If HiFi isn’t coming soon, Spotify has helped me decide to quit.
Spotify has been on my mind lately, as it has for many others, wondering if they want to keep using it. When it comes to my music listening habits in the future, Spotify has some solid justifications for why I shouldn’t stay, with the recent announcement being the clinching piece of evidence.
Also read In less than a minute, learn how to fold a fitted sheet
Not the main Spotify Joe Rogan issue nor the removal of one of my favourite artists’ catalogues, but the fact that Spotify is still unable to offer a timetable for the introduction of its long-promised HiFi membership tier for higher-quality audio.
There’s no set timetable for Spotify to introduce HiFi quality, CEO Daniel Ek said on an investor call (via 9to5Mac), but the firm is in “constant dialogue” to bring the product to market.
Since I’ve been travelling to work by public transportation for the past four years, I’ve been using Spotify, but I’d been wondering what I was losing out on because of the service’s lower-quality audio. That, plus the fact that I’ve heard that other platforms pay their artists (little) more per stream. As a result of musicians leaving Spotify in protest, there appeared to be no better time than the present to try out a new service and see what it has to offer.
Trying out Tidal and Apple Music
Apple Music (three months) and Tidal HiFi Plus (three months) both offer free trials (one month). Only a few tracks and musicians that I’m already aware with from Thundercat and Interpol pre-Carlos Dengler have piqued my interest on either service. There is no doubt in my mind that I am a fan of unconventional bassists.
It was instantly apparent that Spotify was superior to Apple Music or Tidal. When listening to tracks like “Lava Lamp” or “Obstacle 1” in the HiFi, Apple Lossless, and Master format, it seemed as though sections of the music were missing. Details like Thundercat’s falsetto harmony’s several layers or Dengler putting superfluous yet exquisite embellishments into his basslines were missing from Spotify versions of the album. Spotify’s deep foam pillars chew away at areas of the audio, making it seem like the band is performing right in front of you.
Spotify HiFi will reportedly be an additional tier above Premium, competing with Tidal’s HiFi Plus membership which allows access to Master recordings and other high bit rate formats. This complicates things even more. It would be difficult to justify paying an additional fee for HiFi even if Spotify offered it tomorrow, as opposed to paying the same amount for Apple Music or Tidal and receiving the best quality alternatives for free.
My main gripe with Apple Music and Tidal was their user interfaces. Even while my comfort with Spotify’s interface may play a role in my dislike of Tidal’s currently playing menu, there are a few more annoyances I’d like to point out. On top of that, the higher card sizes on Apple Music make it more time-consuming to browse songs and playlists. I suppose I could put up with this, if only for the sake of being able to appreciate even the most well-known songs with more depth.
When compared to the risk that Spotify is broadcasting deadly falsehoods, Spotify’s inability to specify when its high-quality audio will be accessible to consumers is a small issue Even if it does the unthinkable and provides a solution that appeases both current supporters and those who have defected, I can no longer see myself returning. I like the superior sound quality offered by other services, and I don’t see any need to stick with Spotify until it can equal that.
There is still a lot of time remaining in my free trial of either Apple Music or Tidal to make up my mind, and I’m grateful for that. Read other TG authors opinions on Apple Music versus Spotify and why migrating from Spotify to Tidal has its advantages as well as disadvantages.