After years of anticipation, there’s a renewed buzz around Spotify’s long-promised lossless audio streaming. Hints within the code of a recent Spotify update, uncovered by the Spicetify X account, suggest that lossless audio might be closer than ever to a public release. These hints include references to ‘lossless’ appearing in the sidebar for device connection and as a selectable streaming quality option in the app’s settings. Further, Spicetify reports seeing code indicating lossless support for Spotify Connect and the web player.
While nothing is official yet, this is a significant development. Spotify has faced criticism for its delay in delivering on the HiFi promise, initially announced in 2021. However, recent statements by CEO Daniel Ek about a ‘deluxe’ version of Spotify, along with Bloomberg’s reporting on a potential ‘Music Pro’ tier with higher-quality streaming, point towards a possible launch before the year’s end. This premium tier could reportedly add around $5.99 per month to current subscription costs.
The competition is already well-established in lossless audio streaming. Services like Apple Music, Amazon Music HD, and Tidal have offered high-fidelity options for some time. Spotify’s eventual entry into this space would significantly impact the market, giving users another compelling option for listening to music in its purest form. The discovery of these hidden references in the latest Spotify update certainly increases the likelihood of a lossless audio rollout, and we’ll be watching closely for official announcements from Spotify in the coming months.
