Spotify, the global leader in music streaming, has finally joined the high-resolution audio race. Announced on Wednesday, Lossless Listening is now available for premium subscribers in select regions, including the US. This new feature promises to revolutionize the listening experience for millions, offering unparalleled audio fidelity previously unavailable on the platform.
For years, music streaming services have compressed audio files to reduce storage space and bandwidth consumption. This compression process, while necessary for efficient streaming, often resulted in a loss of audio detail. Spotify’s Lossless Listening aims to address this issue. By utilizing uncompressed, high-resolution audio formats, users can now experience music as the artists intended—hearing every nuance, every subtle instrument, and every vocal inflection with pristine clarity.
Spotify emphasizes that the implementation of Lossless Listening prioritizes quality and user-friendliness. Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify’s vice president of subscriptions, stated, "We’ve meticulously developed this feature to ensure a superior listening experience, seamlessly integrated into your existing Spotify workflow." This commitment to a smooth user experience is reflected in the simple activation process; premium users can easily enable Lossless Listening within their settings.
While Spotify's entry into the lossless audio arena is significant, it is important to note that the feature is not entirely without limitations. Due to the larger file size inherent in lossless audio, playback via Bluetooth is not currently supported. When connecting through Bluetooth, the audio will automatically revert to the standard compressed format. Furthermore, Lossless Listening is currently limited to music, with no immediate plans to extend it to podcasts or audiobooks.
This launch comes years after competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music introduced similar high-resolution audio options. However, given Spotify's massive user base of over 696 million, the impact of Lossless Listening on the wider audio streaming landscape is undeniable. For a monthly fee of $11.99 (Premium subscription), Spotify users can now elevate their music listening experience to a new level of fidelity, further cementing Spotify’s position at the forefront of the music industry. Available on mobile, tablet, and desktop, Lossless Listening is a compelling addition to the premium offering.
---
Originally published at: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-09-11/spotify-lossless-listening-new-audio-format-sound-quality
