Spotify to launch 'Hi-Fi' CD Quality Tier.

[litemotiv]

Streaming services do have terrible flacs for the most part

Have you objectively determined that you can hear a difference between a 'good' FLAC and a 'terrible' one? If so, how did you determine this?

The word 'terrible' implies that the difference must be pretty big and easily discernable?

 

[m_g_s_g]

I bet Spotify will get far more new subscribers for their new lyrics functionality than from a HiFi tier...

 

[Morla]

the app asked me if I wanted to test that lyrics feature and I immediately opted out but yes

When it comes to 320kbit/s ogg Versus 44.1khz 16 CD can ppl really distinguish between the two?

 

[litemotiv]

When it comes to 320kbit/s ogg Versus 44.1khz 16 CD can ppl really distinguish between the two?

On Spotify there are a number of OGG albums that i can blindly distinguish from FLAC's or CD's that i own, some of the album rips are definitely "off". It's likely a minority but still makes me enthusiastic about a fully lossless catalogue where i don't have to worry about this.

I'm sure that 99.9% of the population really don't care about lossless though, or even have an idea what it means or that it exists.

 

[Emlin]

On Spotify there are a number of OGG albums that i can blindly distinguish from FLAC's or CD's that i own, some of the album rips are definitely "off'. It's likely a minority but still makes me enthusiastic about a fully lossless catalogue where i don't have to worry about this.

I'm sure that 99.9% of the population really don't care about lossless though, or even have an idea what it means or that it exists.

They could be taken from different masters.

 

[Tangband]

Spotify obviously dont care about soundquality at all and havent made the move to lossless yet.
Spotify is not a hifi-company.

This summer I switched to Apple Music high res . and I dont look back at all.
Apple Music sound much better thru my Genelecs and the price are the same as spotify.

Apple Music lossless sound the same as TIDAL in our last listening session we had .

 

[Morla]

and the source material used by spotify really is the same CD you own? What @Emlin said.

 

[litemotiv]

They could be taken from different masters.

It's possible yes, but a few sound strangely muffled on Spotify which makes me think something else went wrong. Perhaps they were converted from MP3's to OGG by someone who didn't know what they were doing, or they used a beta OGG encoder a number of years ago with strange settings or something. I don't know.

 

[litemotiv]

and the source material used by spotify really is the same CD you own?

I cannot say for sure, but i do know that i can pick certain albums out 100% of the time, 20+ times in a row, where i find that the Spotify version sounds worse (muffled).

 

[DanielT]

Nearly 300,000 people watched this video.

Ok 300,000 (not even sure that there are people who use Spotify as well) out of a total of:

It is the world's largest music streaming service provider, with over 381 million monthly active users, including 172 million paying subscribers, as of September 2021.

Spotify - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Is a fart in space BUT if now Spotify declares that they will deliver lossless 2021, they should damn well do that.
If for any reason for Spotify there has been a problem with the launch of lossless then Spotify may notify, tell about it. Awfully bad. Bad style this fuck you attitude.Of course, 2021 is not over yet. I may have to eat my words if now Spotify really comes with lossless 2021. But it does not matter as long as Spotify comes with lossless this year

Well now I ignore irritating myself regarding Spotify lossless.I start and bake buns instead. I promise they will be launched in my stomach later today. He he.

 

[voodooless]

Also annoying is the lackluster technology press that seems to be not very critical of the whole thing. No questions asked.. why not an in depth article about it asking Spotify for a response on the matter?

 

[ThatM1key]

Have you objectively determined that you can hear a difference between a 'good' FLAC and a 'terrible' one? If so, how did you determine this?

The word 'terrible' implies that the difference must be pretty big and easily discernable?

Yes its a big difference, mainly dynamic range. Companies crank up the volume because the assume you have bad gear. What will stand out is the volume is way louder then should be, bass has less punch/impact and instruments sound more mashed together. This happens regardless of format. This also affects old and even new music. Good flac to me is dynamic range and mastering.

If you want some evidence, I did some testing/comparisons a while back: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/loudness-war-has-invaded-the-audiophile-streaming-services.19308

 

[Music1969]

People need to remember the timeline that unfolded (lol) this year.

Spotify press release and Billie Eilish video happened in Feb - no word of Apple Music going lossless at that point and Amazon was still only available in 4 countries and charging more for HD.

And Spotify mentioned HiFi will be a seperate tier - higher price.

Spotify's world turned upside down in June when Apple Music announced Hi-Res lossless for no charge - and Amazon HD copied that the very next day.

Whatever plans Spotify had to make some extra cash with HiFi tier (its in their press release) - they had to tear up those plans. Just like Amazon Music HD had to change plans.

Apple changed the game.

Will be interesting to see Spotify's move now, given the timeline of events.

Will Qobuz still be around 2 years from now? They've had to drop prices post Apple game changer too.

I use Apple Music but prefer Tidal's app and recommendations - I just wish Tidal would swap out MQA for the real original masters that Apple and Qobuz and Amazon HD are getting sent - they can keep the "Masters" label in Tidal and swap out the files. Then I will be back with Tidal.

 

[DanielT]

And Spotify mentioned HiFi will be a seperate tier - higher price.

But Spotify has not mentioned anything about any price increases? I may have missed something from Spotify but isn't this the only officially published document from Spotify available regarding lossless?

Spotify HiFi will begin rolling out in select markets later this year, and we will have more details to share soon. ...Kiss my a....

Five Things to Know About Spotify HiFi — Spotify

Artists and fans have told us that sound quality is important to them. We agree, and that’s why today at Stream On we announced Spotify HiFi. Beginning later this year, Premium subscribers in select markets will be able to upgrade their sound quality to Spotify HiFi and listen to their favorite...

newsroom.spotify.com

 

[Soniclife]

1. Rip Logs. For all we know right now, the CD's could've been ripped fast with WMP.

Wow, you think streaming services buy CDs and give them to an intern to rip.

 

[Music1969]

But Spotify has not mentioned anything about any price increases?

That says: "Premium subscribers in select markets will be able to upgrade their sound quality to Spotify HiFi"

At that point in Feb they were planning seperate tier just like Amazon Music HD already had in 4 markets.

All their plans changed when Apple made their move a few months later.

It took everyone by surprise.

There is no way they can charge extra for CD quality now.

This was Apple's way to try and squeeze Spotify financially a bit more. Amazon responded the next day - they can absorb it.

 

[Zensō]

I bet Spotify will get far more new subscribers for their new lyrics functionality than from a HiFi tier...

That just shows that most people are more rational than us obsessive audiophiles.

 

[DanielT]

That says: "Premium subscribers in select markets will be able to upgrade their sound quality to Spotify HiFi"

At that point in Feb they were planning seperate tier just like Amazon Music HD already had in 4 markets.

All their plans changed when Apple made their move.

It took everyone by surprise.

Sure but is an upgrade also automatically a price increase?You can upgrade different software without having to pay extra for it. That is, software that has nothing to do with Spotify.

What you have been talking about that happened with the streaming providers, quality and price, during this year, so the question is whether Spotify dares to raise the prices of their lossless or not.

 

[Music1969]

Sure but is an upgrade also automatically a price increase?You can upgrade different software without having to pay extra for it. That is, software that has nothing to do with Spotify.

Yes back in Feb that was the plan. Nothing new at that time - Amazon Music HD for example.... Amazon Music HD was an extra charge - until Apple came to the party and Amazon copied the very next day

Nobody was talking about giving lossless for free at that point.

Apple changed everyones plans.

You are looking at things with info you have now - not thinking about how things were back in February... That's why I mentioned people need to remember the timeline. It was a big year of changes in lossless streaming world.

People forget the timeline.

 

[Zensō]

When it comes to 320kbit/s ogg Versus 44.1khz 16 CD can ppl really distinguish between the two?

Generally, no, at least not in normal listening. Weird things do occasionally happen though. I recently started listening to an album on Tidal that I noticed sounded strange. I took a look and it was an AAC file with a brick wall filter at around 10 kHz (who knows why). Obviously, the problem was the filter, not the codec, but if someone didn't check they might assume it was the latter.