Spotify Finally Rolls Out Lossless Streaming
It could unlock better sound quality across nearly every song available on Spotify.
After eight years of teasing, half-promises, and more delays than fans care to count, Spotify is finally delivering lossless audio. Yes, for real this time.
The feature, which has been rumoured since 2017, will let Premium subscribers stream music in 24-bit / 44.1 kHz FLAC. But unlike what many expected, Spotify isn’t locking this behind a pricey new HiFi tier. Instead, lossless streaming will be included in the existing Premium plan at no extra cost. The rollout starts this week in 50 markets, including the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and Australia, and will continue over the next two months.
Subscribers won’t have to guess when it lands. Spotify says users will get a notification in-app once lossless is available, after which they can toggle it on in their settings under media quality. While listening, an indicator will show in the Now Playing bar and Connect Picker. At launch, the feature will work with hardware from Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser, with support for Sonos and Amazon devices expected in the coming weeks.
Of course, there’s a catch. Spotify’s version of “lossless” caps out at 24-bit / 44.1 kHz FLAC. That’s a step below rivals like Apple Music, Tidal, and Qobuz, which support Hi-Res lossless up to 24-bit / 192 kHz. For most listeners, the difference is negligible unless you’re an audiophile with high-end gear. Still, it does leave room for Spotify to eventually introduce a “deluxe” tier for the true sound purists, and maybe squeeze a bit more cash out of them.
With this update, Spotify joins nearly every other major streaming service in offering lossless. The one big holdout is still YouTube Music, which hasn’t given any sign it’s planning to join the HiFi party anytime soon.
For now, Spotify's ~268 million Premium subscribers can finally stop wondering if HiFi is a myth. After years of waiting, lossless streaming is here, and for once, it doesn’t cost extra.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
