After years of anticipation and multiple delays, Spotify has finally rolled out its lossless audio streaming feature to Premium subscribers beginning September 10, 2025. The CD-quality audio, delivered in 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC format, arrives across more than 50 markets including the US, UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, and Sweden, with the complete rollout expected to finish by late October.
Spotify’s lossless offering comes at no additional cost to existing Premium subscribers, contrary to earlier industry speculation that suggested the feature might be reserved for a new higher-priced subscription tier. Users can manually enable the lossless option in their app settings under Media Quality, with a visual indicator appearing in the Now Playing screen when the higher-quality stream is active. The feature requires Bluetooth not currently sufficient for true lossless audio quality, with wired connections recommended for optimal listening experience.
Spotify delivers lossless audio free to Premium users, defying expectations of a price hike for the long-awaited feature.
The path to this launch has been remarkably protracted. Spotify initially teased lossless audio as early as 2017, promising delivery by 2021, but repeatedly postponed the feature while competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music introduced similar offerings years earlier.
By mid-2024, Spotify had described the feature as “almost ready” without committing to a specific launch date, causing growing skepticism among its user base. Industry experts note that music creators should consider registering with PRO organizations to ensure they receive appropriate royalties from streaming platforms like Spotify. For music creators looking to promote their work, claiming their Spotify for Artists profile is essential to access promotional tools and analytics that can maximize engagement with the improved audio quality.
Industry analysts are closely watching whether Spotify’s lossless audio will remain bundled with Premium subscriptions long-term. Recent feature additions, such as the platform’s direct messaging capabilities, have prompted speculation about potential subscription tier differentiation in the future.
The company has remained silent on rumors of an even higher-fidelity offering or additional premium features that might justify a separate, more expensive subscription level.
The lossless feature supports both Wi-Fi and cellular streaming across mobile and desktop platforms, along with many Spotify Connect-enabled devices from manufacturers including Sony, Bose, and Samsung. Support for additional devices from Sonos and Amazon will be added in the following month.
Spotify confirms that nearly every song in its vast catalog will be available in lossless quality, marking a significant enhancement to the platform’s audio fidelity without raising subscription costs – at least for now.
