Spotify will launch a new premium subscription for 18 US dollars per month by the end of the year. According to industry insiders, the service is to be called "Music Pro" and is aimed specifically at particularly dedicated listeners. Key features include higher quality audio, exclusive presale for concert tickets, and advanced features such as an automatic "DJ" mode.

For this purpose, the Swedish streaming company has secured new licenses with Universal Music and Warner Music, whose extensive artist catalogs — from Kendrick Lamar to Taylor Swift — may be used for "Music Pro." It is still open whether Sony Music will come on board. According to negotiation partners, it might take until autumn before all modalities are clarified.

This makes Spotify follow competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music, which have long offered high-resolution ("lossless") audio in their standard package. Actually, Spotify had already announced its own HiFi service in 2021, but delayed the launch several times. Meanwhile, the platform is celebrating other successes: After cutting several thousand jobs, Spotify recently achieved an annual profit for the first time, the stock has almost tripled within a year, and the company is now valued at $130 billion on the stock exchange — more than all three major labels combined.

Additionally, Spotify plans to expand its video sector to compete with YouTube and TikTok. The agreements recently signed with Universal and Warner therefore also include an upgrade in the music video offerings. Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify, has already hinted that the service intends to align more closely with the needs of different target groups in the future to usher in "the next chapter of the music industry." However, critical voices like Midia Research warn against too high hopes: It must be proven that a superfan rate is not just akin to a conventional premium strategy. Yet, at this price, Spotify apparently does not want to take a half-step.