A number of academic studies over the years, for example, have found that most people cannot tell the difference between a CD and a digital file above a minimal threshold.Īudio technology can also be a confusing minefield for lay consumers. Yet the value of high-resolution audio has also been the subject of persistent doubts throughout the industry. You’re not hearing the music the way the artist intended for you to hear it.” What has been lost in all of that is the focus on audio quality. “Listening has never been more convenient. According to an estimate published by The Financial Times in July, it had 32 million subscribers to its music plans, which include Unlimited, its all-you-can-eat offering to compete with Spotify and Apple Music, as well as its more reduced catalog on Prime Music. Amazon, which often targets older consumers and families, has not disclosed its subscriber figures. The move by Amazon could put pressure on the other major services to adapt. Qobuz, a European service that arrived in the United States this year, charges $25 for a plan that includes streaming of files up to 24 bit and 192 kHz in August, Qobuz said it had signed up 25,000 customers in the United States. For $20 a month, Deezer HiFi offers tracks at the equivalent of CD quality, and Tidal has what it calls “master-quality” tracks using the MQA format. Several smaller services do offer high-fidelity audio, of various kinds.

Spotify and Apple, the two biggest players - with 232 million and 56 million users each month, respectively - offer no high-resolution tiers. For the biggest digital music services, high-resolution audio has largely been an afterthought until now.

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