Spotify appears to be gearing up to launch its long-awaited lossless music tier.
Chris Messina (via TechCrunch) and Spicetify (via The Verge) spotted new lossless references within the code for Spotify's desktop app and web player.
With assistance from Aaron Perris, MacRumors has confirmed that the latest beta of the Spotify app for the iPhone also contains new lossless-related code.
Lossless songs retain all of the audio data from the original recording.
One line of code says Spotify's lossless audio will be 24-bit at 44.1 kHz.
"Introducing the best sound quality on Spotify: for music in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz."
Lossless audio will be available to stream or download in the Spotify app on the iPhone, reads another line of code for the beta app.
In February, Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw reported that Spotify was planning to launch a Music Pro subscription tier that offers higher-quality audio, remixing tools, and access to concert tickets. The report said Spotify was considering charging as much as $5.99 per month for this perk, on top of the standard price of Spotify Premium.
It is unclear when Spotify will finally roll out lossless audio, but the report said that it aimed to make Music Pro available later this year.
Spotify first announced plans for a "Hi-Fi" tier with lossless audio in 2021.
2021 is the same year that most songs in the Apple Music catalog became available in lossless audio, at up to 24-bit/192 kHz. This perk is offered to Apple Music subscribers at no additional cost, so Spotify's offering is both late and will seemingly cost extra.
