Spotify turns on lossless: what’s new, what you need, and what it means
Four years after promising “HiFi,” Spotify is finally flipping the switch: Premium users can now stream music in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC, and it doesn’t cost a penny more. The rollout starts in select regions and will expand over the coming weeks. Spotify says nearly its entire 100+ million track catalog is covered, which is a big leap from the lossy files most people have been hearing until now.
There’s a catch you’ll want to know upfront: to hear true lossless, you need a wired path or Spotify Connect. Bluetooth is out. That’s because today’s Bluetooth codecs, even the fancy ones, still compress audio. Spotify is explicit about this, so if you want the full lossless chain, plug in (analog or USB) or stream to a Wi‑Fi speaker that supports Spotify Connect. Many devices from Sony, Samsung, Bose, and Sennheiser already work; Sonos and Amazon gear are slated to add support next month.
The format here is FLAC at 24-bit/44.1 kHz. The sample rate matches CDs, but the bit depth is higher, which gives more headroom and a lower noise floor. Translation: quieter backgrounds, more dynamic range, and fewer artifacts—especially noticeable on well-mastered acoustic tracks and live recordings. It won’t magically fix bad mixes, but it lets good recordings breathe.
How heavy is it on data? Spotify recommends a steady 1.5–2 Mbps connection for smooth lossless playback. That’s roughly up to 0.9 GB per hour if you stream nonstop at the top setting. Downloads are supported too, so you can cache albums on Wi‑Fi. Just know that a handful of 24-bit albums can fill storage faster than you expect.
Access is simple. On mobile or desktop, tap your profile, go to Settings & Privacy → Media Quality, and pick your level. You can set separate quality for Wi‑Fi, cellular, and downloads: Low, Normal, High, Very High, and now Lossless. Spotify includes data usage estimates next to each option so you can tune it to your plan and storage.
Lossless works on mobile, desktop, and tablet apps. It doesn’t apply to Music Videos, Podcasts, or Audiobooks, which remain in their current formats. One more tip: if you use features like volume normalization, crossfade, or EQ, those can subtly change what you hear. Lossless still helps, but purists might toggle those off for a straight shot from file to ears.
How it stacks up, the hardware question, and why Bluetooth sits out
How does this compare? Tidal’s HiRes tier goes higher—up to 24-bit/192 kHz FLAC—while Apple Music and Amazon Music offer lossless all the way to 24/192 as well, also at no extra cost. Spotify’s ceiling is lower at 24/44.1, but for most listening and most masters, that’s more than enough. A lot of studio work is still finished at 44.1 or 48 kHz, and the jump from lossy to lossless is far bigger than the jump from 44.1 to ultra‑high sample rates.
The bigger story is pricing. Spotify tried to launch “HiFi” in 2021 and then paused it while rivals folded lossless into standard plans. By making lossless free for Premium now, Spotify protects its core subscription price while finally delivering what users have asked for. It also keeps feature parity with Apple and Amazon on the thing that matters most: you don’t pay extra to get the best quality the service offers.
About Bluetooth: even with newer codecs like LDAC or aptX Adaptive, bandwidth is limited and the stream is still compressed. There’s a forthcoming aptX Lossless flavor, but it’s not widely supported, and Spotify isn’t enabling Bluetooth for lossless anyway. That’s why the company pushes wired headphones, USB DACs, and Wi‑Fi speakers via Spotify Connect. Connect is clever because your phone becomes a remote while the speaker or receiver pulls the stream directly from the cloud over Wi‑Fi, which avoids Bluetooth’s squeeze.
Will you hear the difference? If you’re using decent wired earbuds or over‑ears, probably. You’ll notice tighter transients, cleaner reverbs, less “smear” on cymbals, and more depth in quiet passages. On a loud commute with cheap buds, maybe not. The benefit grows with better gear and quieter rooms. A phone’s built‑in DAC is fine for a lot of people, but a simple USB‑C dongle DAC can push things further without breaking the bank.
Device support is already broad. Many Spotify Connect speakers and amps from Sony, Samsung, Bose, and Sennheiser handle lossless today, with Sonos and Amazon devices joining next month. If you have older Connect gear, check for firmware updates. On desktops, make sure your OS output is set to 24-bit/44.1 kHz to avoid unnecessary resampling, and if you’re using a USB DAC, pick it explicitly in your system settings.
Catalog coverage is “nearly everything,” but you’ll bump into occasional tracks that fall back to Very High quality if a label hasn’t supplied lossless files yet. Spotify marks quality in the now‑playing screen, so you can see what you’re getting per track. Don’t be surprised if loudness‑war era albums don’t suddenly bloom; lossless can’t restore dynamics that got crushed in mastering.
Battery and data trade-offs are real. Streaming lossless over cellular can burn through a data plan, and constant high‑bitrate playback can trim battery life on phones. That’s why those per‑connection settings matter. A smart setup is Lossless on Wi‑Fi, High on cellular, and Lossless for downloads of your favorite records.
For creators and labels, this is a win too. Mastering engineers don’t have to tailor around heavy compression artifacts, and niche genres—jazz, classical, ambient—benefit from the format’s cleaner noise floor. For listeners, the upgrade comes without a plan change, which removes the decision paralysis that sunk the original HiFi rollout.
What’s still missing? True hi‑res above 44.1 kHz, if that matters to you, plus Bluetooth support for lossless chains. But Spotify prioritized the move that helps the most people right now: a straightforward upgrade from lossy to Spotify lossless, on the apps you already use, with hardware you might already own.
How to get started today: update your app, plug in wired headphones or connect to a compatible Wi‑Fi speaker, head to Settings & Privacy → Media Quality, and flip Lossless on for the connections you use most. If you’re not seeing the option yet, it’s because the rollout is staged by region; it should land soon. When it does, cue up a familiar album—something you know well—and listen for the space between notes. That’s where lossless tends to show off.