Spotify HiFi , the high-quality audio version of the streaming service, was scheduled to launch in 2021. At least, that is what the Swedish company promised earlier this year. However, with just a few days left until 2022 begins, the service has yet to be officially announced and details about the features – beyond that it will offer lossless audio – are scarce, suggesting that Spotify is delaying its release , probably, until next year.
There is no clear reason for this delay, as Spotify hardly shares details or provides statements related to this feature. In fact, and except for the latest leaks that showed hints of HiFi songs within the Spotify app, the only news the company shared about Spotify HiFi was at an event with Billie Eilish and her brother and producer Finneas. The number of songs without loss or the price of this version remain unknown.
According to The Verge, the delay of the function could be caused by the doubts of the company about its launch. A priori, Spotify HiFi was going to be an additional subscription for “premium” users, so it was expected to cost a little more than the 9.99 euros per month that the individual plan costs. However, Apple Music with Dolby Atmos and lossless audio came without an additional price for all subscribers, and Amazon Music, which also offers the highest quality audio and which initially cost more than the monthly plan, finally decided to integrate it to all subscribers.
Apple Music could have caused Spotify to lose a business opportunity
Source: Unsplash. Amazon, and especially Apple Music, have made Spotify have no business opportunity by offering audio without quality loss, given that very few users would pay for something that they can have for free on similar platforms. So, what's the point of launching Spotify HiFi if it doesn't offer any benefits? . Or, at least, why rush to launch it? Keep in mind that the streaming platform has announced features that provide incentives, such as paid subscriptions to Podcast. All this, in addition, while offering functions that its competition cannot match, such as custom music recommendation algorithms or the well-known Spotify Wrapped.
Spotify HiFi is likely to end up releasing sometime next year. According to the company, users will be able to listen to high-quality music with compatible devices and speakers through Spotify Connect.
