Spotify is reportedly preparing to offer higher-quality audio and more as part of a “Music Pro” add-on. Photo Credit: Henry Be
Forget about Supremium: Spotify is reportedly prepping a “Music Pro” subscription add-on, complete with “DJ remix features” and upgraded audio.
The possible development of Music Pro entered the media spotlight in a report from The Verge, which cited new Spotify code findings from Redditor Hypixely. As those who’ve been patiently awaiting improved Spotify audio probably know – it’s now been nearly three years since some users spotted a HiFi icon on the platform – this isn’t the first time that code has pointed to optimized listening.
In brief, speculation about a HiFi addition eventually made way for rumors of a broader “Supremium” tier. As we reported (based once again on Spotify code) last September, Supremium, far from only containing HiFi audio, would provide “advanced mixing tools,” bolstered audiobook access, and more at $19.99 per month for individuals in the States.
Closer to April of 2024’s beginning, though, different reports indicated that Spotify was contemplating price increases of $1 per individual plan and $2 per family plan for audiobook-equipped tiers in multiple nations. Subscribers will also have the option of retaining access to music and podcasts (but not audiobooks, 15 monthly hours of which had been baked into paid plans in the U.S.) at current prices, the reports relayed.
As audiobooks were expected to factor prominently into Supremium at a comparatively substantial $19.99 monthly, the price-increase development raised questions about the long-rumored offering. Running with those questions, The Verge has reported that lossless audio, besides “DJ remix features,” will be available as part of the mentioned Music Pro add-on.
(While lossless is often used to describe super-HD audio in general, its widely accepted definition, CD-quality audio with at least 16-bit depth and a sample rate of at least 44.1 kHz, actually applies to most streaming services today. The relevant Spotify code specifically notes 24-bit, 44.1 kHz listening for Music Pro, according to the original Reddit post.)
In keeping with the add-on descriptor, users will have the option of tacking Music Pro onto their subscriptions, per the report. Consequently, the feature will seemingly resemble the previously anticipated HiFi more than the standalone Supremium package.
At the time of this writing, Spotify hadn’t commented publicly on the matter, and it’s unclear how much Music Pro will cost – assuming, of course, that it comes to fruition. But with profitability and monetization taking center stage at Spotify, the approach to HD audio makes sense.
In short, fed-up audiophiles presumably pivoted from Spotify to Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Qobuz, or a different service years back and may rejoin to access Music Pro. Furthermore, those who have stuck around despite clamoring for better audio quality will perhaps pay for the benefit at once.
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