Spotify has finally rolled out lossless audio, a feature that many have eagerly awaited. The buzz about this high-fidelity option has been around since 2017, with Spotify claiming it would arrive as early as 2021.
After years of anticipation, the moment has arrived. Unlike what some expected, lossless audio will not be tied to a new subscription tier, meaning no extra fees for users.
Spotify confirmed that all Premium subscribers in 50 markets will have access to this feature over the next two months. Countries like Australia, Germany, the US, and the UK will be among the first to experience this upgrade.
Subscribers will receive notifications in the app as the lossless feature becomes available. Users can easily enable it by heading into their settings and selecting it from the media quality menu.
When listening to lossless audio, an indicator will appear in the Now Playing bar. Additionally, compatible hardware will display this feature through the Connect Picker.
At launch, devices from brands like Sony, Bose, and Samsung will support lossless audio. Expect more compatibility soon, as Sonos and Amazon devices are set to join the list next month.
However, there is a limitation to Spotify’s lossless offering. It maxes out at 24-bit / 44.1 kHz FLAC, while competitors like Apple Music and Tidal provide higher resolutions.
For many casual listeners, the difference may be hard to notice, especially without high-end sound systems. Still, this limitation might lead Spotify to explore the idea of a premium tier in the future.
Currently, YouTube remains the only major music streaming service without lossless audio. As of now, there are no signs that Google plans to introduce this feature anytime soon.
Updated on September 10th, Spotify confirmed that there will be no changes to its pricing structure with this rollout. For many users, this is exciting news as they can enjoy higher audio quality without extra costs.
