If you were hoping that 2024 was going to be the year that Spotify finally released its “Hi-Fi” lossless or Hi-Res Audio platform — prepare to be disappointed once again. We know that there are still 7 months left in the year, but how could one be optimistic at this point. We still think TIDAL, Qobuz, and Apple Music are better options if you care about sound quality.
Spotify also decided to raise prices again for its Premium Individual Plan, which will not make subscribers happy as it is the second increase in a year (July 2023 and June 2024) without any real improvement to the overall product.
Some consumers will support the increase if that means additional revenue will be shared with artists, but we must have missed that in their press release.
All of this begs a serious question — Is Spotify ever going to make a profit and have they already decided to ditch the “HiFi” option?
How it shakes out is that the Premium Individual Plan is being increased by $1 from $10.99 to $11.99 per month, and the Premium Family Plan is being increased by $3 from $16.99 to $19.99 per month.
Here is how Spotify subscription prices now shake out:
Spotify Premium Plans
All Spotify Premium plans include (as of June 2024):
- Ad-free music listening
- Download to listen offline
- Ad-free music listening
- Download to listen offline
- Play songs in any order
- Listen with friends in real-time
- Organize listening queue
- High audio quality (not be confused with a Spotify HiFi tier that never released).
Spotify Premium Individual: $11.99 per month
- Cancel anytime
- 15 hours/month of listening time from the Spotify audiobooks subscriber catalog
Spotify Premium Student: $5.99 per month
- 1 verified Premium account
- Discount for eligible students
- Access to Hulu
- Cancel anytime
Spotify Premium Duo: $16.99 per month
- 2 Premium accounts
- Cancel anytime
- 15 hours/month of listening time from our audiobooks subscriber catalog (plan manager only)
Spotify Premium Family: $19.99 per month
- Up to 6 Premium or Kids accounts
- Control content marked as explicit
- Access to Spotify Kids
- Cancel anytime
- 15 hours/month of listening time from our audiobooks subscriber catalog (plan manager only)
Other Spotify Plans available in the U.S. include:
Feature Comparison
| Spotify Free plan | Spotify Premium plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | FREE | $11.99+ |
| Ads | With Ads | No Ads |
| Download to listen offline | – | ✓ |
| Play songs in any order | – | ✓ |
| Audio quality | Basic: 160 kbps | High: 320 kbps |
| Listen with friends in real time | – | ✓ |
| Organize listening queue | – | ✓ |
| Audiobooks Access | – | 15 hours/month |
However, what is missing from the above plan list is the Spotify HiFi tier which was first announced in February 2021, and ever since that date it has been postponed, and postponed, and postponed.
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