Spotify has finally added lossless audio for Premium userss at no extra cost. Here’s what it means for your music.

After years of anticipation, Spotify has officially launched lossless audio streaming as part of its Premium subscription, finally giving users the high-fidelity sound experience they’ve been asking for since the platform first teased “HiFi” back in 2021. The rollout, which is already underway in more than 50 markets including the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and Australia, is set to be completed globally by October.

The new tier of sound quality streams in 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC, a format that preserves more audio detail than the compressed files most listeners are used to. This means warmer, more spacious, and more accurate sound reproduction, closer to what artists and producers intended in the studio. For casual listeners, it simply means songs will sound richer and more nuanced, especially on quality headphones or home speakers.

Importantly, Spotify has chosen not to place this long-awaited upgrade behind an additional paywall. While Apple Music and Amazon Music have offered lossless and hi-res audio for some time, both bundled it into their standard plans. There had been rumors that Spotify would introduce a separate “super-premium” or “Music Pro” tier for an added fee, but instead, the company has folded lossless streaming into the existing Premium plan at no extra cost.

For users, enabling the feature is straightforward. Once the rollout hits your account, you’ll see a notification in-app, and you can activate the option under Media Quality in settings. When you’re listening to a song in lossless, a small “Lossless” tag will appear in the Now Playing bar, a subtle indicator that you’re hearing the upgraded stream. All of Spotify’s previous quality settings (Low, Normal, High, Very High) remain, with Lossless now sitting at the top for those who want maximum fidelity.

The update isn’t just limited to mobile devices. Lossless playback is supported across Spotify’s desktop, tablet, and mobile apps, and is compatible with a wide range of Spotify Connect devices from manufacturers like Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser. Support for Sonos and Amazon hardware is also on the way, ensuring that listeners can experience the upgraded sound whether they’re using wireless earbuds on the go or high-end speakers at home.

This launch puts Spotify back in competitive alignment with rivals. Apple Music has been offering lossless since 2021, and Amazon Music has also integrated high-resolution audio into its plans. Spotify’s delay in delivering the feature, more than eight years after first hinting at it, had become a source of frustration for many users, particularly given the company’s dominant position in the streaming market. Now, the arrival of Lossless feels like both a long-overdue promise fulfilled and a necessary move to stay competitive in an increasingly crowded field.

As the platform looks to increase engagement through podcasts, audiobooks, and AI-driven recommendations, keeping music quality at the heart of its service helps reaffirm its identity as the leading music streaming brand.

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