Spotify HiFi

@kiwiscott completely agree with everything you said. The Connect feature utilizing the network and bypassing Bluetooth (for example) while still allowing you to stay in your platform’s app (Tidal/Spotify) is handy and convenient. I also echo your sentiment towards the podcast on Spotify- it was literally like spam be plastered across the landing page. 

To those who care, news dropped this morning. Looking through some of the articles there were a few key points: 

- Internally named "Supremium." 

- Whether high-fidelity is beyond CD-quality is still a mystery (my bet is on CD-quality). 

- Most notably, plan will launch in non-US markets first and then in the US sometime in October, 2023. 

- Pricing unknown, but survey had been sent some time ago to users inquiring about a $19.99 platinum plan. 

Some of the few sources: 

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/spotify-hifi-is-still-coming-but-spotify-supremium-sounds-like-a-bummer

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/20/22746337/spotify-hifi-lossless-new-premium-tier-supremium

Have been forced to use Roon with Tidal and Qobuz to get near the artist content available via Spotity and not suffer hi res quality using Spotify. I have become accustomed to Roon but hate not being able to listen to my playlists in the car or outside my house. I have a massive amount of playlist to convert back to Spotify but look forward to this for sure. Good bye Roon!

I hope this time they make it happen. Will pay premium for HiFi Spotify.

Lossless is rolling out gradually to more than 50 markets through October. Premium subscribers in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US, and the UK have already started to get access.
 

With Lossless, you can now stream tracks in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC

From Spotify Newsroom here.

For what it’s worth, at least we have another option for listeners who prefer the Spotify UI utilizing Connect. Lossless wasn’t available for me (US) this morning. I’ll check back in another four years.