Spotify Leaks Suggest Lossless Audio Is Almost Ready

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

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

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

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

These UI elements are visual-only for now (lossless playback isn’t working yet), according to OhItsTom, who also claims that Spotify is internally referring to the feature as “enhanced listening” rather than HiFi now. Other screenshots that purportedly reveal the features’ mobile app intro screen suggest that Spotify is also rebranding HiFi to “Lossless” – one of several names that have been speculated about since it was announced in February 2021, along with rumors. latest from a “Supremium” level. can fall.

The existence of these UI elements within the app may indicate that Spotify is finally prepared to launch this long-awaited feature, but it’s not easy to forgive three years of ghosts and broken promises. Spotify has made some efforts to reassure its users that HiFi/Lossless/whatever we call it will still “arrive at some point.” But other audio streaming services like Amazon Music, Apple Music and Tidal far away offered high-resolution audio. At this point, we’ll believe it when we see it.