The feature, which brings higher sound quality in FLAC format, is rolling out gradually across more than 50 countries, including the UK, US, Germany, Japan, and Australia.

Subscribers will not need to pay extra for the upgrade. Instead, the feature is being added directly to existing Premium plans, avoiding the creation of a separate “HiFi” or “Music Pro” tier that many had anticipated. Users will receive an in-app notification once the update is live for their account.

To enable the feature, listeners must navigate to Settings & Privacy → Media Quality, where “Lossless” can be selected for streaming on Wi-Fi, mobile data, and downloads. Spotify has also included a visual indicator that confirms when tracks are playing in lossless format. However, enabling the option has to be done separately on each device.

The rollout comes with some technical limitations. Spotify’s lossless quality peaks at 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC, which falls short of the higher-resolution options offered by rivals like Apple Music, Tidal, and Qobuz. Those services support up to 24-bit/192 kHz, a difference that only a fraction of audiophiles with high-end sound systems might notice.

Still, Spotify insists the new feature improves clarity and depth across almost its entire 100-million-song catalogue. Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify’s vice president of Subscriptions, described it as a milestone for users:

“The wait is finally over; we’re so excited lossless sound is rolling out to Premium subscribers. We’ve taken time to build this feature in a way that prioritizes quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step, so you always know what’s happening under the hood. With Lossless, our premium users will now have an even better listening experience.”

The company is also working with hardware makers to ensure larger compatibility. At launch, devices from Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser are supported, with Sonos and Amazon integration expected in the coming weeks.

One caveat is that Bluetooth connections do not have the bandwidth to deliver full lossless audio, meaning wired headphones or Wi-Fi-enabled speakers via Spotify Connect are recommended for the best experience.

Spotify has arrived late to this space. Apple Music introduced lossless audio in 2021 at no additional cost, while Amazon Music HD dropped its premium charge in 2019. YouTube Music now remains the only major streaming service without a lossless option.

After years of delays, Spotify’s move is an important step, even if it doesn’t immediately match the technical depth of its competitors. For subscribers, it finally means access to the sound quality many have been asking for since 2017.

The overhaul touches key parts of the listening experience, with an emphasis on Queue management, playlist organisation, and better personalised curation.

For Premium subscribers, Spotify’s Queue has undergone a long-awaited redesign. The control layout is cleaner, making Shuffle, Smart Shuffle, Repeat, and Sleep Timer functions easier to reach. 

Importantly, users can now completely disable both Smart Shuffle and Autoplay in Settings, something many have been asking for.

A new addition is the visibility of suggested tracks that will play once a queue ends. This gives Premium users a chance to approve or discard Spotify’s recommendations before they disrupt a mood or flow. It’s a step towards transparency in a system long monopolised by opaque algorithms.

We’re also seeing a stronger emphasis on user authority. A redesigned Hide button now allows users to instantly remove any song from appearing in a playlist across all devices. It’s practical and permanent, unless you want it otherwise. 

For those who aren’t looking to permanently cut a song but still need a break, a new “Snooze” function is being tested. It temporarily pulls songs from your recommendations for 30 days. “We’re starting to test this for Premium users and are planning to bring it to more listeners soon,” Spotify stated.

Playlist management has also been upgraded. On mobile, users will now find Add, Sort, and Edit tools pinned to the top of every playlist. These allow for quick adjustments to song order, titles, and artwork, tools that were once more buried in the interface.

Another feature, previously unavailable in some regions, is now expanding: Liked Songs in Spotify can be filtered by genre and converted directly into standalone playlists, absolute control. 

Listeners in the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand can now use this tool to automatically generate playlists from what they’ve already enjoyed.

To simplify access to music-curation tools, Spotify has introduced a Create button in the bottom-right corner of the app.

Through it, users can build new playlists, collaborate with friends, or join a Blend, a shared playlist that merges two people’s tastes.

Premium users can also access Jam, a real-time group listening session, and AI Playlist, which turns written prompts into curated lists.

These updates have led to a small redesign of the app’s layout. The Your Library tab has been moved and now sits as the third option on the bottom navigation bar, still accessible, just repositioned.

Speaking on the update, Spotify wrote, “Our latest updates give you even more tools to curate playlists, refine your recommendations, and shape your music journey.”

Music platforms are usually criticised for favouring machine-generated recommendations over user preferences, but this update shows a change.