Rumors of Spotify’s upcoming “Superpremium” offering are gaining traction as new details emerge. Tech enthusiast, Chris Messina, recently uncovered references in Spotify’s app code that suggest the Superpremium service will boast more than just the highly anticipated 24-bit lossless audio. It will also offer AI playlist generation tools, advanced mixing capabilities, extra hours of audiobook listening, and a personalized service called “Your Sound Capsule.”
Key Takeaway
Spotify is rumored to be launching a new “Superpremium” service that will include 24-bit lossless audio, AI playlist generation, advanced mixing tools, additional hours of audiobook listening, and a personalized offering called “Your Sound Capsule.”
Messina’s discovery of AI playlists earlier this week, which allow users to create unique playlists using prompts, was met with silence from Spotify. The company did not confirm any new features at the time, maintaining their policy of not commenting on potential updates.
The references to the Superpremium brand have been found in Spotify’s code in the past. A few weeks ago, a Reddit user by the name of Hypixely shared screenshots of Spotify’s code, indicating that the new tier would cost $19.99 per month and would include AI playlists and lossless audio. Interestingly, the code no longer refers to the lossless audio as “HiFi,” a premium service that was originally planned but never launched.
During Spotify’s Q2 earnings call, CEO Daniel Ek hinted at the potential of a HiFi service. He mentioned that although HiFi would be valuable to streaming connoisseurs, it would need to cater to a broader audience to increase its overall value. It seems that Spotify has reevaluated its strategy to ensure widespread appeal.
In addition to lossless audio, Messina’s findings also suggest Superpremium users will be able to filter their music library by mood, activity, or genre. Additional filtering options include vibe and beats per minute. Messina also notes that Superpremium subscribers will have access to 20-30 hours of audiobook listening, surpassing the recently announced 15 free hours available with the Premium subscription.
Regarding features previously uncovered by the Reddit user, Messina discovered a Superpremium function called “Soundcheck” that allows users to explore their listening habits and discover a personalized mix of sounds. However, this feature is now referred to as “Your Sound Capsule.” It is believed that this feature may be related to Spotify’s “playlist in a bottle” experience, launched earlier this year. Messina’s findings also reveal references to something named “Highlights,” which seems to resemble Last.fm-like listening statistics.
When reached for comment, Spotify declined to offer any additional information on these new discoveries. A spokesperson for the company stated, “At Spotify, we are constantly iterating and ideating to improve our product offering and offer value to users. But we don’t comment on speculation around possible new features and do not have anything new to share at this time.”
