[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!

[Visionary1]

So WhatHiFi reports this platform to be released by this year’s end.  I hope Spotify learned valuable lesson after near catastrophe tictoc based UI and ridiculous Dj voice - man, sounds  like a car jacking with that character.  Next step folks, give Spotify the Bud Light treatment. 

[vaajy]

Article said Supreme will come with audiobooks. So they won't include Lossless to Premium.

They will ask more money for lossless, sure. Perhaps, many will still go with 9,99 service elsewhere.

How many of you waiting Hifi are willing to pay for audiobooks as well bundled into packages?

[Dismiss]

I’m willing to pay more than the competition, not because of the audiobooks, but because I really miss the ease of use that Spotify Connect offers on my sound system. If the quality is there, and if SC works with HiFi as it should, then I’m u p for it. The audiobooks and the rest of the perks will hopefully make it easier to swallow.

[stadi1]

Here in Germany, Spotify includes children's "audio books", as in stories like Benjamin Blümchen, Ladybug, etc. I still would like to keep them, as my kid listens to them, but I'm not interested in "real" audiobook. I don't listen to audiobooks at all, I read books. This will again be the same as podcasts. I have zero interest in them, but Spotify pushes them on me. Pretty sure I will see a lot of audiobooks in my feed that I'm not interested in (also probably in German, and I only read books in English). I would prefer Audiobooks to be a separate subscription. Or even better, a separate app, together with podcasts. I want to see only music in the main app.

[user-removed]

Plenty of articles saying Spotify lost a fortune on celebrity podcasts  and they will be focusing on music in the future . I could care less about audiobooks as I’d rather read books . 
Spotify has poor management . 

[LawLee]

Spotify boss admits he got a 'little carried away' on podcast spending binge after splurging $18m on three-year Harry and Meghan deal that led to Archetypes and one Christmas special and $200m on Joe Rogan...

**bleep**! Give the people Hifi!

[LawLee]

Spotify Aborts Its Podcasting Strategy

Spotify Technology SA has decided it’s finally time to figure out how to make money.

The company owns the largest music service in the world. More than 450 million people use it, and almost 200 million people pay for it. Spotify has a much larger share of the audio business than Netflix does in video, and its single biggest competitor (YouTube) isn’t technically in the audio business.

And yet, it has lost money every year. None of the other music streaming services turn a profit either. That’s what happens when you pay music rights holders about 70% of your sales in exchange for their songs.

Spotify Shifts Podcast Strategy After Layoffs - Bloomberg

[lucaugusto]

8 years of this thread... learn 1 thing: spotify doesnt care at all about you.

Plenty of platforms that respect you, choose one that does it, like I did 3 years ago and be happy.

spotify (with lowercase s, because i dont respect them) doesnt even have the decency of giving feedback, all the info you get is from rumors in reddit and the verge. stop being clowns.

[RodZombie]

Hello,

I chose Spotify long ago, and I really like the app, but I think you're falling behind with the competition. I now use both Spotify and Tidal, but I prefer the latter because of the Master quality. I keep my Spotify account because all of my library is there, but only for that. You need to update to the Master Quality option, or you'll lose users. I'm taking on the job of making this post because, even though I don't have any problem changing to another app, I enjoy this one and prefer not to change. I'm sure you are already aware of this, but here I am, trying anyway.

[jo9001]

Well I've been asking and waiting for spotify hifi now for 5 years of more. I tried tidal and other platforms and never really liked them. I always came back to spotify. Fast forward so many years ,I tried Tidal again and guess what? The features that I missed from spotify have all been implemented. The recommended music has got better. I would even go to say its now better than spotify. Okay, its more expensive than spotify, but to be fair it's worth it just for the sound quality alone.

So I waited spotify. I so wanted to stay. But now Tidal has caught you up and overtaken you. I have to go. I can't wait any longer with a hope just one day HIFI would come. I've now gone to Tidal and I don't think there will be a chance to ever get me back. I wish you the best of luck with the new venture with audiobooks.

Farewell, you never listened and probably never will.