Hell hath frozen over: Spotify Premium finally delivers the HiFi tier it teased in 2021, bringing bit-for-bit CD quality (and slightly higher) music streaming to millions of listeners, which all competing music streaming services were already offering.
After years of teasing, the long-awaited feature is rolling out in select markets, with Premium subscribers receiving a notification once Lossless becomes available. Whether rediscovering classic albums or diving into new releases, listeners can now experience the highest-quality audio Spotify has ever offered.
“The wait is finally over—lossless sound is now rolling out to Premium subscribers,” said Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP of Subscriptions at Spotify. “We’ve designed this feature to prioritize audio quality, ease of use, and transparency, so listeners always know what’s happening under the hood. With Lossless, our Premium users can enjoy an even richer, more immersive listening experience.”
Spotify is sticking with 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC—the same format TIDAL finally standardized on last year. That puts it a notch above standard CD quality, though not quite in the same league as Apple Music, Amazon Music, TIDAL, and Qobuz, which all push hi-res streaming up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Some would call anything beyond 16-bit/44.1 kHz hi-res, but Spotify isn’t selling it that way.
While not every listener will notice the difference, for most Premium subscribers this is a clear improvement over standard Spotify streams. New releases and familiar favorites can now be heard with more detail and clarity, giving listeners a more accurate representation of the music.
Lossless on Your Terms: Flexible Quality Across Devices and Platforms
Spotify gives Premium subscribers control over how they stream, whether on Wi-Fi, cellular, or downloads. You can choose from Low, Normal, High, Very High, and now Lossless, with data usage displayed for each option to make selection straightforward.
Lossless works across mobile, desktop, and tablet, as well as on a wide range of Spotify Connect–enabled devices, including Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser. Support for additional devices, like Sonos and Amazon products, is coming next month.
The reality is that most networked streamers and amplifiers already support Spotify Connect, so lossless audio is now within easy reach. But conversations we’ve had today with brands that support Spotify Connect made it clear this won’t be automatic. The Spotify app itself needs updates—not just globally, but in how it interacts with specific devices—before lossless playback actually works.
Tip: Apple Music and Amazon Music have both offered lossless audio and hi-res music streaming since 2021.
How to Enable Spotify Lossless Audio on Premium Devices
To enable Lossless audio on Spotify Premium:
- Tap your profile icon in the top left.
- Go to Settings & Privacy → Media Quality.
- Choose where you want Lossless enabled: Wi-Fi, cellular, or downloads.
Note that you need to turn on Lossless manually on each device. Once activated, a Lossless indicator will appear in the Now Playing view and in the Connect Picker.
For the best experience, stream Lossless over Wi-Fi and use wired headphones or speakers via Spotify Connect. Bluetooth currently doesn’t support the full bandwidth for Lossless audio, unless your source device or wireless headphones supports aptX Lossless.
Lossless audio files are larger, so tracks may take a moment to start playing as they load. Once cached, listeners can enjoy music with full detail and clarity, making the difference in quality noticeable compared with standard streams.
When Spotify Premium Lossless Will Be Available
Lossless is rolling out gradually across more than 50 markets through October 2025. Premium subscribers in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US, and the UK have already begun receiving access.
How Much Will Spotify Premium Cost Me?
Spotify Premium Plans
All Spotify Premium plans include (as of September 2025):
- Ad-free music listening
- Download to listen offline
- Ad-free music listening
- Download to listen offline
- Play songs in any order
- Listen with friends in real-time
- Organize listening queue
- 24-bit/44.1kHz Lossless Streaming
Spotify Premium Individual: $11.99 per month
- Cancel anytime
- 15 hours/month of listening time from the Spotify audiobooks subscriber catalog
Spotify Premium Student: $5.99 per month
- 1 verified Premium account
- Discount for eligible students
- Access to Hulu
- Cancel anytime
Spotify Premium Duo: $16.99 per month
- 2 Premium accounts
- Cancel anytime
- 15 hours/month of listening time from our audiobooks subscriber catalog (plan manager only)
Spotify Premium Family: $19.99 per month
The Bottom Line
For $11.99/month, Spotify Premium subscribers now have access to Lossless audio—bringing CD quality streams to tens of millions of users. With Spotify Connect built into a vast range of wireless speakers, headphones, digital source devices, and network amplifiers, the world’s largest music streaming platform has finally dropped the big one. The move puts TIDAL and Qobuz squarely in the crosshairs: can they survive on audiophiles alone? And for mainstream listeners, this new Lossless option could finally spark wider interest in higher-quality audio. It certainly can’t hurt.
Related Reading:
- LDAC, aptX, AAC, SBC: Which Bluetooth Codec Ruins Your Music The Least?
- Tivoli Audio Unveils Model One Digital Generation 3 Tabletop Radio With Support For Spotify Lossless
- Spotify Is Becoming More Expensive But Don’t Expect That To Include Their Promised “HiFi” Platform
- Spotify Has Paid Out $40 Billion To The Music Industry, So Why Is No One Happy?
Mike Cornell
September 11, 2025 at 2:57 am
Hmmm….no Canada in that list! No matter. I have Apple Music for my family and I also use Qobuz for myself. No complaints with either and I really enjoy Qobuz, in addition to my CD’s, LP’s, FM radio and the occasional cassette!