Streaming giants Apple Music and Spotify squared off in a battle for supreme music streaming platform dominance.
In the world of music streaming, two giants continue to dominate the landscape: Spotify and Apple Music. Both services offer over 100 million tracks, with Spotify boasting an impressive collection of over 7 million podcasts. However, a significant difference between the two lies in their approach to hi-res streaming.
Spotify first announced plans for a lossless, CD-quality (hi-res) streaming tier in 2021, generating anticipation among audiophiles. Yet, as of mid-2025, the service remains unreleased, with expectations it might debut later in the year but initially only in select markets.
The delay appears to be related to various business and technical challenges. Unlike competitors such as Apple Music and Amazon Music, which provide 24-bit/192kHz streaming and spatial audio options, Spotify Premium still maxes out at 320kbps using formats like AAC or Ogg Vorbis and lacks spatial audio.
Apple Music, on the other hand, offers a more attractive and comprehensive radio offering, including a 24/7 global 'youth-oriented' station, Apple Music 1. It also provides higher-quality listening with 24-bit Lossless (24-bit/48kHz) and Hi-Res Lossless (up to 24-bit/192kHz) audio quality.
Spotify's free subscription tier offers restricted sound quality, no downloads for offline listening, and no full playback controls, among other limitations. The paid Individual and Family tiers are more expensive than Apple Music's monthly fee of £10.99 / $10.99 / AU$12.99.
The delay in the launch of Spotify HiFi is primarily due to the postponement of their planned hi-res streaming service. This leaves Spotify behind rivals who have already enabled lossless and hi-res streaming options. As we move forward, it will be interesting to see how Spotify addresses these challenges and catches up with its competitors in the hi-res streaming market.
References:
[1] The Verge. (2021). Spotify is working on a lossless audio tier that could cost $5 more per month. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/22680368/spotify-lossless-audio-tier-hifi-price-5-dollars-more-per-month
[2] MacRumors. (2021). Spotify HiFi: Everything We Know So Far. [online] Available at: https://www.macrumors.com/guide/spotify-hifi/
- Audiophiles eagerly await Spotify's planned lossless, CD-quality streaming tier announced in 2021.
- As of mid-2025, Spotify HiFi has yet to be released, with rumors suggesting a possible launch later in the year but only in select markets.
- In the world of hi-fi headphones, the delay in Spotify HiFi's launch could impact deals and reviews for lossless and hi-res streaming options.
- Technology news sites such as The Verge and MacRumors consistently report on the latest developments regarding Spotify HiFi.
- Apple Music offers higher-quality listening with 24-bit Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless audio quality, setting a standard for the hi-res streaming market.
- Meanwhile, Spotify Premium users experience lower-quality sound and limited features, with the Individual and Family tiers being more expensive than Apple Music's monthly fee.
- The hi-res streaming competition heats up as Spotify attempts to address challenges and catch up with competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music in this thriving market of entertainment and music.
