Spotify has undergone a massive transformation in recent years, from a provider of free and premium music streaming to an all-in-one audio service that also offers podcasts and audiobooks, with multiple subscription plans for different users.
While the streaming giant recently introduced a cheaper non-audiobook option and raised prices on existing subscriptions, one long-awaited feature remains elusive: Spotify’s premium audio subscription.
The lossless audio tier that was promised to music fans in 2021 has yet to materialize, leaving fans wondering if it will ever see the light of day. Now, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has confirmed that the company is still working on a “deluxe” tier that will cost more than Spotify Premium.
During the company’s earnings conference call last night (July 23), Ek said the plan is to “offer a much better version of Spotify, so think about something… like $5 above the current premium tier… so the price point is probably around $17 or $18.”
I described the new offering as “a kind of deluxe version of Spotify that has all the benefits of the regular Spotify version, but with a lot more control, a lot higher quality on all fronts and a couple of other things that I’m not ready to talk about yet.”
However, he added that it was still in the “early days” and did not give a timeline for the release, meaning patient users will have to wait a little longer for the new subscription plan.
Spotify Supremium Award
A few leaks have revealed the alleged price, features, and logo of the new Supremium tier.
Based on Ek’s comments, the new tier should cost about the same as a Spotify Duo subscription in the UK (£17 per month), which is the plan that lets two people use the app simultaneously. The prices Ek cited are in line with Bloomberg’s predictions that the tier will cost $5 more than the Premium tier.
Spotify Supremium Features
As expected, the new plan could finally see Spotify catch up to Apple Music by streaming music in CD-quality, which sounds great through premium speakers and headphones.
Spotify has experimented with so-called lossless audio before, but has delayed the feature’s official launch. The news of the tier will be music to the ears of audiophiles.
Given that many of its rivals already offer high-quality audio, Spotify is reportedly throwing in a slew of extra perks to justify the price of its new subscription. These include the ability to create playlists using artificial intelligence and filter your library by mood, activity and genre.
Chris Messina, a veteran techie turned investor, recently revealed the logo of the new Supremium level, along with more features that confirm the earlier leak.
AI Generated Playlists
Spotify recently introduced an AI-driven playlist in its app that’s hosted by a virtual DJ. It also launched a smart shuffle mode earlier this year that adds personalized recommendations that match the vibe of your playlists.
It could then let Supremium users play with its AI technology to create playlists. Earlier in October, Messina spotted references to “AI playlists” and “playlists based on your prompts” in the Spotify app’s code.
In theory, users could become great playlist experts simply by typing in instructions, similar to how people already use AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney to get answers and generate images.
Mixing tools
The new plan will also reportedly include advanced mixing tools that will let you adjust the order of a playlist based on the tempo and danceability of the tracks. That sounds ideal for a party setlist that goes from the dance floor to the chill-out session. Or for when you’re hitting the gym and want the music to build with your workout routine.
Additionally, Spotify will reportedly add new transitions between songs that sound more intuitive than the current crossfade option.
Listening data and time capsules
Additionally, a new Sound Check feature and stacks of listening data will let you dig deeper into your streaming habits and discover what mix of sounds is “uniquely yours.” The new additions sound like they’re aimed at fans of Spotify’s annual Wrapped recaps.
Messina also mentioned something called “Your Sound Capsule,” which he suggested could be similar to Spotify’s Playlist in a Bottle feature. The latter would let users create their own music time capsule that would open next year. It was unclear if the feature was a one-off when it briefly surfaced in January, but it sounds like Spotify could turn it into a full-fledged Supremium perk.
Free audiobooks
To sweeten the deal, Spotify will also reportedly offer 20-30 hours of audiobook listening time each month, up from the 15 hours that paying users currently get.
What is lossless audio?
Despite the perks, Spotify supremium’s main attraction is still lossless audio. For the uninitiated, lossless files retain more information to produce faithful copies of original tracks.
Technically, lossless audio is equivalent to CD-quality music, meaning the resolution is at least 16 bits (or 1,411 kbps) and the sample rate is 44.1 kHz.
Will Spotify Supremium have lossless audio?
According to Messina, Spotify Supremium will offer 24-bit lossless audio. For comparison, the service currently offers a maximum audio bitrate of 320 kbps. While that’s still miles better than MP3s, which also compress the information in a song file to save storage space, it still lags behind lossless and other higher-resolution formats.
Apple, meanwhile, categorises its lossless streams as between 16-bit/44.1kHz and 24-bit/48kHz, and its ‘Hi-Res Lossless’ streams as anything above 24-bit/48kHz. Elsewhere, Tidal offers a premium subscription with 24-bit/192kHz audio for £20 a month.
In 2017, Spotify briefly tested CD-quality audio by offering US users access to lossless music for an additional $7.50 (£6.13) per month.