Spotify’s HiFi lossless streaming might really, finally, actually be coming soon
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Spotify’s HiFi lossless streaming might really, finally, actually be coming soon
A command-line tool says it has seen code for lossless in a new version of Spotify. The tool, Spicetify, also says lossless will be available on Spotify Connect and in the web player. Spotify’s lossless streaming still isn’t available yet, but these small lossless mentions indicate that the company may be ready to add lossless at long last.
We’ve been waiting for Spotify’s lossless streaming for more than four years, but there are some new and promising hints that the feature might finally arrive sometime soon.
The X account for Spicetify, a command-line tool that lets you customize the Spotify client, says that a new version of Spotify includes some hidden mentions of lossless. In a screenshot the account shared, for example, lossless appears in the sidebar to connect a device. Another screenshot shows lossless as an option for streaming quality in the app’s settings. The Spicetify account also says it has seen code that lossless will be available on Spotify Connect and in the web player.
To be clear: Spotify’s lossless streaming still isn’t available yet. But these small lossless mentions and recent reporting indicate that the company may be ready to add lossless at long last.
Spotify initially announced a “Spotify HiFi” tier in 2021 that it intended to launch that year, but that didn’t happen. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in 2024 that the company was working on a “deluxe” version of Spotify. And in February, Bloomberg reported that Spotify was aiming to roll out a new “Music Pro” tier with features like higher-quality streaming by the end of this year. The tier could cost as much as $5.99 per month more than its current subscriptions, Bloomberg says.
Services like Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal already offer lossless streaming.
Spotify Lossless Is Coming Real Soon: App Code Reveals ’24-bit’, ‘FLAC’ References—What to Expect?
Spotify’s Lossless tier is reportedly coming soon due to the recently discovered code references to the new music streaming qualities that appeared on the app. In the Spotify app’s version 1.2.66, users may set their streaming quality in the settings to “Lossless,” now being the best quality there is after the “Very High” option which outputs MP3 320kbps. Lossless was also mentioned in the “Connect to the device” sidebar and under the artist’s name found in the Now Playing bar (NPB) Based on the code, Lossless would also be available on the Spotify Connect experience and its Web Player once it is made available.
In a recent dive into Spotify’s app code, a source revealed the mentions of “24-bit” and “FLAC” on the platform, which are best known to be music resolution and format, respectively.
Of course, these references on Spotify codes are still hidden in the interface as it is not yet available for the public to enjoy, but the latest discovery is believed toto point out to the nearing availability of Lossless.
Spotify Lossless: 24-bit, FLAC Referenced in App Code
A recent discovery by Spotify customization app Spicetify revealed the latest references on the app’s code regarding the Lossless tier, particularly in the hidden parts of its user interface. In the Spotify app’s version 1.2.66, users may set their streaming quality in the settings to “Lossless,” now being the best quality there is after the “Very High” option which outputs MP3 320kbps.
In the Spotify user interface, the app maker showed that the streaming company referenced the 24-bit music depth, and it is best known as the “24-bit/44.1KHz” that the lossless audio format FLAC uses.
With this, users would be consuming data of up to 1 GB per hour should they choose the lossless quality.
Lossless Tier Is Finally Coming: What to Expect
Moreover, the platform also noted that Lossless was also mentioned in the “Connect to the device” sidebar and under the artist’s name found in the Now Playing bar (NPB).
Based on the code, the platform also revealed that Lossless would also be available on the Spotify Connect experience and its Web Player once it is made available.
This means that Spotify is potentially bringing a wide rollout of the Lossless streaming experience and would not be exclusive to apps or software.
Spotify’s Lossless Streaming Is Long-Awaited
As early as 2021, there have been talks about Spotify’s development of the “Hi-Fi” tier, which was reportedly its version of Lossless streaming on the platform, with initial rumors saying that it is coming the following year. However, 2022 came and went without any signs of Spotify’s Hi-Fi or Lossless appearing on the platform, and this was despite competitors like Apple Music offering it.
In the past years, the rumors behind Spotify’s development of this Lossless streaming experience did not die down. Last year, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek confirmed the plans for the future Hi-Fi tier coming to the platform, but it will set back users around $20 per month for the experience.
The many rumors and reports behind this Lossless tier saw it adopt different names, including Spotify Hi-Fi or the “Supremium” tier, but as of writing, there have been no developments on this.
Earlier this year, there was also another rumor about the “Music Pro” tier that would supposedly deliver the Lossless streaming experience, with users no longer having to change tiers. However, they must opt for the $6 upgrade to enjoy the tier.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/690107/spotify-lossless-streaming-hifi-music-pro-spicetify