However, Spotify HiFi has been announced as coming “later this year”, and will offer lossless CD-quality streams. The only thing it drops the ball on at the moment is sound quality, offering just 320kbps for its premium users and 160kbps to free members. The latter includes access to Spotify Kids, an age-appropriate version of the service aimed at younger listeners with stringent parental controls. This is all wrapped up in a UI that’s really easy to use and a number of different subscription options, including an entirely free, ad-supported option and a Family plan. They’re very much a core feature of Spotify in 2021.

That podcast push might feel a little heavy handed for those who don’t listen to podcasts, or prefer to listen to them elsewhere. Instead its things like its brilliant, sometimes spookily accurate recommendation engine, its extensive device compatibility, from smart speakers to TVs and its growing podcast offering, including big-name exclusives from The Joe Rogan Experience and Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Audio.

According to the weekend’s stories, this could be announced in the next month.With over 70 million songs to stream, its music catalogue is undeniably vast, but that’s not actually something that sets it apart from the competition these days.

Speculating wildly, it appears that more than 18 months after Spotify started discussing its audio plans the company might be ready to pull the trigger–but at twice the price of a regular subscription (i.e. Spotify’s current bitrate is (we think) 320 kbps–which, if you remember burning CDs, is the highest-quality setting for MP3s.

Then Amazon Music (“HD Music”) and Apple Music (lossless and Spatial Audio) fired a big salvo across everyone’s bow by offering high-res music at no extra cost for their paid plans. Tidal was first to offer high-res streaming (for a fee) and was followed by Deezer doing the same. A story in 9to5Mac speculates on the imminent launch of a “Platinum” subscription that will offer better-sounding audio. Rumours surfaced over the weekend that Spotify may finally be ready to up its game when it comes to audio quality.

Spotify hi res streaming