Sonos is today adding a new, ad-free, CD-quality tier to its Sonos Radio service.
Priced at £7.99 ($7.99) a month, Sonos Radio HD upgrades all of the existing Sonos-created stations on Sonos Radio to 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC, and adds a number of exclusive stations and features.
One of the big draws of Sonos Radio has always been its artist-created stations, and Sonos is adding a new one, exclusive to Sonos Radio HD – Songteller Radio, curated by Dolly Parton. This original station will, according to Sonos, "continually evolve with Dolly’s hits, favourite artists, and special commentary on songs and moments throughout her career".
Other exclusives to Sonos Radio HD include deep-dive stations such as Nashville Now and Americana Ramble, by Nashville-based music critic and author Ann Powers, as well as stations dedicated to wellness and sleep sounds.
Those who stick with the free version of Sonos Radio will still get access to all of the content they're used to, and will also find some new stuff popping up, including two Christmas-themed stations, a Dolly Parton show entitled Holly Dolly Christmas Special, and more granular genre stations, such as British Beats & Bars ("UK grime, rap, hip hop, and afrobeats from breakthrough artists and producers") and Session Sounds (dedicated to "the UK’s thriving underground scene, featuring jazz-inspired soul, hip hop, and electronica").
Of course, if you stick with the free tier, you'll have to continue to put up with the existing, compressed data streams and adverts. Not sure if the upgrade to Sonos Radio HD is going to be worth it? There's a free, one-month trial available so you can find out for sure.
To access Sonos Radio HD you'll need to be in the UK or US (more countries will be added soon), and be using the Sonos S2 app.
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