Spotify Premium: Now Streaming in Lossless Quality

[MattSuda]

Lossless audio quality has been one of the most requested features in the Spotify Community, and now it's finally starting to roll out to Premium listeners in select markets. Premium subscribers will receive a notification in Spotify once Lossless becomes available to them.

Spotify Premium users will be able to listen to high-fidelity music in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC!

Get ready to lose yourself in Lossless with the best sound quality! 🔊

Lossless is rolling out gradually to these markets (more than 50) through October: United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Austria, Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Ireland, Taiwan, Portugal, Israel, Greece, Hungary, Singapore, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Iceland, Serbia, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino.

How to enable Lossless audio quality:

1. Tap on your profile icon in the mobile or desktop app.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Open Media Quality.
4. Select where you want to enable Lossless audio quality: WiFi, cellular, downloads.
   
   ● When Lossless is activated and you tap on your device in the Connect menu, it will show you the file quality of the current song you are listening to and how much data per hour it will use. The file quality will show as Lossless 16-bit or Lossless 24-bit. Files are in the FLAC format and can be up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz.
   
   ● You can also change the audio quality settings from the Connect menu. You will need to enable Lossless manually on each device, even for Connect devices.
   

Lossless overview:

● 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, including those from Sonos and Amazon, is coming soon.

Note: Some Connect-enabled devices don't support Lossless quality

● Everyone listens differently, so there are custom settings for WiFi, cellular, and downloads. Choose between Low, Normal, High, Very High, and now Lossless music quality to provide maximum flexibility and control. You'll be able to see how much data each of these requires to make choosing easier.

● Only music is available in Lossless audio quality. Music Videos, Podcasts, and Audiobooks are not available in Lossless quality.

● Lossless uses a lot more data and requires a strong internet connection. Lossless also uses more storage for downloaded songs. WiFi is the recommended connection for streaming music and downloading songs for offline listening.

● Lossless is not always recommended for use on cellular, metered, or weaker internet connections. When you enable Lossless for the different quality settings, there will be a few different prompts. These prompts will ask you to acknowledge that for smooth playback, you'll want a strong WiFi or cellular connection and that Lossless will use a lot more data and storage. This is to ensure that you understand Lossless uses more data and it helps to prevent unexpected charges on capped data plans.

● It is recommended to stream Lossless music on WiFi using wired headphones or speakers on a non-Bluetooth connection, like Spotify Connect. Currently, Bluetooth doesn't provide enough bandwidth to transmit lossless audio, so the signal has to be compressed before being sent.

● You will need to enable Lossless manually on each device, even for Connect devices. When Lossless is activated, the app makes it clear that it's activated and which device you are streaming from. In the desktop and mobile app, look for the green Lossless label on the Now Playing view / bar and on the Connect Picker.

● Once you have activated Lossless for streaming, the quality changes for the next song, it does not change mid song.

● Note: The Spotify app prioritizes downloads ahead of streaming. If you have songs that were previously downloaded with a lower quality setting than Lossless, then those lower quality downloads will play even if you are currently connected to WiFi and have Streaming quality set to Lossless.

Downloaded songs will be played in the quality that they were originally downloaded in, even if you are currently streaming on a WiFi connection. If you want your downloaded songs (and Offline Backup) to play in Lossless quality, you will need to delete them first and then re-download them. If you change the streaming quality to a lower setting, song files that were already cached in a higher quality will be preferred during playback until the cache is updated or cleared.

You can read more info about Lossless in the Spotify Newsroom post:

➜ Lossless Listening Arrives on Spotify Premium With a Richer, More Detailed Listening Experience

You can get more help with Lossless and changing audio quality settings in the support articles:

➜ Spotify Support Article: Lossless Audio Quality

➜ Spotify Support Article: Audio Quality

➜ Spotify Support Article: Spotify Connect

[douglasalves]

Oh My God! Spotify will leaves Brazil out. Brazil is your biggest market in Latin America! 

[Ronny1967]

So sad that it not come to many european countries so as spain, greece, italy etc etc... 

[StivVid]

"You've been waiting for 4 years and now the long wait is over! Spotify Lossless is finally here! Well... almost here. We're not quite ready yet. But it's coming... eventually."

Yeah, right.

[Stierna]

am writing to you as a very long-standing and loyal customer. I have been a paying Premium subscriber since the very beginning and have always been incredibly satisfied with your service. I'm also active in your Early Access Beta program and am currently running version 9.0.82.1026.

A couple of days ago, I was given access to the new Mix version, which is great to test out early. However, given my long-term commitment and my status as one of your earliest testers, I am sincerely wondering why I am still waiting for the lossless feature to be rolled out to me? It feels a bit strange to have to wait when I have been such a dedicated part of your community for so long.

I'm really looking forward to experiencing the better sound quality and hope you can help me understand the rollout process.

[MattSuda]

@bzero

John (an engineering manager at Spotify) recently answered this question in a Reddit AMA

Link to post: https://www.reddit.com/r/truespotify/comments/1nf17py/comment/ndsw2x3/

Question: Why 24-bit/44.1kHz instead of 48kHz or higher?

Answer: So we’ve actually got this amazing audio lab in Stockholm, looked after by a true audio GURU (hej Andreas!). We’ve done tons of testing, and listened to all sorts of qualities under the very best conditions.

It is true that supporting full High-Resolution audio would offer greater objective precision. However, this also introduces entirely different requirements, not only in terms of data volume and bandwidth but also in the hardware used, so there’s lots of complexity across a user base of hundreds of millions.

We believe 24-bit/44.1 kHZ FLAC lossless sound is the perfect experience for fans who want the highest quality for streaming music on Spotify and the most perceptive listeners. The difference between audio quality settings can be very subtle and hard to detect for most people. Even under the very best lab conditions, people can’t tell the difference once you get over a certain quality. You don’t need higher quality than what we are offering. Unless you are a bat or an owl, or a Greater Wax Moth or something.

[MattSuda]

@Alexandre_Bordat

John (an engineering manager at Spotify) recently answered this question in a Reddit AMA

Link to post: https://www.reddit.com/r/truespotify/comments/1nf17py/comment/ndsxf60/

Question: Will there be bit perfect on Windows desktop?

Answer: I know we’ve got people waiting for WASAPI Exclusive Mode playback (we’ve spotted the comments on Reddit). Well, let’s just say we’ve got engineers who want this too (hey Barnabas, Dan!)...

[MattSuda]

@AxelFlussbach

Yes, Lossless will be available for members of any Premium plan, even the Basic plans.

[MattSuda]

Question: Do the Spotify TV apps support Lossless audio quality?

Answer: Yes, you can change the quality to Lossless on some of the Spotify TV apps (including the Apple TV app), but since there are no settings in the TV app you'll need to change the quality to Lossless from the Connect menu in the mobile app.

Here's how: Open the Connect menu, tap on your device, then tap on "change quality settings", and choose Lossless. The TV app will also show a Lossless label on the Now Playing screen.

These steps also apply when you want to change the quality when playing on a Spotify Connect device. You will need to change the quality settings for each Connect device, but once you set the quality, it should remember your setting for next time.

[MattSuda]

@Wagman

Yes, you can change the quality to Lossless on Spotify Connect devices (that are supported) such as HEOS, Spotify TV apps, and more, but since there are no settings on the Connect device or TV app, you'll need to change the quality to Lossless from the Connect menu in the mobile app.

Here's how: Open the Connect menu, tap on your device, then tap on "change quality settings", and choose Lossless. The TV app will also show a Lossless label on the Now Playing screen.

You will need to change the quality settings for each Connect device, but once you set the quality, it should remember your setting for next time.

[MattSuda]

@sjackso3

Hey fellow Houstonian! Nice to see someone local!

Lossless is rolling out through the end of October (in the listed countries) so you might not see the setting yet. Some accounts in your family plan may see the Lossless setting before others as the rollout is random.

If your Spotify Connect device (receiver) does not yet support Lossless, it might require a future firmware update.

You can change the quality to Lossless on Spotify Connect devices (that are supported) such as receivers, Spotify TV apps, and more, but since there are no settings on the Connect device or TV app, you'll need to change the quality to Lossless from the Connect menu in the mobile app once your account has access to Lossless.

Here's how: Open the Connect menu, tap on your device, then tap on "change quality settings", and choose Lossless.

You will need to change the quality settings for each Connect device, but once you set the quality, it should remember your setting for next time.

[MattSuda]

@Vaidb

By default, "auto" quality is selected for Spotify Connect devices and depending on your internet connection will play in up to "Very High" quality. You can change the quality to Lossless on Spotify Connect devices (that are supported) but since there are no settings on the Connect device or TV app, you'll need to change the quality to Lossless from the Connect menu in the mobile app. Some devices may need a firmware update from the device's company to support the full Lossless quality. So yes, it will depend on the device if Lossless is currently supported or not.

Here's how: Open the Connect menu, tap on your device, then tap on "change quality settings", and choose Lossless. The TV app will also show a Lossless label on the Now Playing screen.

The Lossless setting from the mobile app or desktop app won't carry over to your Spotify Connect devices. You will need to change the quality settings for each Connect device, but once you set the quality, it should remember your setting for next time.

[MattSuda]

@TheTeek

John (an engineering manager at Spotify) recently answered this question in a Reddit AMA

Link to post: https://www.reddit.com/r/truespotify/comments/1nf17py/comment/ndt2pe4/

Question: How about the lossy options? Many people (including myself) think that OGG VORBIS sounds worse than apple music's AAC and youtube music's OPUS. Do you plan to change the codec you use for the lossy options?

Answer: Delighted to see this question! We are always evaluating what we can do in the future and we’ve got the very best people looking at this.

[MattSuda]

@Contz

The most up to date information will be shared here in the Community post.

Newsroom posts are not usually edited after they are published. When more information becomes available after the initial announcement, you can find the most up to date information here in the Community and on the Support website.

[MattSuda]

@FloridaGator1

Lossless is rolling out in your country through the end of October 2025, so you should be able to access Lossless by then.

[MattSuda]

@xel_naga

Your friends or family may see Lossless on their account before you since the rollout is random. The rollout is still ongoing through the end of October, so you should see it soon.

[MattSuda]

@Ronny1967

Good news, the full list of 50+ countries that Lossless is coming to at launch was recently updated. Many European countries are listed such as Spain, Greece, Italy, and more. It's still rolling out, so if you don't see the Lossless quality setting yet, you should soon.

[ysul0614]

When will lossless be available on WebOS (LG TV OS)?

It's one of the primary devices I listen with.

[Deutschrap]

@MattSuda

In the first version of their initial post, they caused confusion by listing countries where it will be introduced and also mentioning countries that already have access (as I said, this has since been edited out). “Germany and several other countries already have access,” according to their first version, which did not mention a slow rollout for these countries, but only that they already have access. That's the only reason I took out a subscription again after a long time to test Spotify again. The initial information raised false expectations, because it later became clear that it is being rolled out everywhere in slow motion. Germany's current iOS app, current Android app, current Win 11 app, no lossless. So thanks for the first version of the news, which successfully cost me €12.99 with false expectations.

[Sarah_Antipro]

Just annoying. Cancelled my subscription and went back to Tidal.

[Doudar]

I dont see Egypt in the 50 countries to get lossless quality.. does that mean lossless will not be available in Egypt?