Music lovers with discerning ears, rejoice! Spotify, the ubiquitous music streaming giant, is reportedly gearing up to launch a new premium tier called Spotify Music Pro. This new subscription plan is expected to offer lossless audio, a feature long-awaited by audiophiles seeking the highest possible fidelity for their music.
Read In Short:
- Music Pro will offer CD-quality and potentially higher-resolution lossless audio.
- You’ll be able to stream music without any compression, preserving the original detail.
- Music Pro will come at a Spotify subscription price increase compared to the standard Premium plan.
- This move positions Spotify directly against competitors like Apple Music Lossless and Amazon Music HD.
What is Lossless Music Streaming?
For casual listeners, music streamed through Spotify Premium sounds perfectly fine. However, audiophiles crave the purest listening experience possible. Here’s where lossless music streaming comes in.
Standard streaming services compress audio files to reduce their size, making them easier to transmit and store. While this compression is often transparent to most ears, audiophiles argue that it can introduce subtle artifacts that degrade the sound quality.
Lossless audio, on the other hand, utilizes formats like FLAC that compress the data without sacrificing any audio information. This means you get a digital replica of the original recording, preserving all the sonic details for the most accurate listening experience.
How Will Spotify Lossless Audio Work with Music Pro?
- FLAC Format: Leaks suggests Music Pro will use FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) for its lossless audio. Unlike compressed formats in Spotify Premium, FLAC preserves all the original audio data, delivering a CD-quality or potentially higher-resolution listening experience.
- Quality Levels: The leaked code hints at FLAC files with a quality of up to 24-bit/44.1kHz. This surpasses the standard 16-bit/44.1kHz of CDs, offering potentially richer audio. There might even be options for even higher resolutions like 96kHz or 192kHz for true audiophiles.
- Activation and Streaming: Presumably, activating Music Pro will unlock the ability to stream songs in FLAC format within the Spotify app. You might be able to choose the desired audio quality within the app’s settings.
- Data Consumption: Since FLAC files are larger than compressed audio, expect them to consume more mobile data while streaming. Downloading for offline listening will also require more storage space on your device.
Spotify Lossless Audio Rollout
While there’s no official confirmation yet, Spotify has been teasing high-fidelity high-fidelityhigh-fidelityhigh-fidelityhigh-fidelity music streaming under the codename “HiFi” for a while. The discovery of lossless audio references within the app code suggests an imminent launch of Music Pro. However, a concrete release date remains unknown. It’s best to keep an eye on official Spotify announcements for the most up-to-date information.
Spotify Music Pro Cost
The exact Spotify Music Pro cost is yet to be revealed. Considering the additional features like lossless audio, it’s safe to assume Music Pro will be priced higher than the standard Spotify Premium subscription.
The exact price increase will likely depend on Spotify’s market research and competitor pricing strategies. We can expect an official announcement about the pricing structure alongside the launch of Music Pro.
Difference between Spotify Premium and Music Pro
| Feature | Spotify Premium | Spotify Music Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Quality | Compressed (e.g., 320 kbps AAC) | Lossless (FLAC) – Up to 24-bit/44.1kHz |
| Potential Higher Resolution | No | Possible (rumors suggest 96kHz/192kHz options) |
| Price | Lower | Higher (exact price to be announced) |
| Offline Listening | Available | Available (but FLAC files will require more storage space) |
| Ad-Free Listening | Yes | Yes |
| On-Demand Playback | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited Song Skips | Yes | Yes |
| Exclusive Features | Limited (e.g., personalized playlists) | Potential future features (e.g., advanced DJ remix tools – rumors only) |
| Best For | Casual listeners, budget-conscious users | Audiophiles seeking the highest fidelity music streaming |
Specific features and functionalities of Music Pro may change before launch.
How to Buy Spotify ‘Music Pro’ Subscription
While Spotify’s Music Pro with lossless audio isn’t here yet, here’s what subscribing might look like based on how Spotify handles subscriptions currently:
Step 1: Wait for Launch
Keep an eye on official Spotify announcements for the release of Music Pro.
Step 2: Open the Spotify App
Once available, launch the Spotify app on your phone or computer.
Step 3: Premium Section
Go to the “Premium” section within the app (usually under settings or account).
Step 4: Upgrade to Music Pro
Look for an option to upgrade your current plan to “Music Pro.”
Step 5: Confirm and Pay
Review the subscription details, including the price, and confirm your purchase using your preferred payment method.
Remember: This is a hypothetical process based on Spotify’s current subscription system. The actual steps for subscribing to Music Pro might differ slightly upon launch.
Best Music Streaming Service for Lossless Audio
With Spotify entering the lossless music streaming arena, the competition gets even fiercer. Here’s a quick comparison:
- Apple Music Lossless: Apple Music already offers lossless audio streaming as part of their standard subscription, making it a strong contender for audiophiles within the Apple ecosystem.
- Amazon Music HD: Similar to Apple Music, Amazon Music HD offers lossless and high-resolution audio streaming as a separate subscription tier.
The “best” service depends on your individual needs and preferences. Consider factors like existing subscriptions within an ecosystem, music library selection, and interface usability when making your choice.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Spotify’s upcoming Music Pro subscription is poised to shake up the music streaming landscape with lossless audio. This long-awaited feature will cater to audiophiles’ high-fidelity music streaming with FLAC formats potentially exceeding CD quality. While the official Spotify Music Pro cost and release date are TBA, it’s sure to challenge competitors like Apple Music Lossless and Amazon Music HD. Stay tuned for official announcements to see if Spotify will become the best music streaming service for discerning listeners.
Spotify ‘Music Pro’ Subscription and Lossless Songs – FAQs
Is Spotify going to add lossless audio?
Yes, based on leaked code and announcements, Spotify is planning to add lossless audio through a new tier called Music Pro.
Which Spotify plans a new premium tier expected to include HiFi audio?
The new premium tier expected to include HiFi audio is called Spotify Music Pro.
Will Spotify increase music quality?
Yes, Spotify will increase music quality with the introduction of lossless audio in Music Pro. Music Pro is expected to offer FLAC files up to 24-bit/44.1kHz, which is higher quality than the compressed audio currently offered in Spotify Premium.
Is Spotify HiFi ever coming?
There is no official confirmation on the exact release date of Spotify HiFi, but code leaks suggest an imminent launch of Music Pro with lossless audio capabilities.