Spotify has finally rolled out lossless audio streaming for its premium subscribers globally. The feature, first promised years ago, is intended to provide listeners with CD-quality sound, delivering tracks in 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC format, which preserves the audio exactly as it was recorded without heavy compression.
What Is Lossless Audio?
“Lossless audio” refers to sound files that retain all the original data captured during recording, as opposed to lossy formats (like MP3 or standard streaming), which discard some information to reduce file size. With lossless audio, users hear tracks in higher fidelity, with clearer details, more accurate highs and lows, and better dynamics. Spotify’s new offering supports this at CD-quality (24-bit/44.1 kHz), a standard popular among audiophiles.
Where and How to Get It
The rollout covers more than 50 countries through October. Early access is already active in key markets, including the UK, US, Germany, Japan, Australia, Sweden, and the Netherlands, among others.
Premium users will see a notification in the app when their account becomes eligible. To enable lossless audio, go to:
- Settings & Privacy → Media Quality
- Then choose “Lossless” for Wi-Fi, mobile data, and downloads.
It works on mobile, desktop, tablet, and through many devices compatible with Spotify Connect, including brands like Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser. Support for additional hardware (such as devices from Sonos and Amazon) is due soon.
Limitations & Technical Considerations
Despite the upgrade, there are some caveats:
- The lossless setting must be enabled separately for each device. It does not synchronise automatically across all devices linked to the same account.
- Lossless audio files are significantly larger, so data usage will increase sharply. Users may need to monitor usage, especially on mobile.
- Over Bluetooth, the experience may remain compromised. Bluetooth’s bandwidth often cannot support full FLAC-quality streaming, which means the full benefit may only be heard via Wi-Fi or direct connections. Spotify recommends using Spotify Connect to stream directly to compatible speakers or sound systems, bypassing Bluetooth entirely.
How Spotify Stacks Up
Spotify has lagged behind some competitors in offering high-fidelity audio. For instance:
- Apple Music has had lossless streaming since 2021, included at no extra cost.
- Amazon Music had an HD tier, and later made it free in many cases.
Still, Spotify claims that “nearly every track” in its catalogue of 100 million songs now supports lossless playback, though there may still be gaps.
Final Thoughts
For many users, this long-awaited feature marks a significant enhancement in audio streaming quality. For audiophiles, accuracy-minded listeners, and anyone with high-quality headphones or sound systems, the difference should be noticeable. But users will need compatible devices and be mindful of data usage.
With lossless audio now live, Spotify enters full competition with peers already offering high-quality streaming, aiming to meet listener expectations that have evolved in recent years.
By – Sonali