Spotify eyes pricier ‘Music Pro’ lossless audio plan

Remember Spotify HiFi? That long-promised, never-delivered tier offering lossless audio? It seems Spotify hasn’t forgotten about it entirely. According to u/Hypixely 125 on Reddit, hidden code within the Spotify Android app hints at a new premium tier called Music Pro, and guess what’s the star attraction? You guessed it – lossless audio.

The leak reveals Spotify’s plans to offer FLAC audio files “up to 24-bit/44.1kHz,” a respectable showing but not quite matching Apple Music’s range that stretches up to 24-bit/192 kHz (and includes CD-quality 16-bit/44.1 kHz).

But what exactly is lossless audio? In layman’s terms, it’s like the difference between a crisp, high-resolution photo and a compressed, blurry one. Lossless audio files retain all the details of the original recording, offering a potentially richer listening experience – especially for audiophiles with high-quality headphones.

Speaking of headphones, the leaked code also mentions “patented technology” for headphone optimization, with Apple’s AirPods getting a specific shoutout.

The question remains — how much will this fancy Music Pro tier cost? Spotify seems intent on charging a premium for lossless audio, unlike Apple Music which includes it in all subscriptions. In the Philippines, for instance, an individual Spotify subscription sets you back PHP 149USD 3INR 215EUR 2CNY 18, while Apple Music starts at only PHP 139USD 2INR 201EUR 2CNY 17.