It’s been over 4 years since Spotify first announced its plans to launch a lossless audio tier that has but to reach.
After quite a few leaks and teases from firm execs, we all know higher than to start out hoping that the long-delayed service may very well be lastly nearing arrival.
However newly added references within the music app’s code counsel the lossless service is a minimum of nonetheless below growth and will even be getting nearer to launch.
According to technologist and reverse engineer Chris Messina, plenty of references to “lossless” have popped up in Wednesday’s construct of the Spotify desktop app.
These code snippets primarily refer to assist playing cards that would seem to tell the top person about what the lossless tier provides and how you can use or troubleshoot the service.
As an illustration, one card says, “Lossless music, now in premium,” whereas one other describes it because the “greatest sound high quality on Spotify for music in as much as 24-bit/44.1 kHz.”
A few of the playing cards warn customers that individual songs aren’t accessible in lossless or when their machine has unhealthy connectivity, which might have an effect on playback. One other notes that lossless music is “greatest loved on units appropriate with Spotify Join and/or wired units.”
As well as, Reddit person u/bendotlc noted that different modifications have been seen within the newest model of the cellular app, the place the code now mentions lossless: “Say howdy to the most effective sound high quality on Spotify. Take heed to high-fidelity music in as much as 24-bit/44.1 kHz.” The Redditor claims the function is definitely current within the app, however is at present disabled.
After all, code references don’t imply the lossless function is coming anytime quickly.
As we’ve seen in earlier years, leaks and code references have appeared earlier than, and but the high-quality audio tier by no means arrived.
When requested instantly about losless and different plans for premium tiers on current earnings calls with buyers, Spotify execs, together with CEO Daniel Ek, would solely trace that the corporate was investing in premium merchandise for “tremendous followers.” They wouldn’t give a timeframe on when these or some other higher-quality streaming choices would lastly launch.
Most lately, Spotify Chief Enterprise Officer Alex Norstrom advised buyers on the Q1 2025 name that Spotify was nonetheless investing in additional premium tiers.
“Now, close to increased tiers, we see nice potential in them as we’ve talked about earlier than,” he stated. “So creating increased tiers round new choices is one thing we’re working in the direction of because it actually opens up new alternatives to please customers,” Norstrom stated on the time.
When Spotify first announced its plans for Spotify HiFi, because it was then known as, in 2021, it stated that the service would supply customers music in “CD-quality, lossless audio format.” It had run tests of a lossless choice within the years earlier than this, nonetheless.
Ultimately, Spotify pointed to licensing issues as the rationale for its delay in launching.
In what may very well be promising information on that entrance, the streamer signed new offers with labels together with Warner Music and Universal Music Group in early 2025, which might pave the way in which for the lossless tier — or so music followers hope.
Bloomberg additionally reported earlier this yr {that a} premium Music Professional tier would launch later in 2025, which would come with high-quality streaming, remixing, and different options.
Spotify declined to touch upon this report.
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