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Back in 2021, Spotify announced a high-fidelity streaming option, teasing its launch later that year. However, it never materialized, and instead, the platform introduced a variety of other features. Although the original Hi-Fi option hasn’t launched, the company has now unveiled Spotify Lossless, offering high-resolution music streaming.
### What is Spotify Lossless?
Spotify describes Lossless as delivering the highest possible audio quality on their platform. For audiophiles, specifics matter, and Spotify is promising a 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC stream for songs. While this isn’t the top-tier in lossless audio—Apple Music, for instance, supports streaming from 16-bit/44.1 kHz up to 24-bit/192 kHz using its proprietary Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)—it’s still a significant upgrade over standard streaming.
Though not as advanced as some high-res options in the market, this move marks a notable step toward improved sound quality. For comparison, Amazon Music Unlimited offers Ultra HD tracks at 24-bit, 192 kHz, nearly ten times higher in bitrate than standard lossy formats, resulting in richer playback with more detail and depth.
### Who Can Use Spotify Lossless?
The lossless tier is available exclusively for Premium subscribers. It can be accessed on mobile devices, desktops, tablets, and any hardware supporting Spotify Connect—such as Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser equipment. Support for Amazon and Sonos devices is expected to arrive next month.
Once enabled, users will see a “Lossless” indicator on the playback screen, especially when listening via wired headphones or speakers connected over a stable Wi-Fi network. Although Bluetooth devices are widely used, they generally don’t provide the bandwidth needed for true high-resolution streaming, meaning the best experience will come from wired setups or supported Wi-Fi devices.
As rollout continues across over 50 markets worldwide, residents in the United States are among the first to gain access, along with users in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Notifications or in-app prompts will alert users when Lossless becomes available for their accounts.
Enablement of Lossless will require manual activation on each device. When turned on, the interface will display a Lossless badge during playback, signaling the enhanced quality. However, for the full experience, it’s recommended to use wired audio gear and a reliable Wi-Fi connection, as Bluetooth still doesn’t support the bandwidth necessary for true high-res sound.
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This advancement marks an exciting development for audiophiles and casual listeners alike, signaling Spotify’s commitment to providing higher-quality sound options for its users.
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