Spotify leaks suggest lossless audio is almost ready

After years of waiting for Spotify to release the lossless audio tier it promised, some leaked UI elements suggest the project is alive and kicking, if not (dare I say) possibly close to release.

Spotify’s current bitrate tops out at 320kbps, but that could soon change if screenshots taken from version 1.2.36 of Spotify by Redditor OhItsTom are accurate. They show what users could expect from the lossless feature, including a device compatibility checker and lossless streaming quality of up to 1,411kbps, and it could go even higher.

Another section mentions lossless quality of up to 2,117kbps can be achieved, which could consume 15.9MB of data per minute. Listening support of up to 24-bit/44.1kHz may also be available for “limited songs” via the FLAC audio format, something that’s also previously been referenced in Spotify build code samples.

According to the screenshots (clipped to show the relevant information), these panes should appear on the right-hand side of the Spotify desktop app. Image: OhItsTom

The screenshots also show a compatibility checker that tells users if their device, connection type, and bandwidth can support lossless audio. This is presented alongside some advisory blurbs that suggest downloading music in lossless quality for the best offline listening experience and warn users that most Bluetooth devices “don’t fully support lossless sound.” Instead, users are prompted to use wired devices or listen wirelessly via Spotify’s Connect feature.

Do you know more about Spotify HiFi or the upcoming “Supremium” plan? The people deserve the whole story, so let’s give it to them. If you’ve got knowledge of where things stand, don’t hesitate to message Chris Welch confidentially and securely with Signal at 845-445-8455. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or contact him via Instagram or X / Twitter DM.

These UI elements are visuals only for now (lossless playback isn’t working yet), according to OhItsTom, who also claims Spotify is internally referring to the feature as “enhanced listening” instead of HiFi now. Other screenshots that reportedly reveal the features’ mobile app introduction screen suggest Spotify is also rebranding HiFi to “Lossless” — one of several names that have been speculated since it was announced back in February 2021, alongside more recent rumors of a “Supremium” tier it may fall under.

These screenshots showing how the feature may be introduced on the Spotify mobile app suggest that the HiFi branding is being ditched in favor of “Lossless.” Image: OhItsTom