If you’re looking to subscribe to a lossless streaming service, then it might be time to look into Spotify’s tier years. This allows you to get a year’s worth of Spotify at the lowest price possible. It’s also an option that might make sense if you’re already signed up to a service that offers lossless streaming.
Amazon Music HD
Amazon Music HD is a new music streaming tier for Amazon’s unlimited service. It’s available in the US, Germany, Japan, and the UK. It’s a better version of the company’s standard music service, and a great way to sample high fidelity music.
In short, it’s an add-on to the Unlimited service that includes a lossless, ad-free, high-definition, music-streaming experience. If you don’t mind a limited library, it’s cheaper than its rivals and a great way to hear songs you wouldn’t otherwise be able to listen to.
In addition to the aforementioned “smart-sounding” feature, it’s also easy to use. There are playlists, radio stations, and more. You can stream directly from the web browser or via a dedicated desktop app. The service even works on Fire tablets and Echo speakers.
The company says that you can listen to more than seven million songs in Ultra HD quality, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also an expanding collection of 3D songs on Echo Studio. However, not all devices support the service.
The music is encoded using the lossless FLAC codec. The files are at least 320kbps, which is double the bitrate of what you’ll find in most other services. It’s also worth noting that the quality of these streams isn’t perfect. Some tracks have sample rates as low as 44.1kHz.
As for audio quality, you’ll need a device capable of supporting a dynamic range of at least 20 kHz. The company says it’s a good idea to have a good broadband connection. The minimum data speed is 1.5 Mbps.
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can take advantage of a free trial of Amazon Music HD. That’s a nice touch, as it gives you a chance to test the high-res audio streaming service before you subscribe.
There’s also a free, 30-day trial of the Amazon Music HD service, available to all Unlimited subscribers in the US, Canada, and Japan. During this time, you’ll get to test out the features and see how the company’s hi-res streaming service compares to the competition.
Tidal HiFi
Tidal is the best music streaming service for audiophiles. It offers high-resolution audio with lossless streaming and Dolby Atmos. Plus, its music catalog includes a large selection of tracks from a wide variety of genres.
It has 80 million tracks in its library. It has been a popular choice for audiophiles for years. But the company has been forced to diversify its subscription offerings to lure new users.
In November of 2021, Tidal split its subscription services into three tiers. The free tier will still include ad-supported music. But for an additional $10 a month, you can upgrade to HiFi. It’s worth it, as HiFi gives you lossless audio as well as extra features.
In 2022, Tidal will also begin a direct-to-artist initiative. In this new program, 10% of your monthly subscription fee will go directly to the artists that you listen to the most. That is great news for your favorite artists!
It’s also worth mentioning that Spotify’s “HiFi” tier is coming soon. While Spotify hasn’t revealed its technical specifications, it does promise to support CD-quality streams. The exact release date is not yet set, but it’s expected in the near future.
For now, Tidal has two tiers: a standard plan and a Premium tier. The standard plan is ad-free and comes with offline downloads, while the Premium plan is not ad-free, but it includes higher-quality audio. You can try both tiers for a full month.
In its early days, Tidal was owned by a group of musicians. Later, Square acquired the company for $300 million. Since then, the company has expanded to 61 countries. Aspiro, a Norwegian-Swedish tech company, also owns WiMP.
While Tidal hasn’t announced a price or an exact launch date for the HiFi tier, it’s likely that you’ll get a free trial of the service, just like you do with the Standard tier. If you want to be among the first to try the HiFi tier, you can sign up for a TestFlight account.
With the introduction of the Direct Artist Payouts initiative, Tidal is now an excellent option for those looking to make some serious money for their favorite artists. Its subscription plans are also very affordable.
Spotify vs TIDAL
When it comes to streaming music, Spotify and TIDAL both have their share of benefits. For one, both services offer high-resolution audio. However, there are a lot of differences between the two. For instance, Spotify’s features are better at finding new songs for you to listen to. This is because of their algorithms.
On the other hand, TIDAL has a plethora of playlists and videos. They also pay artists more than Spotify does. TIDAL also allows users to download their music files for offline listening.
TIDAL has a much larger catalog, including over 90 million tracks. It is ideal for people with high-end stereo systems. It is compatible with Apple Carplay.
TIDAL also offers a free tier. Its free plan is the best in the industry. It includes an ad-supported subscription to SHOWTIME and Hulu. It also includes over 4 million podcasts.
While Spotify is an incredibly popular service in some countries, it does not have as many options as TIDAL. It is still a good platform for discovering new music. For example, it provides users with an algorithmically designed static playlist called “Your Time Capsule”.
The “Daily Mix” playlist is similar to the My Mix playlist in TIDAL. It is a compilation of songs you have listened to a lot recently. It is also a nice way to discover more obscure artists.
Although Spotify does not offer a dedicated video section, its streaming quality is impressive. You can stream music to numerous Wi-Fi devices. It also supports Android Auto. This feature makes it easier to navigate through your music library in your car.
The UI is easy to use. It has a dark theme with plenty of options. You can browse by genre, mood, and activities. You can create an artist playlist, too.
Its algorithms can suggest music based on your tastes. It also features a chart showing you which songs are new. The “Wrapped” feature is a fun animation that tells you about your favorite artists and songs.
However, its social features are limited. It does not let you see what your friends are listening to.
Spotify’s CEO fails to confirm if it will launch in 2022
The CEO of Spotify, Daniel Ek, spoke on the company’s earnings call this month. However, he failed to clarify when the company will launch a new HiFi tier for subscribers.
This tier would allow users to stream high-fidelity audio, including lossless audio. The company originally announced that it would have hi-res tiers in late 2017, but they have not launched yet. In the meantime, artists like Neil Young have pulled their music from the service.
Apple Music and Amazon Music have both launched hi-res tiers, but they don’t require an annual subscription. The company is now working to get the HiFi tier off the ground.
The CEO of Spotify, Daniel Ek, said that the streaming platform is in “constant dialogue” with music labels, but it is unclear when the tier will go live. He also noted that licensing is a huge hurdle for the tier.
As a result, Ek wrote a memo to his employees about the decision. He encouraged them to think about the issues of free speech. He urged them to ask themselves whether the company’s decision represented its values.
Last month, a thread about the lossless feature on Spotify exploded into hundreds of angry posts. Several musicians, including singer-songwriter Thom Yorke, asked why they were paid a fraction of what they should be. This was especially true for artists who were underpaid for the work they put into their albums.
A day after Ek’s letter, Spotify announced plans to invest $100 million in diversity on its platform. This would allow the company to add more video content and support more diverse artists. It would also be a sign of the company’s commitment to multiracial society.
In addition to the HiFi tier, Spotify announced that it will upload more than 120,000 tracks a day in 2022. This will bring its total music catalog to more than 100 million tracks.
Despite its criticisms, Spotify has continued to be an important force in the world of music and technology. It has a huge catalog of songs and podcasts, and its subscribers are now over 195 million.