launch its HiFi tier very shortly, possibly before the end of the summer.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
KEF LS60 bring wireless hi-res audio to floor-standing speakers
KEF LS60 Wireless Speakers seen in Titanium Grey.

KEF's LS50 Wireless and LS50 Wireless II speakers set a very high bar for what you can expect from a set of powered, wireless speakers, and now the British audio brand has its sights set on doing the same thing for larger-format floor-standing speakers with the LS60 Wireless. Priced at $7,000 per pair, they come in three distinct colors: Royal Blue, Mineral White, and Titanium Grey. They're available for pre-order starting May 12, with shipping beginning in June 2022.

Many of the same integrated capabilities that made the LS50/LS50 II so popular are also found in the LS60 Wireless, like KEF's signature Uni-Q drivers, as well as support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI eARC, and optical, coaxial, and RCA connections. There's also app- and remote-based control that includes easy access to subscription streaming services like Amazon Music, Qobuz, and Deezer.

Read more
Spotify’s Car Thing now lets you control your other media
Spotify Car Thing showing an incoming call.

Spotify has released a software update for its Car Thing companion device that gives it several new features including the ability to see and answer your incoming calls, add new items to your play queue, and control non-Spotify media. Some of the new features are only available on iOS devices, but Spotify says it is working to bring them to Android phones too.

Car Thing is a $90 device that combines a 4-inch touchscreen with a large navigation wheel, shortcut buttons, and voice recognition and connects to your phone via Bluetooth. It's designed to give you an easier way to navigate and play Spotify's content while driving and is especially handy for those who don't have Apple's CarPlay or Google's Android Auto built into their car's infotainment system. You need a Spotify Premium account to use Car Thing and the device is currently only available in the U.S.

Read more
Spotify’s Car Thing now available to anyone for $90
Spotify Car Thing

If you took note of Spotify's very limited release of its Car Thing music player and thought that it might make a good addition to your vehicle, we have good news: It's no longer an invite-only exclusive. If you live in the U.S. and have a Spotify Premium account and $90 burning a hole in your pocket, you can grab one of these devices for yourself.

As a quick refresher, Car Thing is a device that's meant to make it a lot easier to navigate and play audio from Spotify in your car. Car Thing doesn't offer any functions that you can't get through your phone or your in-car infotainment system (if it has Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), but if you're one of the many folks who don't want to use (or can't use) one of those options, Car Thing is a $90 convenience.

Read more