If you’ve been hoping for higher quality Spotify streaming, it looks like your prayers might finally been answered: Spotify Supremium, the service previously known as Spotify HiFi, appears to be readying to launch.
But while lossless audio is the headline feature here, it’s not the most interesting one. And that’s probably just as well, because lossless audio is free on a lot of the rival best music streaming services such as Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music –but Spotify Supremium is tipped to cost more.
According to leaked code from the official Spotify app, you’re looking at $20 per month, which fits in with previous rumors that had circulated about it. So, what else do you get beyond better bitrates?
Three key features in Spotify Supremium
In addition to the lossless audio, the leaked code also appears to reveal several key features around music personalization and discovery. First up there’s AI-based playlist generation, which should do an even better job of finding music you like and music you don’t know you like yet. Alongside smooth transitions it should deliver a slicker musical experience that’s more you.
That’s carried on in the playlist sorting, which will have new options including what looks like a new sort-by-danceability feature – so when you’re listening to a bunch of pop bangers your Spotify isn’t going to suddenly kill the vibe with a sad song about the drummer’s dead dog.
And most interestingly of all, there’s Soundcheck. That looks like a mix of the existing Daily Mixes and Spotify Wrapped features, and will apparently analyze your listening habits to create “uniquely you” music.
These new features are in addition to the new features recently added to the service, such as support for up to 32 people controlling the same playlist in the Spotify Jam feature, and Daylist, which adjusts your music to the time of day based on what you listen to at particular times.
Will that be enough to tempt people back from rival services? For me it’s a no: I left Spotify partly because of sound quality but mainly because of Joe Rogan, and as a happy Apple Music listener the prospect of paying more money to get the same bitrate I’m already getting is hardly enticing. And if you’re really serious about listening to the best possible audio quality on the best headphones then you’d be better off with Tidal HiFi Plus, which costs roughly the same as the rumored Spotify Supremium but delivers hi-res audio in multiple formats.
However, the new playlist and discovery features do sound like fun, and if they’re as good as they sound they could persuade existing Spotify subscribers to upgrade to the more premium tier. We’ll find out soon enough: Spotify Supremium is clearly very close to launch.
