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- Spotify is about to launch a HiFi music streaming tier.
- Most people won't hear any difference between regular and lossless music.
- You're more likely to hear the difference on competing streaming services.
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Spotify is about to add a new lossless HiFi tier to its music streaming plans, but you almost certainly won't be able to hear the difference.
Spotify first announced its super-premium plan in 2021, but it never launched. Now it's back, but it looks like it might be too little, too late. Rivals Apple and Amazon already have a lossless option included in the price of their standard plans, so charging extra would seem to be a losing proposition. And as we shall see, most users won't benefit anyway. In fact, there are significant downsides to streaming these extra-large files.
"Yes, there is definitely a difference between lossless audio and lossy audio, but I actually do not believe the average user will be able to tell the difference. The average music fan, especially on a streaming service, enjoys his or her music on the go—listening to it on relatively cheap earbuds and headphones," Michael L. Moore, creator of the Devoted to Vinyl website, told Lifewire via email.
Lossless, Lossy, HiFi?
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Streamed music is compressed to reduce the data required to stream it, just like MP3s were compressed to save space on computers that had limited storage compared to today. This compression works by throwing away data, which is why is it called "lossy" encoding. But the conversion is done in a way that exploits the idiosyncrasies of the human ear and brain.
In short, it's very hard to tell the difference between lossy and lossless recordings. If you are listening on earbuds or a Bluetooth speaker, then it's even worse. Bluetooth itself uses lossy compression to reduce bandwidth.
"You need very good equipment to hear a difference in audio, and that does not just mean good speakers. You also need an audio interface with high-quality AD/DA converters, a good amplifier, and more importantly, an acoustically treated room. This last aspect is often neglected by many, and without it, it’s impossible to hear a difference," music journalist and musician Eloy Caudet told Lifewire via email. "This makes sense for audiophiles or professional engineers, but not for the 90% of people who are just consumers. You won't hear a difference through your iPhone or Bluetooth headphones—there are too many weak points in the audio signal chain."
Lossless, or HiFi, or whatever it is called, does have uses. Musicians need the highest-quality uncompressed possible so they can mix and master the audio without it falling apart in the process. But for plain listening, lossy MP3 and AAC files are more than fine.
Tidal
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It gets worse. Music is mastered for its destination format. Mastering means EQ and audio compression (reducing the range between the quietest and loudest parts) are applied. With vinyl, the bass is dramatically cut to stop the needle from jumping out of the groove (bass is added back on playback). With FM radio and CDs, tracks were heavily compressed to make them sound louder than the competition. And streaming?
"Today’s popular music is usually mixed with streaming services in mind, using less dynamic range and focusing on translating across popular formats like wireless earbuds, laptop speakers and the car. With most wireless setups, all audio is converted to a lossy format, meaning you probably won’t be hearing a difference. The audio has been mixed to sound great in these common lossy settings," professional musician and audio expert Alex Mak told Lifewire via email. "Companies like Apple recognize this, which is why you often see older albums sold as Mastered for iTunes. The albums are remastered with today’s lossy formats in mind," says Mak.
So what do you do to get better sound? What I did was switch to Tidal, where even the basic tier sound better than the Apple Music versions. Tidal's tracks sound noticeably better, and it isn't because of lossiness or losslessness. It's because Tidal's mixing and mastering is different, and usually makes music sound better.
Lossless is little more than a marketing gimmick, then. The trick is to find the music-streaming service you like the sound of because the differences in how they master and stream their songs will be a lot bigger than the difference between lossy and lossless streaming. If you don't like Spotify, forget about its upcoming HiFi plan, and try Tidal or Apple Music instead to see if you prefer that.
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