Spotify has launched a new lossless audio feature, offering music in 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC files for improved sound quality. But experts and early testers say the upgrade will matter only to a small group of listeners with the right equipment and habits.
The new option delivers higher fidelity than Spotify’s current high-quality 320Kbps streams and is a clear improvement over the platform’s standard 96Kbps streams. Listeners using wired headphones or high-end speakers may hear sharper details, particularly in acoustic or vocal-heavy music.
Subtle differences can be heard in recordings like Nina Simone’s Pastel Blues, where instruments and background textures sound slightly more natural.
However, for the majority of users who stream music through Bluetooth headphones, wireless earbuds, or phone speakers, the benefits are minimal. Bluetooth lacks the bandwidth to transmit true lossless audio, forcing compression before playback.
Spotify itself warns that lossless streaming requires wired headphones or a capable sound system and must be enabled manually on each device.
Spotify’s lossless tier is also limited to 24-bit/44.1kHz, while rivals like Tidal and Apple Music support 24-bit/192kHz hi-res audio. Yet even audiophiles acknowledge that the difference between lossless and hi-res lossless is barely perceptible and often requires expensive external equipment, such as a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), to experience fully.
For most listeners, the jump from standard to high quality is far more noticeable than the move from high quality to lossless. Those who do invest in proper gear may enjoy cleaner sound, but casual users are unlikely to hear a meaningful improvement.
