Spotify adds lossless for Premium, expands on-demand for free tier

Spotify is rolling out two major updates: lossless audio for paying subscribers and expanded on‑demand controls for its free, ad‑supported tier. The company began notifying users this month that lossless streaming will be available to Premium customers in more than 50 markets over the coming weeks while simultaneously launching Pick Play, Search Play and Share Play for free users worldwide, Spotify said.

The lossless option streams music in 24‑bit/44.1 kHz FLAC, a significant step up from Spotify's previous top bitrate, and will be available on mobile, desktop and tablet. Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify’s vice president of subscriptions, said the company had built the feature "in a way that prioritizes quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step." Spotify said listeners must enable Lossless in Media Quality settings on each device and that an icon will appear when lossless audio is active.

Spotify recommends wired headphones or non‑Bluetooth connections such as Spotify Connect for the best experience because Bluetooth typically does not provide enough bandwidth for lossless streams. Initial device partners include Sony, Bose, Samsung and Sennheiser, with Sonos and...