What Is Spotify Lossless Audio?
Spotify Premium customers now have access to lossless listening. To put it briefly, it allows you to listen to FLAC music at up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz, which preserves more of the original detail than the previous “Very High” (320 kbps) streams. Consider more natural cymbals, crisper vocals, and a touch more “air” around the instruments, particularly when listening on high-quality speakers or wired headphones.
How do you turn it on?
Go to Profile → Settings & Privacy → Media Quality → to access Spotify. Turn on Lossless (you may configure it for downloads, cellular, and Wi-Fi). A tiny “Lossless” emblem will appear on the Now Playing screen when it is active.
What gear do you need?
Wired headphones or speakers are best. Standard Bluetooth usually compresses audio, so you won’t get true lossless over most wireless headphones. If you use Spotify Connect with compatible gear, you can get up to 24-bit quality to those devices.
A basic USB-C dongle DAC with wired earphones already gets you most of the benefit.
What’s included (and what isn’t)?
Lossless covers “nearly every song” in the catalog and is part of your existing Spotify Premium—no new paid tier. It doesn’t apply to music videos, podcasts, or audiobooks.
So… does it really sound better?
If you already stream on decent gear, you’ll notice the upgrade most on acoustic, vocal, and detailed recordings. On casual setups or everyday Bluetooth earbuds, the difference is subtle to none. That’s normal—not your ears. The biggest jump is usually going wired and using decent headphones/speakers first; lossless is the icing after that.
Quick takeaway
Turn on Lossless, connect wired headphones, and play a well-known song that you love. Keep it on if you hear a little more clarity and space. If not, don’t worry—you can always go back to save data, and Spotify still sounds fantastic.
Want the official details? Read Spotify’s announcement and check the Lossless Audio Article for requirements and setup.