Spotify Lossless Audio Premium Subscribers
Spotify Finally Launches Lossless Audio: What You Need to Know
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Spotify is rolling out lossless, high-definition (HD) audio to Premium subscribers, a feature long-awaited and frequently requested by audiophiles. After years of delays and a period of indefinite hold, Spotify is finally catching up to competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music in offering superior audio quality. This marks a significant upgrade for music streaming, promising a richer and more detailed listening experience.
The long Road to Lossless
Spotify first announced plans for hifi audio – its initial branding for lossless – back in 2021. However, the launch was repeatedly delayed. In 2022, the company seemingly put the project on indefinite hold, leaving users wondering if the feature would ever materialize. wednesday’s announcement signals a renewed commitment to audio quality and addresses a major pain point for many dedicated music listeners.
What does “Lossless” Actually Mean?
Traditionally,Spotify streamed music using the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) codec,with a maximum bitrate of 320 kbps. This is a lossy compression format, meaning some audio data is discarded to reduce file size.Lossless audio, conversely, preserves all the original data from the recording.
Spotify’s lossless audio utilizes the FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), an open-source compression algorithm.Specifically, it streams tracks encoded at up to 24-bit depth and a 44.1 kHz sample rate. This results in a more accurate reproduction of the original recording, capturing subtle nuances and details frequently enough lost in compressed formats.
Key Differences: Lossy vs. Lossless
| Feature | Lossy (AAC – Spotify’s Previous Standard) | Lossless (FLAC – New Spotify Option) |
|——————-|——————————————-|—————————————|
| Data Compression | Discards audio data | Preserves all audio data |
| File Size | Smaller | Larger |
| Audio Quality | Good, but some detail is lost | Superior, more detailed and accurate |
| Bitrate | Up to 320 kbps | Up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz |
Availability and How to Access
The lossless audio feature is exclusive to Spotify Premium subscribers.It is indeed not available on the free, ad-supported tier.
Spotify is rolling out the feature gradually. Premium subscribers will receive a notification within the Spotify app when lossless audio becomes available in their region. As of this writing, access has begun in the following markets:
United States
Australia
Austria
Czechia
Denmark
Germany
Japan
New Zealand
Netherlands
Portugal
Sweden
United kingdom
The rollout is expected to be completed across more than 50 markets by the end of October 2023.
Spotify’s Late Entry into the Lossless Arena
spotify is notably late to the lossless audio party. Apple Music introduced lossless audio in May 2021, and Amazon Music offered it as early as 2019. tidal has been a long-time proponent of lossless and high-fidelity audio. This delay has been a source of frustration for some Spotify users, who felt the platform was lagging behind in catering to audiophile preferences. However, Spotify’s massive user base means this launch will still bring lossless audio to millions of listeners.