It’s been over 4 years since Spotify first introduced 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 begin 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 no less than nonetheless underneath growth and will even be getting nearer to launch.
In keeping with technologist and reverse engineer Chris Messina, quite a few 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 use or troubleshoot the service.
As an example, 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 number of the playing cards warn customers that specific songs aren’t obtainable in lossless or when their system has unhealthy connectivity, which may 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 famous that different modifications have been seen within the newest model of the cell app, the place the code now mentions lossless: “Say howdy to the most effective sound high quality on Spotify. Hearken 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 the moment disabled.
In fact, 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 immediately 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 every other higher-quality streaming choices would lastly launch.
Most just lately, Spotify Chief Enterprise Officer Alex Norstrom advised buyers on the Q1 2025 name that Spotify was nonetheless investing in additional premium tiers.
“Now, on the subject of larger tiers, we see nice potential in them as we’ve talked about earlier than,” he mentioned. “So creating larger tiers round new choices is one thing we’re working in direction of because it actually opens up new alternatives to please customers,” Norstrom mentioned on the time.
When Spotify first introduced its plans for Spotify HiFi, because it was then known as, in 2021, it mentioned that the service would provide customers music in “CD-quality, lossless audio format.” It had run assessments of a lossless choice within the years earlier than this, nevertheless.
Finally, Spotify pointed to licensing points 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 Common Music Group in early 2025, which may 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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