Spotify is finally rolling out lossless audio streaming for Premium subscribers, a long-promised feature that puts it on more equal footing with rivals like Apple Music and Amazon Music. The upgrade, which supports playback up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC, will be available in more than 50 countries by October, with users in markets such as the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Australia, and Sweden already seeing it in their apps.
Spotify first announced plans for a “HiFi” tier in 2021, but licensing delays and shifting priorities left the feature in limbo. Over the past few years, hints in app code and public comments suggested it was still in development, but launch timelines repeatedly slipped. Meanwhile, competitors moved ahead: Apple added lossless at no extra cost in 2021, and Amazon folded its HD tier into its standard subscription after initially charging extra in 2019.
The company is now framing the rollout as part of its broader effort to strengthen the Premium experience. “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. He emphasized that the implementation was designed with “quality, ease of use, and clarity” in mind, with the aim of improving music playback while giving users control over how they listen.
Lossless streaming can be enabled in the Spotify app by navigating to Settings & Privacy → Media Quality and selecting “Lossless” for Wi-Fi, cellular, and downloads. Users must enable the option separately on each device, and a Lossless indicator will appear in the Now Playing bar when active. Because the files are larger, Spotify warns playback may take a moment to start, though caching smooths the experience once loaded.
The feature is available on mobile, desktop, and tablets, and works with Spotify Connect devices from brands like Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser. Additional support for Sonos and Amazon hardware is expected next month. For the best results, Spotify recommends wired headphones or Wi-Fi-based speakers, as Bluetooth cannot transmit lossless audio without compression.
Lossless listening comes alongside other Premium features like DJ, AI Playlist, Jam, and the new Mix and daylist formats. Spotify says the combination of personalized discovery tools and high-quality playback strengthens its position as the world’s largest audio streaming service, though it remains to be seen how many listeners will view the belated upgrade as a meaningful differentiator.
With “nearly every track” in Spotify’s 100-million-song library now available in lossless format, the company is finally delivering on a promise made four years ago. For audiophiles, it may feel overdue. For everyday listeners, it’s a sign that Spotify is catching up with an industry standard.
