Rejoice, all ye hi-res audio fans — Spotify Lossless is finally here

(Image credit: Spotify)

A short list of the longest things on earth:

The Great Wall of China
Pando Aspen Colony
Great Barrier Reef
The wait for Spotify Lossless

Spotify HiFi, as it was then called, was first announced by the Swedish streamer in 2021. I was young, I was excited and I was a member of the Spotify faithful. I couldn't wait for lossless audio out of my favorite music streaming app.

It's now four years later. I am older and more jaded. Yet still, when I got an email from a Spotify spokesperson that Spotify Lossless was indeed coming in a matter of hours, I couldn't contain my excitement.

It's here — 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC streaming out of the most subscribed to music streamer on the planet. Finally, the killer feature of Apple Music is now accessible to a wider range of people. The wait. Is. Over.

How to find Spotify Lossless

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I'm told that Spotify Premium users are going to receive a notification when the feature becomes available on their chosen platform. From there, you'll be able to choose the streaming option in the audio quality section of the settings menu. You can choose between "Low, Normal, High, Very High" and the new "Lossless" option.

We are reminded that those files are a whole lot bigger than older file formats on Spotify, so for the best results, you'll want to either download them to your device or stream them over Wi-Fi. If you use your cellular data plan, be prepared to watch your data use rise astronomically if you opt for the lossless streaming option. A new unlimited data plan is in order.

While a pair of wired headphones or some decent smart speakers are going to get you the best results, you'll likely still notice a difference with your best wireless earbuds. That's because the source that's being converted for Bluetooth transmission is of much higher quality, giving the converter more to work with.

Finally, I can report some good news from Spotify — and while that streaming quality still isn't quite up to scratch with my favorite, Qobuz, this is massive if you're looking for a step up in musical fidelity.

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Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.

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