It puts even more space between Apple Music and the rest of the competition, many of whom won't have this higher-quality tier to subscribe to. Spotify's popularity could well mean the difference in sound quality isn't enough to jump ship. The announcement could seriously worry the likes of Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited, even though it doesn't quite hit the quality levels of Hi-Res, higher bit-rate audio those services offer. Up until now, Spotify audio was limited at 320kbps, unlike CDs, which max out at 1,411kbps – and the upgrade should offer far higher levels of detail and clarity for those with discerning ears. Spotify says that 'high quality music streaming is consistently one of the most requested new features by our users', and it's little wonder when you consider how many other streaming services have already offered this for years.

In an effort to undercut the competition, Spotify could price its HiFi streaming tier at around $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$16 per month, compared to Amazon's $14.99 / £14.99 and Tidal's $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 Hi-Res streaming tiers.

Spotify hifi listening test