Spotify Finally Launches Lossless Audio, But Faces Hurdles in a Crowded High-Fidelity Market
Stockholm, Sweden - January 23, 2024 - Spotify has officially rolled out its long-awaited lossless audio tier, bringing higher-fidelity streaming too its 574 million users worldwide. Though, the launch is met with muted excitement, hampered by limitations in device compatibility and a competitive landscape where rivals already offer superior audio quality.
The arrival of lossless audio on Spotify closes a notable gap with competitors like Apple Music, Amazon Music, Qobuz, and Tidal.For years, Spotify lagged behind in offering a truly high-fidelity listening experience, a point of contention for audiophiles. While the feature is now available to Premium subscribers in select markets, accessing the full benefits requires a specific ecosystem of compatible devices and audio sources.
A key obstacle is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound, designed to deliver lossless audio over Bluetooth.This requires a source (like Spotify Lossless), a compatible device (smartphone or music player), and a receiver (headphones or wireless speaker) supporting aptX Lossless. Critically, Apple does not support aptX Lossless, relying solely on AAC for Bluetooth audio, despite being a major player in both smartphone and headphone sales.
Spotify’s lossless audio currently reaches a quality of 24-bit/44.1KHz. In comparison, Apple, Amazon, Qobuz, and Tidal support up to 24-bit/192KHz FLAC, offering a demonstrably higher potential quality. The author notes this allows competitors to position themselves as superior in audio fidelity.
The launch has been described as “weird” and “strange” given the protracted rollout and specific limitations. While lossless audio is now available on spotify, the path to a seamless, high-fidelity experience remains complex for many users.
