Spotify Lossless Audio Delay: Why Audiophiles Are Flocking to Apple Music
Audio enthusiasts have been waiting years for Spotify to upgrade its sound quality. With the promised lossless tier nowhere in sight, many dedicated listeners are tired of waiting. They are moving their playlists to platforms like Apple Music that offer high-resolution, uncompressed streaming right now at no extra cost.
The Long Wait for Spotify HiFi
In February 2021, Spotify hosted a major “Stream On” event. They brought out pop star Billie Eilish to help announce Spotify HiFi, a new tier that would deliver CD-quality, lossless audio format to your device. The company promised this feature would arrive in select markets by the end of that year.
Years have passed since that announcement. As of late 2024, Spotify still does not offer a lossless audio option. The highest audio quality available on Spotify Premium remains 320 kilobits per second (kbps) using the Ogg Vorbis format. This is a “lossy” format, meaning data is discarded during compression to keep file sizes small.
While 320 kbps sounds perfectly fine on standard car speakers or basic wireless earbuds, it falls short for dedicated audio enthusiasts. Codec sleuths have occasionally found hidden code in the Spotify app hinting at a new “Music Pro” or “Supremium” tier. Rumors suggest Spotify might try to charge up to $19.99 a month for this high-quality add-on. However, their competitors have already made paying extra for high-quality audio a thing of the past.
Apple Music Rewrote the Rules
A few months after Spotify announced its HiFi plans, Apple completely disrupted the streaming market. In June 2021, Apple Music rolled out Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.
The most shocking part of Apple’s announcement was the price. Apple added these massive audio upgrades to their standard subscription plan at zero extra cost. Today, an individual Apple Music subscription costs $10.99 a month. For that price, subscribers get access to over 100 million songs encoded in ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec).
Apple offers two tiers of high-quality streaming built directly into the app:
- Lossless: This ranges from standard CD quality (16-bit at 44.1 kHz) up to 24-bit at 48 kHz.
- Hi-Res Lossless: This tier offers massive, studio-quality files up to 24-bit at 192 kHz.
For an audiophile, getting 24-bit/192 kHz files for $10.99 a month is an unbeatable deal. This single move triggered an exodus of serious listeners from Spotify to Apple Music. Why wait for Spotify to charge you extra when Apple offers studio-quality sound right now for a standard monthly fee?
The Pressure from Tidal and Amazon
Apple is not the only platform stealing audio-conscious users away from Spotify. The rest of the industry has adapted to the new standard that Apple set.
Amazon Music Unlimited matched Apple immediately. They dropped the extra charge for their “HD” tier, giving all standard subscribers ($9.99 a month for Prime members) access to Ultra HD audio. These tracks stream up to 24-bit/192 kHz, matching Apple Music perfectly.
Tidal has historically been the top choice for audiophiles. For years, Tidal charged $19.99 a month for its top-tier Hi-Fi Plus plan. In April 2024, Tidal bowed to market pressure and simplified its pricing. Tidal now offers its maximum quality audio (HiRes FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz) for just $10.99 a month.
With Apple, Amazon, and Tidal all offering studio-quality audio for around ten bucks, Spotify is entirely surrounded by cheaper, higher-quality options.
The Gear Required for True Lossless
Audiophiles are flocking to Apple Music because they own the hardware necessary to reveal the flaws in a 320 kbps Spotify stream. Listening to a compressed audio file on high-end equipment is like watching a standard-definition DVD on a brand new 4K television. The better your gear, the more you notice the missing details.
To actually hear the benefit of Apple Music’s Hi-Res Lossless tier, listeners use specialized equipment.
- Wired Headphones: You cannot stream true lossless audio over a standard Bluetooth connection. Even premium wireless options like the AirPods Max compress the audio. Audiophiles use wired, audiophile-grade headphones like the Sennheiser HD800S or the HiFiMan Sundara.
- Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs): To process massive 24-bit/192 kHz files, you need an external DAC. Popular models include the portable AudioQuest DragonFly or desktop units like the iFi Zen DAC.
When you plug a good pair of wired headphones into a dedicated DAC and stream an ALAC file from Apple Music, the difference is immediate. The bass is tighter, the vocals are clearer, and the instruments have distinct separation.
Will Spotify Ever Catch Up?
Spotify remains the king of music streaming by sheer user volume. They boast incredible algorithmic playlists, seamless social sharing like Spotify Wrapped, and a massive podcast library. For the average listener walking to work with standard Bluetooth earbuds, Spotify is more than enough.
However, the audio enthusiast market has moved on. If Spotify eventually releases a lossless tier, they face a serious pricing problem. If they charge $15 or $20 a month for high-resolution audio, audiophiles will simply stay with Apple Music or Tidal. Until Spotify can deliver CD-quality sound at a competitive price, audio purists will continue to jump ship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is lossless audio? Lossless audio is a file format that preserves all the original data from the studio recording. Unlike compressed formats (like MP3 or Ogg Vorbis) that delete minor sounds to save storage space, lossless files deliver the exact track the artist recorded.
Can I hear lossless audio on Bluetooth headphones? No. Current Bluetooth technology does not have the bandwidth to transmit true, uncompressed lossless audio. Even if you turn on Apple Music’s lossless setting, the audio is compressed to travel through the air to your wireless headphones. You need a wired connection to hear true lossless sound.
How much does Apple Music cost compared to Spotify? Both Spotify Premium and Apple Music charge $10.99 per month for a standard individual plan. The difference is that Apple Music includes lossless audio and Spatial Audio at this price point, while Spotify restricts users to compressed audio files.