Amazon Music HD Launches, Spotify Says ‘Users Don’t Care’
[UPDATED] Amazon Music is rolling out an HD music services at an attractive price point aimed at bringing high-quality lossless streaming to the masses. Amazon Music HD will launch in US, UK, Germany, and Japan this week, beating Spotify and Apple Music to HD streaming.
Priced at $14.99 per month and $12.99 for Prime members. That's just $5 more than regular Amazon Music subscriptions. Amazon Music HD pricing bests Tidal's $19.99 per month HD offering by 25%. There is also a $19.99 family plan.
Amazon HD Music is currently offering a 90-day free trial.
Amazon HD Music launches with 50 million HD tracks (CD-quality, 16-bit 44.1kHz tracks) including “millions” of tracks in Ultra HD ranging from 24-bit tracks to 192kHz. The HD service will be compatible with audio products from “Denon and Marantz with HEOS Built-in, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Sonos, McIntosh, Sennheiser, and many more.”
Spotify Responds
"Never say never," but don't expect Spotify to launch an HD streaming service any time soon, Paul Vogel, Spotify's Finance VP told investors at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference Tuesday morning. Asked to react to the Amazon Music HD launch, Vogel said that, while Spotify had looked at HD streaming, it was not the roadmap because users "simply don't care" about higher-quality streaming.
Spotify is in their feelings lol. Besides Amazon Payouts are way More than Spotify when it comes to being an artist such as my self.
There’s a lethargy in the detail of Spotify’s response which is really grating – annoying in fact. Like, they could be selling tins of beans, instead of music, the content AND quality of which is PARAMOUNT. People who LOVE music care about the standard of the form they listen to it in. Nothing could be more important. The answer says SO much about the current industry and what the streaming services have done to it.
I have both and Apple music which I get free. No question Amazon has a nicer Fuller, richer more rounded sound. The only reason I signed up for HD is because Spotify doesn’t offer it. It’s still cheaper to pay the $12.99 monthly vs buying FLAC music. I paid $15 for one FLAC album and that was with a promo code. I’m honestly debating on cancelling Spotify family and moving everyone to Amazon music hd. The only reason I’m debating the switch is Spotify integration in to do many things.. although we have Amazon fire TV and cubes and echo auto in the car..