Limited Content, Affordable Devices Impeding Hi-Res Adoption: Futuresource
Mainstream adoption of hi-res audio is “closer than ever,” but obstacles remain, Futuresource emailed Tuesday. Fewer than 3 million songs are available in hi-res audio vs. more than 60 million in 16-bit CD quality, it said, and Spotify and Apple…
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-- the two largest streaming services -- don’t have hi-res offerings. Apple could replicate Amazon’s approach with the hi-res Amazon Music HD and high-end Echo Studio smart speaker, blogged analyst Alexandre Jornod. Though most high-res music services have aligned their subscriptions to match Amazon Music HD’s $15-per-month fee, that’s still $5 more a month than a standard subscription, said Futuresource: “It remains too expensive for most consumers," especially considering the "limited" hi-res content available, it said. The number of hi-res playback devices has largely been reserved for the high-end, it noted, though speakers from Amazon and Sonos are changing that. Another limiter is that as home-produced music increases, most artists stick with CD-quality when delivering content, Jornod said. Futuresource research shows consumers want better-quality audio, which could also be a differentiator in the competitive streaming space, he said.