Each time music enthusiasts log in to Spotify, they are reminded that a lossless audio category is missing, even though the Swedish audio streaming company announced a HiFi tier nearly four years ago. According to Bloomberg, the HiFi tier could come as soon as the end of this year and Spotify is finalising details, including streaming rights.

Spotify may charge as much as $5.99 a month on top of existing subscriptions for a super-fan streaming service that will include higher-quality audio, remixing tools and access to concert tickets.

So it’s much more than just lossless audio… it’s more like a Music Pro tier. The pricing and timeline are yet to be finalised and depend on negotiating rights from all major music companies. Further, prices for Music Pro will vary by geography, with the cost lower in less-developed markets.

Spotify’s Premium tier starts at $11.99 per month before family or student discounts in the US. On the other hand, Apple Music includes lossless streaming in its base price, but Spotify reportedly plans to justify the extra charge by including more features in Music Pro.

Earlier this month, the company signed a new multi-year licensing agreement with Warner Music Group to secure future streaming rights and help “shape the future of audio-visual streaming”, with HiFi presumably included in that plan. Spotify signed a similar deal with Universal Music Group in late January, with UMG specifically teasing HiFi streaming and offering further ideas of what a “superfan” music service could offer.

If a Music Pro tier comes in, subscribers will be able to mix songs from different artistes. Some of the features will take the help of artificial intelligence. The Swedish company held preliminary talks with major promoters and ticket sellers but is yet to finalise plans, reports Bloomberg.

It appears that major music companies want streaming companies to charge more as growth in major markets like the US has slowed down. US recorded music sales grew 4 per cent in the first half of last year, the slowest pace in almost a decade. But Spotify managed to turn in its best year of user growth in 2024 and posted an annual profit for the first time. The music streaming service is attracting new users from markets in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Amazon Music Unlimited also offers higher-quality audio, and services like Tidal and SoundCloud offer some remixing tools. But Spotify is the biggest audio service by a wide margin, with 675 million users and more than 250 million paying subscribers.

The new plan could be rolled out in phases and Spotify will probably test many options over the year.