Spotify may finally be ready to debut a premium HiFi audio tier

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 ]
News tagged with: #primary rivals #apple music #pricing hasn #premium plan #audiobook

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Audio Publishers Association: 2024 Audie Awards Shortlist

The Audio Publishers Association's Audie Awards has created an 'APA Choice' honor for high-flying audiobooks. Winners named May 4. The post Audio Publishers Association: 2024 Audie Awards Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-01-30 20:16:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audie awards #publishers association's


Audiobooks Are Booming. Spotify Wants in on the Action.

There are early signs that Spotify’s addition of audiobooks to its streaming service is helping drive audiobook consumption — already a growing market. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-01-29 17:00:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #streaming service #growing market #audiobook


This L.A. flash-fiction star thinks novels are 'saggy.' Her own debut proves her wrong

The debut novel 'Dead in Long Beach, California,' is a sharp, dazzling turn for Compton-raised author Venita Blackburn, who made her name with lightning-fast fiction. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-01-11 11:00:44 UTC ]
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Netflix’s sci-fi adaptation 3 Body Problem finally gets a full-sized trailer

Netflix’s long-anticipated sci-fi series 3 Body Problem finally has a full trailer, following a short teaser released last year. This new trailer is over two minutes long and absolutely filled with exciting moments and tantalizing clues. Watch it below. The show’s based on a hit book series by... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-01-09 20:00:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #follow suit #eiza gonzlez #john bradley #true blood #first novel #book series


Spotify is testing AI-generated playlists

Spotify is testing an AI-powered feature that creates playlists from text prompts. TikTok user @robdad_ posted a short clip of it, captioned, “I just randomly discovered Spotify’s ChatGPT?” For the chosen guinea pigs, the feature is available as an option under Your Library after tapping the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-12-14 18:18:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tech industry #latest chapter #job cuts #audiobook


How brands are combining audio and video formats to boost digital campaign success

Rachel Brooks, associate director of business marketing, global, Spotify Digital media consumers seamlessly transition from audio to video throughout their day — listening to a favorite playlist during a workout or commute, then tuning into video content when relaxing in front of screens at the... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-12-14 15:56:06 UTC ]
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Nancy Silverton Finally Discovered the Joy of Sprinkles

Not only is her latest cookbook her first best seller, the veteran chef has come around to whimsical rainbow flair on baked goods. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-14 10:02:00 UTC ]
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Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser's next projects are a graphic novel and an audio drama

Absurd Ventures, the new creative studio from Rockstar Games co-founder and ex-creative director Dan Houser, has announced its first projects. As it happens, neither of them are video games, at least not yet. The first of these two new universes is called American Caper, which will debut as a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-29 21:02:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creative studio #video games #damaged families #corrupt business #inept politics #bungling crime #coming months #american caper #transmedia enterprises #proper glimpse #keeping houser #rockstar busy #rumors suggest #game awards #comic book #graphic novel


Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser's next projects are a graphic novel and an audio drama

Absurd Ventures, the new creative studio from Rockstar Games co-founder and ex-creative director Dan Houser, has announced its first projects. As it happens, neither of them are video games, at least not yet. The first of these two new universes is called American Caper,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-29 21:02:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creative studio #video games #damaged families #corrupt business #inept politics #bungling crime #coming months #american caper #transmedia enterprises #proper glimpse #keeping houser #rockstar busy #rumors suggest #game awards #comic book #graphic novel


Audible Cyber Monday sale brings a Premium Plus membership down to $6 for the first four months

Today is the last day to get an Audible subscription at a discounted rate for the holidays. A Cyber Monday deal on the audiobook subscription service brings a Premium Plus membership down to just $6 per month for the first four months — that's more than half off the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-27 18:30:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audible subscription #annual premium #deal covers #great option #best-selling title #included titles #exclusive sales #book lover #audiobook


Audible Premium Plus is only $6 for the first four months in an Amazon Black Friday deal

Nearly 30 years after Amazon started as an online bookseller, products like the Kindle and services like Audible have kept quite an emphasis on reading. Now, in the lead-up to Black Friday (which Amazon also really focuses on), the company is running a massive sale on... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-23 17:00:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #deal covers #annual premium #online bookseller #black friday #holiday season #best-selling title #included titles #exclusive sales #kindle


It took 28 years, but this book club finally finished reading Finnegans Wake

After 28 years, a book club in Venice, Calif., has finally finished reading Finnegans Wake by James Joyce — but the club's founder Gerry Fialka would argue you're never really done reading it. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-11-14 22:49:00 UTC ]
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Hogwarts Legacy is finally available for the Switch

After a series of delays, Hogwarts Legacy is now available for the Nintendo Switch console. The wizardly game was released in February for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, with the PS4 and Xbox One versions following in May. The Switch version was also expected during the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-14 19:21:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hundred years #cast spells #brew potions #deluxe edition #cost $70 #sold millions #single nomination #harry potter


Spotify subscribers in the US now get 15 hours of audiobooks every month

In addition to music and podcasts, Spotify has recently been working to cement its presence in the audiobook space. Today, the company announced Premium users in the US will be able to stream 15 hours of free audiobook content monthly as a part of their subscription.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-08 19:20:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wuthering heights #historical romance #play button #purchased titles #makes sense #limited number #audiobook


Spotify’s Streaming Audiobook Service Launches in the U.S.

A little over a month after launching in the U.K. and Australia, Spotify's new streaming audiobook service is now available the U.S., meaning that tens of millions of Spotify premium subscribers now have access to a catalog of more than 200,000 audiobook titles—including titles from all the Big... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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How the meandering legal definition of 'fair use' cost us Napster but gave us Spotify

The internet's "enshittification," as veteran journalist and privacy advocate Cory Doctorow describes it, began decades before TikTok made the scene. Elder millennials remember the good old days of Napster — followed by the much worse old days of Napster being sued into... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-05 15:30:18 UTC ]
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Bologna at Frankfurt: Tour, Audio, and Bestseller Awards

Those busy Bologna Book Fair(s) rolled out a trio of announcements at Frankfurt Book Fair, ahead of the April show in Italy. The post Bologna at Frankfurt: Tour, Audio, and Bestseller Awards appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-26 02:47:15 UTC ]
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To Write Her Debut Novel, Molly McGhee Had to Leave Publishing

On March 11, 2022, Molly McGhee shared a resignation letter on Twitter. She was quitting her job as an assistant editor at Tor, despite the fact that her first acquisition, The Atlas Six, had debuted at number three on the New York Times Bestseller List. She cited “systemwide prejudice against... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-10-20 11:03:00 UTC ]
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3 Ambitious Debut Novels Out This Week

These new debuts—an exploration of power and technology, an odyssey through an imagined metropolis, and a clever murder mystery—announce the arrival of three fiction writers to watch. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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