[All Platforms][Music] HiFi Quality - Lossless Streaming 16bit 44.1khz

[timiambeing]

I've just started a trial of Qobuz - they offer the standard 320kbps as well as lossless FLAC streaming (and high res downloads if you purchase them) the sound quality is noticeably better and on classical it's just wonderful to get all that resolution through your hi-fi or headphones! The catalogue has a way to go to get to Spotify's level, but they are getting there. The iPad app isn't' too bad (the desktop app is in need of an upgrade but I hear they are putting all their efforts into mobile apps right now).

So - lossless streaming - if Qobuz can do it then so can Spotify, they must have the same source - and obviously if you are asking £20 a month then those record labels and distributors take enough notice to make the high res tracks available for streaming. What this all means is soon, very soon, we will get lossless streaming and closely followed by high res downloads - but if Spotify aren't careful it will be Apple who get there first with an audiophile premium offering, and when they do it will be a much harder market place to make money in!

** please don't lump this suggestion with the main one on lossless downloads, that's a different idea entirely guys!

[timiambeing]

I've just started a trial of Qobuz - they offer the standard 320kbps as well as lossless FLAC streaming (and high res downloads if you purchase them) the sound quality is noticeably better and on classical it's just wonderful to get all that resolution through your hi-fi or headphones! The catalogue has a way to go to get to Spotify's level, but they are getting there. The iPad app isn't' too bad (the desktop app is in need of an upgrade but I hear they are putting all their efforts into mobile apps right now).

[timiambeing]

So - lossless streaming - if Qobuz can do it then so can Spotify, they must have the same source - and obviously if you are asking £20 a month then those record labels and distributors take enough notice to make the high res tracks available for streaming. What this all means is soon, very soon, we will get lossless streaming and closely followed by high res downloads - but if Spotify aren't careful it will be Apple who get there first with an audiophile premium offering, and when they do it will be a much harder market place to make money in!

[Bündnerfleisch]

9 jears, most upvotet idea...., this didn't age well

[janpeeters]

I'm sure the Spotify marketing department is spinning up some stories how they can sell us HiFi for a higher price point than Apple, Deezer and Tidal. Their whole Library is already available in Hires I read somewhere. If it's not around the same price as the others services I will leave instantly, how good their recommendations might be.

[robigouk]

Well, if they do charge more I will probably pay it.  None of the other services are as good when it comes to Connect features and their app (mobile and desktop).... just when will it be! (I do think they will do it but so frustrating waiting).

[LawLee]

@janpeeters

With me I don't use Youtube music so I was appalled to find this data there. How many other things about it's "free" users are they monetizing by selling it to operators? Disconcerting...

[janpeeters]

@LawLee That's indeed appalling to find the data there while you don't even use it.

Just to get this clear… so you are a free (ad-supported) Spotify user? I assume this from you writing "free" users.

So I started wondering how this works that your info got shared. Spotify free serves ads, is Google the ad provider? Is there anything in their privacy policy that says that they will share your play history to be able to serve ads?

I detest the whole ads business on the internet. I understand that businesses that provide 'free' services want to get revenue for their services but the way they do this, untransparent and often hidden in fist thick policies, is not kind at all. 

[LawLee]

@janpeeters

Originally I was a prolific Spotify Premium customer. See above. On December 25, 2021 I became Spotify free, literally and figuratively. No Hifi, no cash from me. So maybe selling my data was their holiday gift to me after I quit. What rubbish!

[robigouk]

Yesterday I spent time looking at other services but they all lack something that Spotify has that makes it so great... but Spotify doesn't have HiFi...  I've decided to keep waiting and hoping it arrives soon.

[Audioplayer]

Tidal’s CEO just announced Tidal is ditching their lossy high resolution files (“Master” also known as MQA) and Tidal will soon be offering full lossless FLAC files instead like Qobuz, Apple Music and Amazon Music already offer. Price remains to be seen. Hopefully this forces Deezer to offer higher than just CD resolution that they offer now. Either way all five will offer full fidelity lossless files. Which is a majority of the main 8 streaming services. This leaving Spotify, YouTube Music and Pandora as high fidelity holdouts. Hopefully the three of them will be forced to offer high fidelity files in order to better compete with the others as they will loose some customers now that awful MQA is about to die.

[mctesterson]

That's great news about Tidal ditching MQA!  I'm pretty happy with Qobuz, but as I understand it Tidal has better connectivity (?) ...  I'll stick with Qobuz for the foreseeable future, and hope they can get their connect-comparable functionality out there soon, as this news means Tidal is more appealing for those who had been avoiding MQA nonsense.  (Not to mention avoiding the Ogg Vorbis HORSESHYTE NONSENSE that Spotify continues to use.)

[LawLee]

@mctesterson et al.

It is good news that Tidal is going to be offering lossless music. I invite all to give a listen to the Reddit AMA from the CEO. It's here: (2) AMA w/ Jesse @ TIDAL : TIdaL (reddit.com). The problem Tidal faces is that MQA is imbedded in their catalog like a tick. It could take some time to unwind it from 100 million songs. More than half the music I'm interested in is offered in "Master (what a joke) Quality". Note that he made no promise that the more attractive "Hifi" tier was going to receive the same treatment.

GoldenSound the guy who widely exposed this audio fraud and grift, and is arguably credited with popping the MQA balloon, speaks to how deeply embedded MQA is in this service. If you subscribe to their "Hifi tier" you may be thinking you're getting lossless for $9.99, but you're not! You're actually listening to the inferior "unfolded" MQA masters that have been downsampled and had the metadata removed. Give this a read...

Tidal 'HiFi' is NOT lossless - GoldenSound

What a hoax! So, I for one am happy but am still deeply distrustful of Tidal. The company a has spotty ethical history. Go read their wiki controversies.

Tidal (service) - Wikipedia

Clearly this move is one needed for their survival. They're not profitable, as is true of all these streaming companies. Tidal can ill afford the licensing fees as well as the negative light their alliance with MQA brings. But they also cannot afford to alienate those minority of their subscribers who are hooked on MQA. They are in a tough spot.

But $19.99 for Hifi Plus is a joke. I can have two competing HiRes services for that price. Without bringing lossless to the Hifi tier at $9.99 I don't think they are going to attract much new business. Tidal is a good service, but they have threatened their survival with this unholy alliance with MQA. I would give them a try at $9.99 without the MQA crippled, high bitrate files, but that's not what their committing to. My condolences...