Spotify HiFi, the high-quality audio tier, got delayed indefinitely

Spotify has announced that the high-quality audio tier, Spotify HiFi was supposed to launch in some selective markets in November 2021. Even in December, there was no trace of Spotify HiFi, anywhere. And that left its premium users agitated. And to top it off the officials conveyed that the launch is postponed indefinitely.

Responding to a thread of comments on its community website, where several Spotify users voiced their anger and frustration for this delay. The company responded to these comments by saying that they do not have any update on when the new tier will be available for the listeners.

They conveyed that, ‘we know that HiFi quality audio is important to you. We feel the same, and we’re excited to deliver Spotify HiFi experience to Premium users in the future. But we don’t have timing details to share yet’.

They further added that ‘we will of course update when we can’. This reply did not placate or satisfy the users. The openness with which the statement was conveyed made the users more agitated.

All the other major streaming services have outdistanced Spotify in high-quality audio services. Tidal and Deezer have both offered it for years now. Qobuz a French high-quality service provider launched it only in the U.S. in early 2009.

Amazon Music the third-largest streaming service in the world followed the same path within a few months. The second-largest music streaming platform Apple Music has announced the addition of Spatial and Lossless Audio and lossless Support last May with no additional cost.

Spotify has announced the same, the plans for Spotify HiFi with characteristic fanfare during a press conference nearly a year ago, last February. Initially, they offered it under a higher pricing tier. Apple’s announcement to launch it with no extra costs complicated the scenario. As noted by 9 to 5 Mac, Apple is rumored to have a new Airpods Pro 2 coming later this year that suppose to make up for the wireless lossless playback.

The majority of this generation of music fan, who has been playing music over the internet, do not much care about the fact of listening to a high quality of music. They mostly take it as a one-time experience. But once they have tasted it there is no going back.

Regardless, Spotify is now in a dicey position with unmated promises. And the silence about this matter is not helping with their goodwill.