Spotify is finally getting this Apple Music feature, but it's going to charge extra

The 2023 redesign of Spotify's app
(Image credit: Spotify)

Music streamer Spotify is again tipped to be working on a new tier that will add HiFi-quality audio to its catalog. The new quality will be similar to Apple Music's existing lossless streaming, but whereas it's a free upgrade on Apple's platform that won't be the case with Spotify.

However, while a new tier will be created to support HiFi streaming, it's now reported that there will be other perks for customers to enjoy alongside better quality music.

Among those perks is the ability to listen to audiobooks as a part of the subscription pricing, but it isn't yet clear if the choice will be limited or if a time limit will be applied.

Better quality streaming

Spotify said it was working on HiFi quality streaming back in 2021 but later paused its rollout after Apple Music offered a similar feature for free to all subscribers. Now, Bloomberg reports that Spotify continues to develop the "Supremium" subscription.

"To augment its current 'Premium' tier, Spotify will give subscribers expanded access to audiobooks, either through a specific number of hours free per month or a specific number of titles," Bloomberg reports. "There will be an option to purchase more. Currently, the company only sells audiobooks a la carte through its app. Spotify plans to introduce that feature in the US in October, after first launching in markets abroad."

If customers in the United States will gain support for the new tier in October it isn't yet clear when everyone else will get in on the act, but Bloomberg suggests that international customers will be the first to take the new feature for a spin.

it also isn't clear how much Spotify's new subscription will cost — the Premium plan currently sells for $9.99 per month. Apple Music costs a little more at $10.99 per month.

No matter which service you use, you're going to need some good headphones to get the most out of HiFi-quality audio. Be sure to check out our list of the best headphones around before you make your purchase.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.

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