Premium Spotify subscribers will soon have access to lossless audio on the streaming app – or they might have it already.
Lossless audio is gradually rolling out in select markets around the world, available on both new albums and older songs.
It promises the highest music audio quality, with music streaming up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC. For the non-technically minded, that means that digital music files are compressed for streaming without discarding any of the original audio data, preserving the full depth of the recording.
“The wait is finally over; we’re so excited lossless sound is rolling out to Premium subscribers,” said Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP of Subscriptions at Spotify. “We’ve taken time to build this feature in a way that prioritises quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step, so you always know what’s happening under the hood.”
Lossless sound is not exclusive to Spotify, with Apple Music launching lossless audio on its own back in 2021.
With the better quality being the key USP for people switching from Spotify to Apple Music – the two biggest names in music streaming – the long-awaited introduction of lossless audio on Spotify could be a game-changer for people who have stuck around this long.
How to get Lossless on Spotify
You’ll need to be a Premium subscriber to access lossless audio on Spotify and the rollout is taking place gradually around the world – although thankfully there’s no sign of extra charges for higher quality streams.
While it’s already available to some users in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US, and the UK, it’s planned to expand to more than 50 markets around the world.
Once you have access to the new feature, there are custom settings for Wi-Fi, cellular, and downloads, so you can choose between Low, Normal, High, Very High, and now Lossless music quality.
It’s worth noting that lossless will use more data, so if you’re streaming on the go, you might want to adjust your settings.
Lossless is available on mobile, desktop, and tablet, as well as on many devices that support Spotify Connect, including Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser, and more. Support for additional devices like those from Sonos and Amazon, is coing next month.
Spotify recommends listening to lossless audio on Wi-Fi using wired headphones or speakers on a non-Bluetooth connection. Bluetooth devices require compression, so you won’t get the full lossless experience.
To turn on lossless audio in the Spotify app:
- Tap your profile icon in the top left.
- Go to Settings & Privacy, then Media Quality.
- Select where you want to enable lossless audio: Wi-Fi, cellular, or downloads.
You’ll need to enable Lossless manually on each device. The sign that Lossless is set up is the indicator in the Now Playing view or bar, and via the Connect Picker.
