SPOTIFY IS TESTING LOSSLESS AUDIO. CAN YOU HEAR THE DIFFERENCE?

SPOTIFY IS TESTING LOSSLESS AUDIO. CAN YOU HEAR THE DIFFERENCE?

by Frank Bi and Andrew Marino Apr 5, 2017, 12:11pm EDT

Illustrations by William Joel / The Verge

Is lossless audio really worth it?

In March, Spotify briefly A/B tested a new lossless audio version of its streaming service. Spotted by Reddit users and confirmed to The Verge by a source inside Spotify, the new tier, currently dubbed Spotify Hi-Fi, will cost an additional $5 to $10 a month on top of the service’s $10 monthly price for its premium ad-free streaming service. Though a Spotify spokesperson declined to confirm the existence of the new tier, the move would not be unexpected; streaming service competitor Tidal already offers high-fidelity streaming for $19.99 a month.

Up until now, Spotify has compressed audiodown to a bitrate of 160 kbps on desktop or 96 kbps on mobile devices — Spotify calls this rate “normal.” Paid subscribers also have a “high quality” option of 320 kbps audio on desktop. High-fidelity or lossless audio has a significantly higher bitrate of 1,411 kbps.

When a song is compressed, an algorithm removes bits from the track that it believes the human ear can’t pick up, which reduces the overall file size. So objectively speaking, there’s less audio there for your ear to interpret. Lossless audio cuts less bits.

But in actuality, the difference is very difficult to discern. Couple that with a range in the quality of soundcards and speakers, and it’s almost impossible for the average listener to pick which is which. Can you tell the difference?

Below are three songs, each presented in three different versions: a lossless version at 1,411 kbps, a “premium” version at 320 kbps, and standard version at 160 kbps. Try and see if you can pick the lossless audio out of the three.

Comments

MARTIN GARRIX CONFIRMS FRIDAY’S NEW RELEASE IS “BYTE” WITH BROOKS

MARTIN GARRIX CONFIRMS FRIDAY’S NEW RELEASE IS “BYTE” WITH BROOKS MATTHEW MEADOW APRIL 4, 2017 FEATURED NEWS If there was any doubt what Martin Garrix’s Friday release was going to be, that’s all gone now. Martin Garrix shared a string of numbers on Twitter this morning that may seem random if you’re not well versed in binary, but if you are, then you know that this spells “Byte” in no uncertain terms. There was an April Fool’s joke going around that the release could be “Rewind Repeat It,” but as with Swedish House Mafia reuniting or Daft Punk touring, that rumor was quickly squashed. “Byte” was debuted by Garrix at this year’s Ultra Music Festival. You can listen to the full set from Garrix below.

Harry Styles, I Had Such High Hopes For Your 1st Song

Harry Styles, I Had Such High Hopes For Your 1st Song — But I’m Just Not Here For It: At the risk of being attacked by Harry Styles fans, I’m just going to say it — I’m really not feeling his new song, you guys! Let me explain… From the moment Harry Styles, 23, announced the release date of his new song, “Sign of the Times”, I began counting down the days. I couldn’t wait to hear what the One Direction singer had been working on over the last year, and the first thing I did when I woke up for work at 5:00 a.m. on April 7 was hit play. Unfortunately, I wasn’t exactly thrilled by what I heard. Don’t get me wrong — from the very first note, I nearly melted by the sexy sound of Harry’s voice filling my headphones once again (he sounds AMAZING), and I fully appreciate the fact that he’s finally putting out the music he wants to. “Sign of the Times” is an incredibly mature song, with a sound that compares to that of Queen, Bon Iver or David Bowie, but it just feels like Harry’s try...

BREAKING: FIRST SINGLE FROM AVICII’S FORTHCOMING THIRD ALBUM LEAKS

BREAKING: FIRST SINGLE FROM AVICII’S FORTHCOMING THIRD ALBUM LEAKS MATTHEW MEADOW APRIL 1, 2017 FOR THE LULZ NEWS After teasing new material on Instagram and social media for the past couple months, the first single from Avicii’s forthcoming third album has leaked online. Titled “Rise From The Ashes,” the song’s intent is clear as day. After retiring from touring, Avicii buckled down and hit the studio harder than ever, and we’ve been expecting new music and a new album this year. “Rise From The Ashes” features soft guitar plucks and swelling chords, evoking an image of a man broken down and distraught clawing his way back to salvation. As expected, this new song is a little less EDM, and a bit more along the lines of his last album, infusing indie folk and blue grass with pop and electronic influences. The song is breathtakingly beautiful, despite being outside the normal “EDM” realm. Listen to the song below now, before it inevitably gets ...

Music

Search This Blog