Spotify rolls out lossless audio for premium users

The feature, which supports playback at up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC quality, will be extended to more than 50 markets through October, the company said. Premium users in countries including Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US and the UK already have access.

The move comes over four years after Spotify first announced plans for high-quality audio. Rivals Apple Music and Amazon Music have offered lossless formats since 2021, both at no additional cost. Apple provides up to 24-bit/192 kHz Hi-Res Lossless, while Amazon offers Ultra HD quality at the same specification.

Spotify has been reported to be preparing a higher-priced “Music Pro” tier with additional features. Bloomberg suggested earlier this year that the add-on could cost up to $5.99 more per month, raising the price of an individual Premium subscription in the US to around $18. Premium currently costs $11.99 per month in that market, following a price rise in June 2024.

Spotify recently introduced direct messaging within its app, available in some markets to Free and Premium users aged 16 and over. Both the new messaging tool and the lossless option have raised questions within the industry about whether they could eventually be moved to a more expensive subscription tier.

In China, Tencent Music Entertainment has reported success with a similar model. Its SVIP membership, which offers premium sound quality among other benefits, surpassed 15 million subscribers last month. SVIP costs about five times more than its standard plan.

Spotify’s latest feature is compatible with its mobile, desktop and tablet apps, as well as Spotify Connect-enabled hardware from manufacturers such as Sony, Bose, Samsung and Sennheiser. Support for Sonos and Amazon devices is expected next month.

The rollout follows global subscription price increases announced in August across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. In a recent interview, Co-President Alex Norström said price adjustments would remain “part of the toolbox” as Spotify seeks to expand its paid user base.

Spotify reported 276 million Premium subscribers in the second quarter of 2025, a 12% increase compared with the previous year.