Spotify began rolling out lossless audio to Premium subscribers September 10, delivering streams up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC format. The feature arrives in select markets first, with broader availability expected through October.
The streaming service will notify Premium subscribers when lossless becomes available in their region.
The initial rollout includes Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with expansion to more than 50 markets planned.
"We've taken time to build this feature in a way that prioritizes quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step, so you always know what's happening under the hood," said Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP Subscriptions at Spotify.
The implementation allows users to select audio quality settings independently for Wi-Fi, cellular, and downloaded content. Options range from Low through Normal, High, Very High, and now Lossless, with data usage information displayed for each setting.
Lossless playback requires manual activation on each device through the Settings & Privacy menu under Media Quality. Once enabled, a lossless indicator appears in the Now Playing view and Connect Picker.
The feature works across mobile devices, desktop computers, tablets, and Spotify Connect-compatible hardware from Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser. Support for Sonos and Amazon devices will arrive in October.
Spotify recommends wired connections for optimal performance, noting that Bluetooth lacks sufficient bandwidth for uncompressed lossless transmission. The service compresses the signal when streaming over Bluetooth connections.
The larger file sizes associated with lossless audio may cause brief delays when tracks initially load, though subsequent playback from cache eliminates this lag.
The rollout represents Spotify's response to competitors Apple Music and Amazon Music HD, both of which have offered lossless streaming for several years. Tidal has provided a lossless CD-quality option since 2014.
Spotify Premium costs $11.99 monthly in the United States. The service has not announced whether lossless audio will incur additional charges or remain part of the standard Premium subscription.
