Deezer is evolving its hi-fi offering and now supports Lossless audio streaming up to 24-bit/192kHz, as recently suggested. This premium quality is included at no additional cost to eligible paying subscribers, while the music platform has so far offered CD-equivalent playback.
Deezer HiFi goes from CD to high-resolution audio
This development allows Deezer to stream certain songs in FLAC up to 24-bit/192kHz. The platform thus maintains its lossless audio format while increasing the maximum resolution available. However, implementation depends on titles, supported devices, and countries in question. Therefore, not all songs will automatically benefit from this maximum quality.
Until now, the HiFi offering was based on the 16-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC format, the standard resolution of an audio CD. FLAC compresses files without removing audio data, unlike MP3 or other audio codecs. The new 24-bit/192 kHz limit corresponds to a higher definition, especially appreciated in compatible installations. To get the most out of it, it is necessary to have an audio system capable of supporting these transmissions.
The history of Deezer HiFi dates back to 2014, with Deezer Elite, an offering designed for Sonos equipment. In September 2017, Deezer expanded its service to other manufacturers, including Bang & Olufsen, Devialet, Onkyo, Pioneer and Yamaha. Renamed Deezer HiFi, this plan then cost 19.99 euros per month and offered lossless FLAC, with a speed of 1,411 kbit/s.
In July 2018, the platform expanded this experience to speakers equipped with Google Assistant. Subscribers can then listen to CD-quality music and play their songs by voice on Google Home and other compatible devices. The goal is to make lossless sound accessible beyond traditional hi-fi systems.
The biggest price change occurs in January 2022: Deezer integrates HiFi quality in the Premium (€11.99/month), Family (€19.99/month) and Student (€5.99/month) subscriptions, at no additional cost. In February of the same year, the service announced that it would offer 90 million HiFi titles, up from 70 million previously, thus covering almost its entire catalog at the time.
What does moving to 24-bit/192 kHz change?
This new step brings Deezer in line with services that already offer high-resolution audio, including Apple Music and Tidal, whose streams can also reach 24-bit/192kHz. The difference will now come down to song availability, equipment compatibility and listening conditions.
Maximum resolution alone does not guarantee an audible difference for all users. The result depends especially on the original recording, the equipment and the listening conditions. However, Deezer is evolving its offering without imposing a surcharge on eligible subscribers, an important point as high resolution gradually becomes a feature of paid music subscriptions.
