Rumors about a Spotify HiFi tier have been around since at least 2017, and the company even announced plans to launch such a feature in 2021 — only to back off the next year. Now, the company may finally be ready to launch a high-fidelity plan (dubbed "Supremium" internally) that would be its most expensive tier, according to Bloomberg. The aim would be to drive more revenue and address investor demands that it raise its prices. Spotify reportedly delayed rolling out the plan back in 2021 as two of its primary rivals, Apple Music and Amazon Music, started including the feature for no charge in their standard plans. In addition, Spotify may enhance its regular Premium offering with expanded audiobook access, either through a certain number of free hours per month or a specific number of books (with an option to purchase more). Audiobooks are currently only available on Spotify via individual purchases. There's no word on whether audio would be lossless at up to 24-bit and 192kHz, as it is on Apple Music and Amazon Music. Lossless audio generally doesn't work on Bluetooth speakers or headphones (including Apple's AirPods and AirPods Max), due to the high bandwidth, so users need a wired or WiFi setup.Pricing hasn't been revealed, either. Spotify has kept its Premium plan at $9.99/month in the US, unlike Apple and Amazon, which raised their rates to $10.99. CEO Daniel Ek said in a recent earnings call that the company tries to balance subscriber growth with revenue, so... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2023-06-20 12:38:47 UTC ]
Each month, for your literary listening pleasure, our friends at AudioFile Magazine bring us the cream of the audiobook crop. Now, at 2024 draws to a close, they’ve rounded up the very best audiobooks of the year. Happy listening and happy holidays! * BEST FICTION AUDIOBOOKS FOR 2024 AudioFile’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-12-06 09:56:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Spotify for Authors, an analytics and promotion platform for the company's audiobook division, will offer demographic data about listeners, author profile pages, and redemption codes for reviewers, among other features. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Bloomsbury Opens an Audiobook Distribution Agreement With Spotify The post Bloomsbury Opens an Audiobook Distribution Agreement With Spotify appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-11-22 22:27:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Amazon moves to shore up Audible against Spotify's audiobook success, plus a power ranking of the books of 1994, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-11-20 16:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
As of today, subscribers to Amazon Music Unlimited in the U.S., UK, and Canada can now listen to one audiobook per month from Audible's catalog for free. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-19 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
November is in full swing, which means Black Friday is right around the corner. But the days in which you had to wait for Black Friday proper to get good deals have long been behind us. The holiday shopping season is effectively the entire month of November now, with early Black Friday deals... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-14 17:34:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Black Friday may technically just be one day, but it’s evolved to consume the entire month of November in the US at this point. For the past few years, retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target have ushered in the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier, and this year is no different. Early... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-12 15:35:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Black Friday may technically just be one day, but it’s evolved to consume the entire month of November in the US at this point. For the past few years, retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target have ushered in the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier, and this year is no different. Early... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-10 18:29:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this
With each passing year, Black Friday seems to turn more and more into "Black November," with many retailers starting their holiday sales weeks before the day itself. But while the bombardment of promos can be annoying, it also presents a good chance to beat the rush and finish holiday shopping... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-08 17:19:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this
There are really two types of ereaders: Dedicated ebook/audiobook devices or slabs that are more akin to small tablets with E Ink screens. In the first category, the competition is really between Amazon’s Kindle devices and Rakuten’s Kobo readers. Ereaders in the latter group include entries... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-07 08:00:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Black Friday may technically just be one day, but it’s evolved to consume the entire month of November in the US at this point. For the past few years, retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target have ushered in the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier, and this year is no different. Early... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-06 16:13:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Amazon completely revamped its Kindle family in October when it debuted the entirely new Colorsoft ereader along with updated generations of the other three existing models: the standard Kindle, the Paperwhite and the Scribe E Ink tablet. The new Paperwhite has a slightly larger screen, a bigger... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-04 16:30:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Black Friday may technically just be one day, but it’s evolved to consume the entire month of November in the US at this point. For the past few years, retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target have ushered in the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier, and this year is no different. Black... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-04 15:30:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this
With each passing year, Black Friday seems to turn more and more into "Black November," with many retailers starting their holiday sales weeks before the day itself. But while the bombardment of promos can be annoying, it also presents a good chance to beat the rush and finish holiday shopping... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-01 16:30:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Well, it finally happened. After years of waiting and requests, Amazon debuted the $280 Kindle Colorsoft, its first ereader with a color display. The company’s ereaders have dominated this space since the original Kindle came out 17 years ago, but in this case, it feels like Amazon is playing... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-30 13:15:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this
If you’ve ever tried listening to your favorite playlist only to have it drowned out by chatty commuters, airplane engines or other distracting noises, you might want to consider some headphones with active noise cancelation (ANC). Whether you’re working in a bustling coffee shop, catching a... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-30 09:00:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The new cloud-based software platform, founded by Spanish-language audiobook industry veteran Juliana Rueda Gutierrez, offers an audiobook production option that integrates management, recording, and quality control into a single interface. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The comedian Jenny Slate reads the audiobook version of “Lifeform,” her new memoir about parenting. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-10-23 09:02:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Spotify has expanded its audiobook service to four new non-English speaking markets: France, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The localized catalog includes 15,000 titles in French and 15,000 in Dutch and Flemish. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this