Music streaming provider Deezer has introduced a new payment tier combining the features of a Hi-Fi and a Family subscription.

Deezer Family Hi-Fi can be used independently by up to six family members.

The Spotify rival, known for its emphasis on high-quality audio streaming, says each family member will be able to stream albums and songs in higher quality (16-bit) with the lossless audio format FLAC, roughly corresponding to CD quality.

For the time being, only subscribers to Family Hi-Fi (US$15/RM41 a month) are to be able to upgrade to “Deezer Family Hi-Fi” at an additional cost of US$5 each month.

Over the course of the year, however, the provider also plans to offer the tariff to new customers straight away for a total of US$20 a month.

For comparison, Spotify offers users six accounts with a similar Family subscription for US$15 , albeit without the high-quality streaming.

As a rule, a single subscription for streaming via app or browser, including offline music listening on mobile devices, costs around US$10 a month in standard quality with services like Apple Music, Tidal and YouTube Music.

Deezer’s announcement came the same week Spotify made headlines with its decision to purchase the creator of a live audio app called Locker Room.

The acquisition is expected to help Spotify better compete against companies such as Clubhouse, an audio-only app that is popular among music artists to connect with fans, as well as rivals like Deezer.

Deezer is not the only audio streaming service with high-quality music, and subscriptions with CD or even studio quality (FLAC with 24 bits) are also offered by Amazon Music HD, Qobuz Hi-Fi and Tidal Hi-Fi, at prices between US$15-30 per month.

 - dpa