Spotify Premium to add 24-bit FLAC lossless audio
Spotify has announced the imminent arrival of lossless audio streaming, a feature initially teased in 2017. The company confirmed that high-fidelity audio will be available to Premium subscribers in select markets, resolving years of speculation and anticipation among users.
Spotify first signaled its intention to offer a high-fidelity audio option several years ago. In 2021, the company stated that the feature would be launched “later this year,” fueling expectations within the audiophile community. However, the release was repeatedly delayed, leading to growing user skepticism. By May 2024, Spotify described the feature as “almost ready,” yet a concrete launch date remained elusive. Renewed rumors in June 2024 were met with caution, particularly as Spotify focused on introducing less-demanded features, such as direct messaging.
The forthcoming lossless audio will be accessible to Spotify Premium subscribers without requiring an additional subscription fee. This means that users will not need to subscribe to a new tier, such as a “Spotify HiFi” or “Music Pro” plan, to access the improved audio quality. The rollout will encompass 50 markets globally, commencing with countries including Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The company plans to progressively expand the feature to additional regions over the following two months.
Subscribers will receive an in-app notification once lossless audio becomes available in their region. Users can then enable the feature through the media quality settings menu within the Spotify application. When lossless audio is actively playing, an indicator will appear in the “Now Playing” bar and the Connect Picker, provided the user is utilizing compatible hardware.
Initially, compatible devices will include products from Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser. Spotify anticipates expanding device support to include Sonos and Amazon products in the subsequent month. The lossless streaming will be offered in 24-bit / 44.1 kHz FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format.
While Spotify’s lossless option enhances audio quality, it does not reach the highest specifications offered by some competitors. Services such as Apple Music, Tidal, and Qobuz support HiRes FLAC up to 24-bit / 192 kHz. Despite this difference, Spotify’s implementation caters to audiophiles while maintaining accessibility. Spotify confirmed on September 10 that it will not adjust subscription prices for the lossless rollout.
With Spotify’s adoption of lossless streaming, YouTube Music remains the only major music streaming service without this feature. To date, Google has not indicated plans to incorporate lossless audio support into YouTube Music.
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