Spotify to offer lossless streaming service

[Nero9]

BTW what is the quality that Spotify offers for old yearly plan account. My subscription shows as Premium Legacy, but no details on whats the bitrate or anything

it's equal to new standard plan 320kbps but pay119rs instead of 199rs

 

[shibashis]

When things get overwhelming, having a discipline in place helps. If too much of content is an issue, there is a concept of library. Spend some time and build your library and when you sit for next listening session, ensure that you don't search again and instead go to the library, choose your favorite album and play.

As for quality of content, yes, the delivery via internet is contaminated and we will have to wash it clean to listen to which is inherent to any segment of anything we consume.

We are fortunate to live in a generation where these kind of streaming services are available otherwise I remember the time when I would travel to Kolkata from Jamshedpur just to pick up some CDs not knowing if all songs in the album were good enough for listening.

I consider streaming as a blessing not a challenge.

I have a library, a substantial one, everyone who uses a streaming service does, or at the least is expected to. The library is not the problem, the problem mostly is barrage of new stuff, not irrelevant stuff but music that is not just as good, it is an waste of time listening to them. They are almost inevitable now with AI mixed playlists or worse, just plain AI generated music.

And lets be clear, I am most definitely not against streaming music. I have enjoyed many many hours listening to Spotify, used to love their 'Daily Mix' feature, discovered plenty of new artists, added them to my library and bought CDs when I could. In the current interface I do not even know if the Daily Mix feature is even there anymore.
Music lovers world over used to swear by Spotify's music recommendation algorithm, this 'artificially dumb' slop is destroying it all.
I do not have the time to put up with this, that is the gripe.

Streaming is a tool, used to be a nice tool, it could still be, it should not be the experience itself. It took over this music listening experience and there was the problem.

 

[shibashis]

I found that if I found a new song that I liked, the option of “ play more like this” brings up more music and songs that I liked.

This experience has substantially degraded in recent days in my opinion. These choices and experiences are all subjective from one to another but for me at least, the recent suggestions do not appeal to me.
I was getting bemused with some of the numbers that their algorithm started throwing up, then my suspicion was substantiated by recent findings of Spotify using AI generated slop and new music that just is not up to scratch by no-name bands they commissioned to bloat numbers.

 

[shibashis]

so you guys belive that magically a library of 100 million mp3 songs magically transformed to high resolution?

Not magically, Spotify made public their intent to go lossless a fair while back now. They have taken this long, presumably to take care of that backend process of converting and mastering and what not. At least one can hope that is the kind of care and professionalism went behind it.

 

[Analogous]

It took over this music listening experience and there was the problem.

This might be an oxymoron ?
As you have pointed out, It’s a tool, a means to listen, it’s our choice to use or not. It can not take over anything. Maybe the dissatisfaction comes from not being able to use the tool competently and feel rewarded with the results?

 

[amrutmhatre90]

Not magically, Spotify made public their intent to go lossless a fair while back now. They have taken this long, presumably to take care of that backend process of converting and mastering and what not. At least one can hope that is the kind of care and professionalism went behind it.

There you have it, if Spotify is converting anything on their backend, then by definition it’s not bit-perfect compared to the native masters you’ll find on Tidal, Qobuz, or directly from the labels.

Once a file goes through any additional processing, repackaging, or loudness-normalisation pipeline, it’s no longer a transparent copy of the studio master.

And that’s exactly why audiophiles don’t treat Spotify as a reference source. It’s great for discovery, but when I want to hear the actual studio master then untouched, full-resolution, and bit-identical services like Tidal, Qobuz, and local files still do a better job.

 

[morerajendra5678]

There you have it, if Spotify is converting anything on their backend, then by definition it’s not bit-perfect compared to the native masters you’ll find on Tidal, Qobuz, or directly from the labels.

If both Qobuz and Tidal get their masters from same labels and don't do any processing of their own why would the same song played in bit perfect mode in Tidal and in Qobuz sound different?

 

[Analogous]

If both Qobuz and Tidal get their masters from same labels and don't do any processing of their own why would the same song played in bit perfect mode in Tidal and in Qobuz sound different?

As Alice said: Curiouser and curiouser

 

[morerajendra5678]

I have both the streaming services and same song played in bit perfect mode in Tidal and Qobuz sounds different with the same set of DAC, Amplifier and Speakers

 

[morerajendra5678]

Given the huge collection of regional indian songs that Spotify carries, Spotify providing Lossless service is its USP with regional content. But with someone preferring world music Qobuz or Tidal is more than enough.

 

[Analogous]

I have both the streaming services and same song played in bit perfect mode in Tidal and Qobuz sounds different with the same set of DAC, Amplifier and Speakers

Wondering why (if it’s the same version of the album)

 

[morerajendra5678]

Wondering why (if it’s the same version of the album)

Both Qobuz and Tidal follow different equalization.
Tidal presentation has more warmth which masks some details but some prefer this presentation for having long listening sessions.
Qobuz presentation is on the brighter side and hence you tend to get more details in it.
This is as per my observation

 

[Radni14]

I upgraded my Spotify subscription to Lossless

 

[Analogous]

Both Qobuz and Tidal follow different equalization.
Tidal presentation has more warmth which masks some details but some prefer this presentation for having long listening sessions.
Qobuz presentation is on the brighter side and hence you tend to get more details in it.
This is as per my observation

Google search on this seems to suggest something similar to your observation. In addition it says Tidal uses MQA while Qobuz does not and this could be related to the differences in presentations.

A more detailed discussion is here on the Roon Community

Qobuz vs Tidal compared

I know it has been discussed several times & many seem to prefer Qobuz over Tidal. What I find strange - almost all reviews from professional mags to independent testers (whathifi, Rolling Stone, etc) seem to prefer Tidal and/or make out no significant difference at all - so basically pros seem...

community.roonlabs.com

 

[morerajendra5678]

Google search on this seems to suggest something similar to your observation. In addition it says Tidal uses MQA while Qobuz does not and this could be related to the differences in presentations.

A more detailed discussion is here on the Roon Community

Qobuz vs Tidal compared

I know it has been discussed several times & many seem to prefer Qobuz over Tidal. What I find strange - almost all reviews from professional mags to independent testers (whathifi, Rolling Stone, etc) seem to prefer Tidal and/or make out no significant difference at all - so basically pros seem...

community.roonlabs.com

Tidal has moved away from MQA long back. I don't think my DACs even support MQA.

 

[msagar]

I can listen to spotify lossless on phone, tablet, and computer only. I can not stream spotify lossless from my Bel Canto, Primare and Cambridge Audio streamers like I do using Qobuz and Tidal

"Lossless is available on mobile, desktop, and tablet, as well as on many devices that support Spotify Connect, including Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser, and more. Support for additional devices, including those from Sonos and Amazon, arrives next month."

Lossless Listening Arrives on Spotify Premium With a Richer, More Detailed Listening Experience — Spotify

Lossless on Spotify Premium is here. Lossless audio has been one of the most anticipated features on Spotify and now, finally, it’s started rolling out to Premium listeners in select markets. Premium subscribers will receive a notification in Spotify once Lossless becomes available to them...

newsroom.spotify.com

 

[Analogous]

I can listen to spotify lossless on phone, tablet, and computer only. I can not stream spotify lossless from my Bel Canto, Primare and Cambridge Audio streamers like I do using Qobuz and Tidal

"Lossless is available on mobile, desktop, and tablet, as well as on many devices that support Spotify Connect, including Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser, and more. Support for additional devices, including those from Sonos and Amazon, arrives next month."

Lossless Listening Arrives on Spotify Premium With a Richer, More Detailed Listening Experience — Spotify

Lossless on Spotify Premium is here. Lossless audio has been one of the most anticipated features on Spotify and now, finally, it’s started rolling out to Premium listeners in select markets. Premium subscribers will receive a notification in Spotify once Lossless becomes available to them...

newsroom.spotify.com

You could write to these three companies and ask about software updates to enable Spotify lossless streaming?

 

[msagar]

https://www.reddit.com/r/truespotify/comments/1ntdhoo/lossless_not_actually_lossless

Cancelled Spotify Premium Platinum Subscription

 

[chander]

Not to sound like a fan-boy - we should also keep in mind -

WHY DO YOU HAVE SPOTIFY - even though it didn't offer lossless till last week.

1 - Availability & ease of entry - It is easily available and accessible to all. The other easily available options are - youtube music, amazon music & apple music. All 3 offer some sort of lossless. But I wouldn't be caught dead using either YT or amazon music. Apple again requires you to kinda have the larger ecosystem and as a stand alone is a bit pointless. Then there is Spotify connect. SO.....

2 - Algorithm - I think most "audiophiles" are here for the "algorithm" ; but it is partially true. There is nothing in existence right now, not that I know of, that can do better than Spotify in this regard. It is getting a bit wonky, slowly, but it is still leaps and bounds ahead.

3 - Price - Look at what you pay for this. The only thing I believe that comes close to this is the Apple Music as you pay for it as a bundle - but then the cost of getting into the Apple eco system is very high. AND you need the apple eco-system for it to work best.

NOW TO THE MAIN POINT

4 - Getting LOSSLESS in India - Getting back to point 1 & THIS POINT IS RELEVANT FOR INDIA ONLY -
- Tidal and Qobuz, that we compare everything against is atleast 5X the price a month
- Tidal and Qobuz are impossible to get for 90% of the consumers of this Forum alone.
- YT music & Amazon Music - the less said the better.
- Apple Music - yes a lot of us have access to that - but then it is not Lossless unless you are using an iOS - so mobile devices only. So that point is kinda MOOT.
****This is the CLOSEST - "most people" will get to "better quality" - given the price + availability - if MOST People cared about Better Quality.
The lower price point makes it easier for a lot of people to taste a bit of "the famed audiophilia".
& even Golden Sounds in the video above acknowledged that it is better quality than what existed

So you are getting a slightly better product for a slightly higher price. I think in all fairness it is justified.
****Again this only applies to INDIA. Till last week I had the UK version of Lossless Spotify and I was paying almost 1500 rs per month for it. We got a fairly good deal in India for around 200 a month

For those who can get Tidal and Qobuz going anyways aren't bothered by Spotify's quality.

Disclaimers -
1 - I have zero affiliation with this company.
2 - I have spotify, apple music, tidal & qobuz.
- I love Spotify - because it just works
- I listen to apple music - cause it is the easiest for me to get lossless everywhere - flights and travel and all that.
- I have little to no consumption of media on tidal and qobuz - I keep them only to get into analysis paralysis or to prove a point to myself cause no one else cares.

 

[oldmonk]

For me I listen to music to heal or fulfill myself emotionally.

I get these without having to dig deep into the "exactness" of "what the artist intended "

Had a visitor from USA last week who had Spotify lossless activated on his phone. I could feel an audible difference on some tracks and on some not so much

But that did not stop us from having a good time.

I suppose a bit of a thick skin in these things is helpful