A newly leaked UI has suggested Spotify, which promised a lossless audio tier in February 2021, is still working on the hi-fi project and is reportedly close to releasing it.
The current bitrate of Spotify reaches a maximum of 320kbps. Screenshots leaked by Redditor OhItsTom have suggested this will soon change with version 1.2.36 of Spotify.
The screenshots reveal what can be expected with the lossless feature, including a lossless streaming quality of up to 1,411kbps (which could be extended higher) and a device compatibility checker.
Another section shown in the screenshots mentions lossless audio can reach up to 2,117kbps, though it would drain 15.9MB of data a minute.
Also available for “limited songs” via the FLAC audio format is listening support of up to 24bit/44.1kHz. This was previously referenced in Spotify build code.
Additionally, the screenshots revealed a compatibility check which will advise users if their device, connection type, and bandwidth will be able to support lossless audio.
This appears beside some advisory blurbs that suggest downloading lossless audio for the best listening experience, as well as warning users that most Bluetooth devices “don’t fully support lossless sound.”
Users are urged to use wired devices or listen wirelessly via Spotify’s Connect feature.
The elements of this UI are currently only visuals. OhItsTom claims Spotify has been referring to the feature as “enhanced listening” internally.
This is just one of the various names speculated since the feature was first introduced. Other names include “Lossless” and “Supremium.”
These elements exist inside the app, suggesting Spotify is finally ready to release the feature, which has been long-awaited.
The company has previously made efforts to let users know HiFi/Lossless audio is “coming at some point.”
In competition with Spotify, other streaming services already offer high-resolution audio, including Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music.
ChannelNews reported in April that this feature could be arriving under a Music Pro tag, according to code that was found within the app.
The code was published on Reddit and indicates several references to passages such as “control your Lossless listening,” “your favourite music in 16-bit and 24-bit high-fidelity sound,” and “lossless has arrived.”
A launch date has yet to be revealed, along with the potential price of the tier.
Other features recently launched by Spotify include a new AI Playlist feature and a new mini-player for its desktop app.
The AI Playlist feature was initially released in Australia and the UK on Android and iOS, and can be found in the ‘Your Library’ section.
It gives listeners the option of using text descriptions to create playlists, such as “an indie folk playlist to give my brain a big warm hug,” “relaxing music to tide me over during allergy season,” or “a playlist that makes me feel like the main character.”
Spotify will curate a playlist of 30 songs, based on the prompt, and the listener will be able to adjust the results with additional prompts, such as “more hip-hop,” “less gloomy,” or “no Taylor Swift.”
Currently, the feature is only available for Premium subscribers.
The new mini-player for desktops is also only available for Premium subscribers, is available on macOS and Windows, and was designed to give listeners maximum control over music and podcasts with “minimal intrusion.”
It allows listeners to skip tracks, adjust the volume or change the Repeat mode without having to use the Spotify window.
Finally, in other news, as previously speculated by ChannelNews, Spotify has raised subscription prices in the US, UK, Australia, and Pakistan.
This is the second price increase in less than a year. Back in July last year, the company revealed the individual streaming plan was being raised from A$11.99 a month to A$12.99 a month.
According to the official Spotify website, the new price for the individual plan is A$13.99 a month.
