Spotify is planning a more expensive subscription option that’s expected to include “high-fidelity” audio in an effort to drive more revenue. Apple Music began offering lossless audio in June 2021, along with Spatial Audio (that Spotify does not offer), all at no additional cost to Apple Music subscribers.
Ashley Carman for Bloomberg News:
Dubbed “Supremium” internally, according to people familiar with the strategy, the new tier will be Spotify’s most expensive plan and likely offer a HiFi feature the company first announced it was working on in 2021. Spotify delayed that product’s rollout after two of its competitors, Apple Music and Amazon Music, began offering the feature for free as part of their standard plans. The new tier will launch this year in non-US markets first.
Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek said on an earnings call earlier this year that the company balances pricing changes with the desire to grow subscribers. In 2022, the company increased prices in more than 40 markets.
MacDailyNews Take: Alternate headline: Spotify suckers to pay more for less.
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This “sucker” will gladly pay $9.99 (or more) a month for the infinitely superior service Spotify has over Apple Music. Heck, I get Apple Music free through my Verizon account and still never use it.
Spotify’s interface, search, personalization, recommendation algorithm, and user experience is just better.
Agreed. Spotify is much more user friendly than Apple Music. Its DJ AI works pretty well and it suggests music I might actually like. And I prefer to keep my streaming music separate from my owned music. Apple Music mixes them and it’s confusing. It also loves to tell me I don’t have the right to play music I own. I don’t care if apple music doesn’t have the right to a song in my country. I own it. Play the stupid thing.
Maybe someone can explain exactly how in the HELL you are supposed to get a hi-res audio file streamed through Bluetooth? Doesn’t happen. Airplay? Maybe for CD quality, which is nice, but not the best Apple has.
Apple needs to re-think the desktop app and also being Roon and Bluesound ready for their best quality sound.