Spotify HiFi was announced in February 2021, and while we have heard very little about it in the meantime, it now appears that the launch of a premium audio offering, called Platinum, is imminent.
He contacted a user who canceled his Spotify subscription 9to5Mac (opens in a new tab) to let them know that the email encouraging him to re-subscribe mentioned a Spotify Platinum plan for $ 19.99 per month (double the standard price). The presentation of this Platinum offering included a mention of Spotify HiFi.
In addition to Hi-Res Audio, email also refers to features like Studio Sound, Headphone Tuner, Audio Insights, Library Pro, Playlist Pro, and Limited-adotify podcasts, although we don’t have any information on that.
There is no longer to wait
The email in question also said that this subscription level would be available within the next 30 days, suggesting that we will see the launch of Spotify HiFi within a month, potentially attached to that new Platinum label.
Apple Music already includes Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, as part of a standard $ 9.99 subscription. With that in mind, Spotify officials may feel they need to offer more to justify a price hike.
If the information in the re-registration email is correct, we won’t have to wait long to find out for sure – and as soon as Spotify makes an official announcement, you can of course read it here.
Analysis: Will the price be right?
The lossless CD quality audio promised by Spotify HiFi will bring it in line with services like Apple Music and Tidal, but is an extra level of audio quality really appealing to the average Spotify user?
Asking users to double their monthly payment will be hard to sell – if that’s how the price is set – and adding extra features could sweeten the bill. It remains to be seen what exactly Library Pro, Playlist Pro and other features are, but they need to be additional features.
In recent years, Spotify has expanded its reach to podcasts and audiobooks, with the aim of attracting more monthly subscribers. Getting existing or new subscribers to pay double the current rate each month would improve the streaming service’s finances.
Spotify itself wasn’t sure when Spotify HiFi will launch, but it looks like this question is about to be answered. The next question is how many people will pay for this service.
