Spotify has started rolling out lossless streaming to Premium subscribers. The company says the lossless will let you stream tracks in higher quality and clarity.
Below is exactly what Spotify announced, what it means in listening terms, and much more
What Spotify announced
Spotify has launched “Lossless” streaming for Premium subscribers, delivering audio on the service in FLAC up to 24-bit / 44.1 kHz. Spotify says this unlocks greater detail across nearly every song available on the platform.
“The wait is finally over; we’re so excited that lossless sound is rolling out to Premium subscribers,” said Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP Subscriptions at Spotify. “We’ve taken time to build this feature in a way that prioritizes quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step…,” he added.
This new format is rolling out gradually to Premium users in more than 50 markets through October.
Initial availability already includes the U.S., U.K., Japan, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia, and several European markets. You’ll receive an in-app notification when it reaches your account.
What’s more fascinating is that Spotify is rolling this out as part of existing Premium plans. That means there’s no higher tier or price bump announced for Lossless at launch.
What the 24-bit / 44.1 kHz Spotify’s Lossless means for you
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) preserves every sample of the digital master, It is not a lossy compression like MP3 or AAC.
Hence, where available, you will be streaming the full PCM data for supported tracks rather than a reduced file. The advantages of this are:
- Resolution: The 24-bit increases dynamic range, which equates to more precise quiet and loud gradations.
- Perceptual reality: As mentioned earlier, true lossless increases clarity. This will be easy to notice particularly on good speakers or a proper pair of headphones.
Spotify’s Lossless device support and connection types
Spotify Lossless is majorly around the Spotify Connect and wired playback. It will work on mobile, desktop, tablet, and obviously Spotify Connect devices (Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser).
Sonos and Amazon support will arrive the month after the initial rollout. You’ll still need firmware-updated, lossless-capable hardware, otherwise it will not work.
You must manually enable Lossless on each device. The setting doesn’t auto-propagate across all devices on your account. Expect to flip the switch on the phone, desktop, and any speakers you want to use.
Note: Bluetooth usually forces a lossy codec, so Bluetooth connections will not deliver Spotify’s lossless. Hence, use wired or Wi-Fi connections to compatible speakers. Also, because lossless files are larger, you will need a stable connection of about 2 Mbps.
How to turn Spotify’s Lossless on
This feature will not turn itself on automatically. You need to enable it manually. Here is exactly how to do it:
- Open Spotify on the specific device. Note that you must have the latest version of the app installed in order to get this feature.
- Tap your profile, then find Settings & Privacy and click on Media Quality.
- Under Streaming or Downloads, choose Lossless for Wi-Fi / cellular / downloads as you prefer. Remember to enable the same on each device you own.
You’ll see a Lossless badge in the Now Playing view and in the Connect picker when a compatible device is selected.
If your playback stutters, lower the quality in Settings temporarily or connect to a better, more stable internet source.
Are you likely to hear a difference with the new Spotify’s Lossless?
Yes. However, you’ll hear more clarity only if all of these are true:
- You’re listening to well-mastered recordings. With a badly mastered lossless file, it won’t suddenly sound great.
- You’re using good playback gear, a quality DAC, wired headphones, or a capable Wi-Fi speaker. Bluetooth earbuds or cheap phone speakers will not reveal the difference.
- You’re in a listening environment that allows you to notice subtle details. That is a quiet room, focused listening. Background noise and casual contexts, from maybe commuting or exercising, will mute many of Spotify’s Lossless benefits.
The trade-offs of Spotify’s Lossless
If you’re not meeting the above conditions, flipping on Lossless will be underwhelming. Also, if you do meet them, you’ll have to deal with these:
- Data: Lossless tracks are larger. That means for each quality setting, download or streaming in Lossless will consume substantially more monthly data if you use cellular.
- Storage: If you download albums in Spotify’s Lossless for offline listening, expect larger downloads and more local storage use.
- Battery life: Lossless decoding raises CPU load. You will have shorter runtimes on mobile while streaming or decoding large files. If battery life is your priority, keep Lossless off for mobile.