Spotify has finally added lossless audio to its platform. The new feature comes amid Spotify’s ongoing efforts to develop a new “super-Premium” tier, possibly branded as “Music Pro,” previously reported to be launching as soon as this year.
Despite reports that the company would likely gate lossless behind a higher-priced subscription tier, the feature will be available for Premium subscribers starting Wednesday (September 10) in select markets.
The streaming company said on Wednesday that lossless listening will be gradually rolling out to more than 50 markets through October.
Premium subscribers in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US, and the UK have already started to get access.
The rollout arrives a couple of weeks after Spotify launched a direct message feature inside its app, which the platform said is meant to make sharing music and other content easier.
The direct messaging feature is available on mobile devices “in select markets” to both Free and Premium users, but only to those aged 16 and over, Spotify said.
A big question the wider music industry will be asking today is whether these new features, direct messaging and lossless audio, could one day become perks of a pricier ‘super Premium’ subscription tier.
Over in China, music streaming company Tencent Music Entertainment revealed last month that its higher-priced SVIP membership program recently surpassed 15 million subscribers.
According to TME, Premium sound quality “remains the most popular SVIP membership benefit”.
TME SVIP subscribers pay approximately RMB 40 (USD $5.58) per month compared to the standard RMB 8 (USD $1.12) subscription, meaning these premium users generate five times the revenue of regular subscribers.
Bloomberg reported in February that Spotify was considering charging up to $5.99 more per month on top of a Premium subscription for access to a so-called ‘Music Pro’ tier, which would include various ‘superfan‘ perks.
An individual Spotify Premium subscription is currently priced at $11.99 in the US, following the most recent price rise in June 2024. This would bring the combined cost of a Premium subscription plus the Music Pro add-on to around $18 per month.
Commenting on today’s launch, Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP Subscriptions, Spotify, said: “The wait is finally over; we’re so excited lossless sound is rolling out to Premium subscribers.”
He added: “We’ve taken time to build this feature in a way that prioritizes quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step, so you always know what’s happening under the hood. With Lossless, our premium users will now have an even better listening experience.”
As previously expected, Spotify’s audio upgrade supports streaming at up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC quality, matching its rivals.
Elsewhere in the market, Apple Music already offers lossless for a maximum resolution of 24-bit/48 kHz and Hi-Res Lossless of up to 24-bit/192 kHz. In May 2021, Apple Music rolled out Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos to its service for free.
That same month, Amazon Music also launched HD music listening options for its $9.99-per-month Music Unlimited Service “at No Extra Cost.” Amazon Music offers high-definition and ultra-high-definition lossless formats of up to 24-bit/192 kHz.
Spotify’s latest rollout comes over four years after the company first announced plans for high-quality audio. At the time, the company said it was adding a Hi-Fi audio subscription option to its platform.
Last month, Spotify announced subscription price hikes in numerous markets outside the US including South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Spotify Co-President and Chief Business Officer Alex Norström hinted at more price hikes ahead, saying price adjustments are now “part of the toolbox” at the company.
Norström also said the company is confident it can reach 1 billion paid subscribers, noting that around 3% of the world’s population currently has a paid subscription, so “there’s just so much more runway” to grow the subscriber base.
The lossless feature arrives as Spotify seeks to convert users into Premium subscribers. Spotify’s paid subscriber base grew to 276 million in Q2 2205, up 12% year over year.
The lossless feature works across mobile, desktop, and tablet apps, plus devices supporting Spotify Connect from devices like Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser. Support for Sonos and Amazon devices will arrive next month.
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