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 has rolled out Lossless audio for Premium subscribers in select markets, delivering higher-quality streams for those willing to pay for the upgrade. The service uses 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC, the same format TIDAL officially adopted last year. Spotify stops at CD-quality FLAC, unlike Apple Music, Amazon Music, TIDAL and Qobuz, which offer hi-res streaming options up to 24-bit/192 kHz.
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—meaning lossless audio is now far more widely accessible.
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, so any Bluetooth connection will compress the signal.
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.