For a long time now, I’ve been waiting for Spotify to bring out something they promised years ago – their HiFi lossless audio feature. And now, based on some recent leaks and updates in the Spotify app itself, it really seems like it’s going to launch soon. This has made me quite excited, especially because I’ve always wanted better sound quality while listening to my favorite songs.
So let me explain what’s going on in a very simple way.
What is Spotify HiFi?
Spotify HiFi is basically a feature that will let us listen to music in much higher quality than what we get right now on regular Spotify. It will use something called FLAC (which stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec), and it will allow music to play in up to 24-bit / 44.1kHz quality. That’s the same quality that CDs use, which means the audio won’t be compressed or lose detail. This is something audiophiles and serious music lovers have been asking for, and it seems like Spotify is finally getting ready to deliver.
Also read: Spotify: Stream-to-Listener Ratio Explained
How do we know it’s coming soon?
Now, Spotify hasn’t made an official announcement yet, but some people who look into the code of Spotify apps have discovered hidden features and settings. These show that Spotify has already built this HiFi system into their app and they just haven’t turned it on yet. There are settings for turning on lossless audio, warnings about how much data it might use (like up to 1GB per hour), and options to choose between different quality levels. These things are usually added only when a company is close to launching something.
It’s also interesting to see that this new feature is likely to be called something like Spotify Music Pro or HiFi Pro, and it will probably be an add-on or part of a higher subscription tier. In other words, we’ll need to pay a bit more each month to get it, maybe around $5 to $6 extra on top of our usual Premium plan.
Also read: How to See Your Spotify Wrapped: Your Personalized Music Journey
Why didn’t they launch it earlier?
Actually, Spotify first said they were working on HiFi all the way back in 2021. But then Apple Music and Amazon Music both launched lossless audio and they didn’t even charge extra for it. That probably made Spotify pause their plans, because they didn’t want to look bad by asking for more money for something others were giving for free. Also, there were rumors that they had some licensing and business issues that delayed everything. But now, it really looks like they’ve figured it out and are getting ready to roll it out. (What Hi-Fi)
Do I think it’s worth it?
Personally, I think it will depend on how much you care about sound quality. If you usually listen to music with regular earbuds or over Bluetooth in the car, you might not notice a huge difference. But if you use wired headphones or a good speaker setup at home, you will probably enjoy the clearer, richer sound. I love listening to music where I can hear all the little details, like the breath of a singer or the soft strum of a guitar, so I’m definitely going to try it once it launches.
Also read: Spotify Monthly Listeners Explained: What the Number Really Means
What I’m looking forward to
What excites me the most is the idea of finally getting high-quality music on Spotify without switching to another app. I’ve been a Premium subscriber for years, and even though I tried Apple Music for a while just to hear their lossless tracks, I missed Spotify’s playlists, user interface, and song discovery features. So now that Spotify is adding lossless too, it feels like I’ll be getting the best of both worlds.
And yes, I know some people are upset that this won’t be free and that we’ll have to pay extra. But to be honest, if they make it worth the money, like by offering lossless audio for all songs and giving extra features for audiophiles, I don’t mind paying a bit more. I just want them to roll it out soon.
In the end, all signs are pointing to Spotify HiFi becoming real very soon. The code is already there, the options are being tested in the background, and the leaks look reliable. It’s not here yet, but I feel like we’re very close. And as someone who truly enjoys music, I’m just happy it’s finally happening.
