Anyone trying to choose between subscriptions to Tidal or Spotify has a new feature to consider.
Tuesday some Spotify users began reporting access to a Hi-Fi lossless streaming upgrade to add to their subscriptions, though not all users have seen this option pop up.
Hi-Fi, or high fidelity, is usually thrown around when discussing headphones and speakers. In this case, Hi-Fi means music is reproduced through the streaming device with no distortion and a lossless compression. This means there is no data lost when the audio files are compressed to send out on the stream.
The music sounds better, in other words.
So far, users have reported being offered the pilot feature for an additional $5 to $15 per month, but some are receiving error messages when they try to enroll. The difference in cost is likely a marketing test for Spotify to decide a price point for the upcoming service.
Spotify did not respond to a request for comment.
A Spotify spokesperson told the Verge, “We are always testing new products and offers but have no news to share at this time.”
This new service puts Spotify directly in competition with popular streaming medium Tidal, an app primarily owned by Jay Z that allows subscribers to stream Hi-Fi audio and video content. Though the audio quality may be crystal clear, an official public release date for Spotify’s new service isn’t.