Spotify is finally launching support for lossless music streaming – TechCrunch

Lead

Spotify announced on Sept. 10, 2025 that it is rolling out lossless music streaming to Premium subscribers in more than 50 countries through October. The service will offer FLAC streaming up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz and covers “nearly every track” in Spotify’s 100-million-song catalog, the company said. Users who gain access will receive an in-app notification and can enable lossless playback from Settings; the feature must be switched on for each device individually. Spotify also noted Bluetooth connections remain constrained by bandwidth, so high-resolution playback is limited to Wi‑Fi or compatible networked devices.

Key Takeaways

• Spotify has begun a rollout of lossless FLAC streaming (up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz) for Premium subscribers across more than 50 countries through October 2025.
• Subscribers in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US and the UK are among those already receiving access.
• The company says the update will cover “nearly every” track in its roughly 100-million-song library, though some tracks may remain unavailable in lossless format.
• Lossless playback must be enabled per device via Settings > Privacy & Media Quality > Lossless for streaming and downloads.
• Bluetooth-connected devices are generally not supported for lossless playback due to bandwidth limits; Spotify recommends Wi‑Fi streaming via Spotify Connect to compatible partners like Bose, Yamaha and Bluesound.

Background

Spotify first signaled plans for a hi‑fi tier in 2021, promising CD‑quality audio to users. That initial announcement encountered repeated delays, which the company has attributed in part to licensing and technical complexities of delivering lossless streams at scale. During 2024, CEO Daniel Ek described the company as being in the “early days” of preparing lossless support, underscoring the work required to negotiate with rights holders and adapt infrastructure.

Rival services have already moved into high-resolution audio: Apple Music introduced lossless options in 2021, and Amazon launched a paid HD tier in 2019 before making lossless streaming more widely available. Reports and app code hints in recent years suggested Spotify was weighing a higher‑priced tier for lossless audio, but the company’s current rollout delivers FLAC quality to existing Premium subscribers rather than launching a separate paid label at launch.

Main Event

Spotify’s rollout begins with a staged release covering more than 50 markets by October 2025. The company says eligible Premium users in a set of priority countries — including the US, UK, Japan, Germany and others — are receiving access first, with broader availability arriving via app updates and server‑side switches. When a user’s account is enabled, the Spotify app sends a notification; the user then must navigate to Settings > Privacy & Media Quality to select “Lossless” for streaming, downloads and cellular or Wi‑Fi use.

The setting is device‑specific, so switching on lossless for a phone does not automatically enable it for a smart speaker, desktop app or another mobile device. Spotify highlighted that lossless files are larger than standard streams and added a data‑use indicator so subscribers can monitor consumption. For listeners who want high-resolution audio on home stereo systems, Spotify recommends Spotify Connect over Wi‑Fi and listed partners such as Bose, Yamaha and Bluesound as compatible device makers.

On technical limits, Spotify cautioned that Bluetooth does not generally support the bandwidth necessary for uncompressed or lossless transmission, a constraint the company shares with other streaming services and device makers. The company’s announcement says the delivered format will be FLAC at up to 24‑bit/44.1 kHz; that preserves the original studio quality better than compressed formats commonly used for mobile streaming.

Analysis & Implications

Strategically, Spotify’s move narrows a long‑standing feature gap with competitors: Apple Music has offered lossless since 2021 and Amazon expanded HD options earlier. Catching up on audio fidelity helps Spotify retain audiophile subscribers and could reduce churn among Premium customers who have cited sound quality as a reason to switch. However, Spotify’s decision to offer lossless to current Premium customers — rather than launching a separate, higher‑priced tier at rollout — changes the economics compared with earlier speculation about a paid Hi‑Fi product.

Operationally, delivering lossless streaming to tens of millions of users raises infrastructural challenges. Lossless files are larger, increasing storage and CDN costs and placing higher demands on network throughput. Spotify’s per‑device enablement and data‑use tracking are pragmatic measures to limit unintentional consumption spikes and help users manage network or cellular caps.

For hardware and ecosystem partners, Spotify’s reliance on networked playback (Spotify Connect) rather than Bluetooth puts an emphasis on smart speakers, network players and AV receivers that support Wi‑Fi streaming. That may boost demand for compatible devices from Bose, Yamaha and Bluesound, and could pressure other consumer‑electronics makers to add robust network streaming support or upgraded Bluetooth codecs for higher throughput.

Comparison & Data

The table highlights release timing and technical ceilings used by major services; Spotify’s 24‑bit/44.1 kHz cap matches CD‑origin fidelity at higher bit depth but is below the maximum sample rates supported by some competitors. Differences in codec (FLAC vs ALAC), delivery methods and device support will affect perceived quality for end users.

Reactions & Quotes

“We’re in the early days of rolling this out,”

Daniel Ek, Spotify CEO (quoted in coverage of the company’s roadmap)

Context: Ek’s comment was made as Spotify prepared the technical and licensing groundwork for lossless delivery; the phrase underscores a multi‑year effort rather than an overnight change.

“Nearly every track”

Spotify statement (company announcement summarized in reporting)

Context: Spotify used this phrasing to describe catalog coverage; the company also cautioned that some tracks may not be available immediately in lossless form due to rights and technical reasons.

Unconfirmed

• Whether Spotify will introduce a separate, higher‑priced tier for even higher‑resolution audio remains unannounced and unconfirmed.
• The exact percentage of the 100‑million‑song catalog that will be in lossless format is unclear beyond Spotify’s “nearly every track” claim; some recordings may be delayed or excluded for licensing reasons.
• Support for true end‑to‑end high‑resolution wireless playback over Bluetooth depends on specific codecs and device implementations and is not uniformly solved by this rollout.

Bottom Line

Spotify’s introduction of FLAC‑based lossless streaming for Premium users is a long‑awaited functional upgrade that closes a conspicuous gap versus competitors. By delivering up to 24‑bit/44.1 kHz streams to more than 50 countries during a staged rollout, Spotify addresses an audio‑quality demand from discerning listeners while avoiding an immediate shift to a separate paid Hi‑Fi tier.

That said, practical constraints remain: larger file sizes, per‑device enablement, and Bluetooth bandwidth limits mean the feature will matter most to users with Wi‑Fi‑connected home audio gear or networked players. In the months ahead, observers should watch actual catalog coverage, whether Spotify expands sample‑rate ceilings, and whether the company revisits pricing or tiering for higher‑resolution offerings.

Sources

• TechCrunch — news coverage summarizing Spotify’s announcement and rollout (media)
• Spotify Newsroom — official company announcements and product statements (official)