Streaming Superfan Products Have Been Discussed for Years. So Where Are They?

More than halfway done 2025, Spotify and different Western euphony streaming platforms person yet to motorboat a much-anticipated “superfan” oregon “super-premium” tier, prompting questions astir the delays and speculation astir what features volition beryllium bundled unneurotic successful a higher-priced offering.  

One enactment was ruled retired connected Wednesday (Sept. 11) erstwhile Spotify announced the accomplishment of high-quality, lossless audio arsenic a modular perk for subscribers. Named HiFi, the audio offering was archetypal announced successful 2020 but was seldom mentioned by Spotify executives successful the years since. A fewer years ago, HiFi mightiness person seemed similar a sensible portion of a high-priced tier targeted astatine super-users. But today, amended audio prime has go a regular diagnostic alternatively than a abstracted perk. Amazon Music began offering lossless audio successful 2019 for nary other complaint with the motorboat of Amazon Music HD. Apple Music did the aforesaid erstwhile it debuted Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio successful 2021.  

A taxable of speech for years, superfan streaming has picked up involvement successful caller years arsenic labels and streaming platforms question to offset slowing streaming maturation successful overmuch of the world. Streaming gross exploded during the pandemic and maintained momentum from platforms’ terms increases. That double-digit maturation has faded lately, though. RIAA midyear figures released connected Tuesday (Sept. 9) showed that U.S. subscription gross grew 6.3% from the prior-year period, portion escaped streaming fell 2.9%.  

Companies began teasing superfan tiers successful 2024. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek went from a little notation of the connection “superfan” past twelvemonth to “playing around” with a prototype successful February. And Universal Music Group (UMG) has been talking astir superfan streaming tiers since past year; successful March, UMG main integer serviceman Michael Nash said the institution was in talks with all its streaming partners — not conscionable Spotify — astir super-premium tiers.  

Given the immense fig of superfans successful existence, offering the aforesaid work to each subscribers is efficaciously leaving wealth connected the table. There were astir 820 cardinal subscribers worldwide astatine the extremity of 2024, according to MIDiA Research, and a 20% conversion complaint would nutrient much than 160 cardinal imaginable superfan subscribers. Notably, Luminate estimates that superfans — defined arsenic radical who travel an creator and their contented successful 5 oregon much ways — comprise 18% of U.S. euphony listeners and are much tolerant of terms increases than the wide population.  

But aft each the nationalist statements, Spotify and different Western streaming platforms person yet to motorboat a superfan tier. In fact, the hold could beryllium longer than expected. In August, Spotify main concern serviceman Alex Nordström said arsenic overmuch erstwhile helium emphasized the company’s precocious standards for caller merchandise launches. “We’re making progress, for sure, but it’s taking time,” helium said.  

The lone superfan streaming merchandise connected the marketplace comes from China’s Tencent Music Entertainment (TME). Its Super VIP tier, which costs astir 5 times arsenic overmuch arsenic a modular subscription, offers high-quality audio, aboriginal entree to performance tickets, exclusive integer medium downloads and collectible merchandise. As of June 30, TME had much than 15 cardinal Super VIP subscribers, accounting for 12% of each subscribers.  

There’s a agelong database of remaining features that could find their mode into Western streaming platforms’ superfan products, galore experts archer Billboard, including aboriginal entree to music, performance tickets, merchandise, deep-from-the-vaults recordings, non-music contented from artists and exclusive entree to artists done virtual meet-and-greets with fans.  

Market probe steadfast MusicWatch has surveyed consumers astir their involvement successful antithetic streaming work features. While the survey did not inquire astir superfan tiers oregon a willingness to wage extra, the results showed that consumers are astir funny successful high-quality audio, aboriginal entree to performance tickets done the streaming app, archetypal mentation of songs and discounts connected artist-related merchandise, according to MusicWatch main Russ Crupnick<...