Spotify review: the best all-round music streaming service, now with lossless

This Spotify review covers the world's largest music streaming service, which passed 750 million monthly users and around 300 million paying subscribers in 2026. The questions people ask most are whether Spotify Premium is worth it, how Spotify compares with Apple Music, and whether its sound quality is finally good enough. After the arrival of lossless audio, Spotify is a stronger all-rounder than ever.

This is a research-based review using Spotify's official plan pages, company reports, independent comparisons and listener feedback.

Music discovery and playlists

Discovery is the reason many people stay with Spotify. Personalised mixes such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar, daily mixes by mood and genre, and a vast library of editorial and user playlists make it easy to find new music without effort. The yearly Wrapped summary has become a cultural event in its own right.

Social features help too. You can build collaborative playlists with friends, follow what they listen to and start a Jam, a shared listening session where several people add songs to the same queue.

The library itself is enormous, with more than 100 million tracks across major labels and independent artists, so gaps are rare. Search works by artist, album, genre, mood or even lyrics, and the Home screen changes throughout the day to suit what you usually play in the morning, at work or in the evening.

Sound quality: Spotify lossless

For years, the biggest complaint about Spotify was sound quality. Premium now includes lossless streaming, which closes much of the gap with Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music. Most people will struggle to hear the difference over Bluetooth earbuds, but on wired headphones or a good home system it is a welcome upgrade.

Spotify still stops at CD-quality lossless, while some rivals offer hi-res audio and wider spatial audio catalogues. Audiophiles who care about those formats may prefer a competitor.

Devices and Spotify Connect

Spotify runs on almost everything: iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, smart TVs, game consoles, smart speakers from many brands, smartwatches and car systems through Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Spotify Connect lets you start music on your phone and hand it to a speaker or TV with a tap, which is one of the service's most practical advantages over Apple Music outside Apple's own devices.

The desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux are full-featured, and the web player works in most browsers without installing anything. In the car, Spotify integrates with many vehicle systems, and runners can download playlists to supported smartwatches to listen without a phone.

Spotify Free vs Premium

Spotify Free lets you listen at no cost, with ads and fewer controls, especially on mobile. Premium removes ads, lets you play any song in any order, adds offline downloads and lossless audio, and includes monthly audiobook listening time on most plans.

Several Premium plans are available in Germany and most markets.

The free tier is a genuine option for occasional listeners, particularly on a computer, where playback is more flexible than on mobile. The trade-off is regular ad breaks, lower-quality compressed streams and no downloads, which makes it frustrating on commutes with patchy signal. New Premium subscribers are usually offered a free trial, with the longest trials typically on the Individual plan.

• Premium Individual: one account
• Premium Duo: two accounts at the same address
• Premium Family: up to six accounts, parental controls and managed accounts for children
• Premium Student: discounted single account for eligible students, without audiobook hours

Podcasts and audiobooks

Spotify has expanded well beyond music. Its podcast library is among the largest anywhere, including video podcasts and exclusive shows. Premium Individual, Duo and Family plans include 12 hours per month of listening from the audiobooks catalogue, with extra hours available to buy. For heavy audiobook listeners that cap can run out quickly, so a dedicated audiobook service may still make sense.

The artist pay debate

Spotify pays around 70 percent of its revenue to rights holders, who then pay artists under their own deals. Payments are based on share of total streams, and many musicians argue that this model underpays smaller artists. If supporting artists directly matters to you, consider buying music or merchandise alongside your subscription.

Is Spotify Premium worth it?

If you listen to music most days, yes. Ad-free playback, offline downloads, lossless sound and excellent recommendations make Premium good value, and Duo and Family plans lower the cost per person. Apple Music is a close rival for iPhone owners, while YouTube Music may suit people who already pay for YouTube Premium.

Switching is also easier than it used to be. Tools that transfer playlists between services mean you are not locked in, so you can move to Spotify or away from it without rebuilding years of playlists by hand. Given how much of daily listening it covers, Premium remains one of the better-value subscriptions for music fans.

Key specs

Catalogue

100+ million tracks, 7+ million podcast titles, audiobooks

Platforms

iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, web, smart speakers, TVs, consoles, cars

Plans

Free, Premium Individual, Duo, Family (up to six accounts), Student

Audio quality

Lossless for Premium; compressed streaming on Free

Offline

Downloads on Premium

Audiobooks

12 hours per month on Individual, Duo and Family

Users

Over 750 million monthly users, about 300 million subscribers (2026)

Alternatives to consider

• Apple Music: Hi-res lossless and spatial audio, tightly integrated with Apple devices.
• Tidal: Audiophile-focused service with hi-res audio and a strong artist focus.
• YouTube Music: Huge catalogue including live versions and covers, bundled with YouTube Premium.

Frequently asked questions

Spotify remains the best all-round music streaming service in 2026. Its discovery tools, playlists and device support are unmatched, and lossless audio removes its biggest weakness. Hi-res fans and Apple loyalists have good reasons to look elsewhere, but for most listeners Spotify Premium, ideally on a Duo or Family plan, is money well spent.

How we research: Reviews are based on the maker’s specifications, published independent tests and owner reports. Scores compare the product with others in its class.