We’ve been hearing about Spotify’s upcoming lossless audio streaming for years, and it still hasn’t launched yet. There have been rumors that Spotify could launch lossless audio later this year, and a new report from Bloomberg suggests it may cost you “at least “ $5 more every month.
Bloomberg cites one source “familiar with the plan”, claiming that this new lossless audio tier will be an add-on for existing subscribers. In other words it may not be the $20 a month “Supremium” plan that we’ve heard about in the past, and subscribers will instead stick to their current subscription tier.
However the price people actually pay for the lossless add-on will reportedly differ depending on which plan a user subscribes to. Bloomberg didn’t specify how prices might change, but I’d wager that anyone on a Duo or Family plan will be asked to pay more than an individual, while Student accounts may get a discount.
It sounds like the plan is to offer this in a way that doesn’t involve raising prices for the Premium plan — or potentially creating a third subscription tier. After all, Spotify recently announced its second price rise in less than a year, with the current most expensive subscription now costing $12 a month. Nobody wants those prices to rise again, especially if it means taking on extra features they may not want.
After all, Spotify is pretty late to the lossless audio game. While the lossless tier was announced back in 2021, various delays mean that other music streamers have caught up. Apple Music offers lossless audio at no extra cost, and you can already enjoy lossless and hi-res audio from the likes of Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited. If someone desperately wanted lossless music streaming they would’ve ditched Spotify for someone else.
Apple Music offers lossless audio at no extra cost, and you can already enjoy lossless and hi-res audio from the likes of Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited.
The real question is what else this lossless audio add-on might offer. Since Spotify’s rivals are already offering lossless audio for significantly less money, it’s going to need something to entice people into paying that extra $5 each month.
Bloomberg claims that the new add-on will offer features like instant generation of custom playlists, based on activities, dates and the time of year, plus the ability to adapt based on user behavior and create those playlists without user input. Which sounds a lot like Spotify could be jumping on the AI bandwagon.
Previous leaks have also suggested the add-on could feature “advanced mixing tools” and the ability to filter your library based on a bunch of different factors — which includes optimizing available tracks for your current headphones.
There’s still no indication of when Spotify will launch the lossless add-on, beyond the vague rumors that it could happen before the end of the year. So we’re just going to have to wait and see, hoping that Spotify doesn’t make us wait too much longer.
