The image is by Alex Castro.
In the year 2021, Apple will finally embrace lossless music streaming and prices for hi-fi listening will come down at Amazon and Tidal. The biggest subscription music service of all is likely to miss its original target for launching a higher-quality streaming plan.
Despite the company's initial estimate that it would debut "later this year", it has yet to roll out. The company said at the time that it would have more details to share soon.
The details never came over the next 10 months.
They didn't wait around. In June, Apple Music introduced improved audio quality for no extra charge. Before the shift, services like Amazon Music and Tidal had been demanding an added premium for the feature. On the same day that Apple announced its plans for a high-definition streaming service, Amazon said it would no longer include the higher subscription price and include HD quality as part of the regular premium plan. It is now table stakes.
There have been occasional signs of the feature throughout the year, and in May there was a chance to see a button in the app. In August a video for HiFi was leaked.
It could be near.
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You can maximize the song title bar by opening the app and seeing the Hifi icon at the bottom right corner.
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If you manage to tap it in time, it shows explainer menus.
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May 18, 2021.
As the year went on, the company had a lot to say about the topics of podcasts and Hifi, but kept mum on the subject. It seems we will be waiting until sometime in the year of 2022. Major new features are not usually launched at the tail end of the year on popular platforms.
Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.
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It is possible that the feature is not going to be launched in a hurry. You could argue that the company doesn't need to bother with Hifi. The recent wave of Spotify Wrapped posts on social media was a reminder of how powerful mindshare is with consumers for its user experience and playlist algorithms.
There is no financial incentive anymore. Apple has forced the hand of the streaming service to offer CD-quality streaming. What is the point if it is not contributing to the bottom line? There is a chance that Spotify ran into a legal quagmire in trying to update its music deals.
Lossless music is at odds with how music is consumed these days. Apple and Amazon are more interested in hyping spatial Dolby Atmos audio than higher-bitrate streams that only shine on expensive gear. Some people can't distinguish it from the standard quality they've been listening to for years. It's not clear whether or not it will offer hi-res audio that exceeds 16-bit.
I still hope that the service will eventually launch. It is easier and more convenient to enjoy the extra fidelity of the speaker hardware that is compatible with Spotify Connect. As we progress further into the streaming era, it feels like the option to enjoy music at higher quality should be there for those who want it.
As the year comes to a close, The Verge has reached out to Spotify for an update on where things stand.
