Spotify Reportedly Planning $5 Hi-Fi Audio Add-On

Spotify Reportedly Planning $5 Hi-Fi Audio Add-On

There are quite a few reasons to dislike Spotify. One of the frequent complaints they get from music snobs is that their sound quality, even the “high” option that’s available to premium subscribers, is a bit lackluster. The good news is that the company is reportedly trying to work around that with a new hi-fi option; the bad news is that it’ll cost you at least $5 more per month.

Bloomberg reports that Spotify will position this new hi-fi option as an add-on for existing subscribers. So, at least for now, customers can continue paying the price they’re already paying per month if they’d like. But if you want your music to sound better, it’ll come at about a 40% markup, depending on your base plan.

Spotify initially announced their plans to offer a hi-fi option back in 2021, but they delayed that for some reason. While competitors including Apple Music beat them to the punch on that front, Spotify switched their focus to audiobooks, hiking their premium subscription price from $9.99 to $10.99 to include 15 hours of audiobook listening per month. Despite quite a bit of backlash, Spotify still seems adamant on severely undercutting artist royalties. So if you were hoping that a pricier subscription would mean more dollars in your favorite bands’ pockets, don’t hold your breath.

In addition to a hi-fi audio option, Spotify’s new tier will also reportedly auto-generate custom playlists, which sounds a bit like their existing “Daylist” feature that coughs up personalized playlists with names like “twee jangle Tuesday afternoon” or some shit (I plead the fifth). You can read more about these new Spotify features at Bloomberg.

more from News