Don’t fall for the Spotify lossless hype — here’s the streaming service you should use instead and why
By Erin Bashford
Copyright tomsguide
Skip to main content
Tom’s Guide
Newsletters
View Profile
Search Tom’s Guide
You May Like
Why I don’t use Spotify — and the alternative I use instead
Spotify Lossless just dropped — here’s how it compares to Apple Music, Tidal and other high-res services
I’m an audio reviewer — and the device I use to listen to music every day isn’t what you think it is
Phone Insights
Phone Best Picks
Phone Deals
Phone Face-Offs
Phone How-Tos
Phone Reviews
Network Carriers
Android Phones
Google Phones
Motorola Phones
OnePlus Phones
Samsung Phones
Nothing Phone
TV Best Picks
TV Face-Offs
Audio Insights
Audio Best Picks
Audio Deals
Audio Face-Offs
Audio How-Tos
Audio Reviews
Over-Ear Headphones
Bluetooth Speakers
Smart Speakers
TV & Audio Brands
Entertainment
Streaming Devices
Prime Video
Paramount Plus
PlayStation
Handheld Gaming
Gaming Peripherals
Connections
Computing Insights
Computing Best Picks
Computing Deals
Computing Face-Offs
Computing How-Tos
Computing News
Computing Reviews
VPN Best Picks
VPN Face-Offs
VPN How-Tos
VPN Reviews
Operating Systems
Identity Theft Protection
Parental Controls
Malware & Adware
Virtual Reality
Augmented Reality
Smart Glasses
Chromebooks
Gaming Laptops
Apple Desktops
Gaming Desktops
Android Tablets
Computing Brands
AI Insights
AI Best Picks
AI Face-Offs
Google Gemini
Apple Intelligence
Mattress Best Picks
Mattress Deals
Mattress Face-Offs
Mattress How-Tos
Mattress News
Mattress Reviews
Mattress Care
Mattress Toppers
Pillows & Bedding
Smartwatches
Fitness Trackers
Smart Rings
Apple Watch
Home Insights
Home Best Picks
Home Face-Offs
Home How-Tos
Home Reviews
Home Topics
Home Appliances
Home Office
Home Security
Home Brands
Popular Brands
View Phones
Phone Insights
Phone Best Picks
Phone Deals
Phone Face-Offs
Phone How-Tos
Phone Reviews
Network Carriers
View Network Carriers
Android Phones
View Android Phones
Google Phones
Motorola Phones
OnePlus Phones
Samsung Phones
Nothing Phone
TV Best Picks
TV Face-Offs
Audio Insights
View Audio Insights
Audio Best Picks
Audio Deals
Audio Face-Offs
Audio How-Tos
Audio Reviews
Headphones
View Headphones
Over-Ear Headphones
View Speakers
Bluetooth Speakers
Smart Speakers
TV & Audio Brands
Entertainment
View Entertainment
View Streaming
Streaming Devices
Prime Video
Paramount Plus
View Gaming
PlayStation
Handheld Gaming
Gaming Peripherals
Word Games
Connections
View Computing
Computing Insights
Computing Best Picks
Computing Deals
Computing Face-Offs
Computing How-Tos
Computing News
Computing Reviews
VPN Best Picks
VPN Face-Offs
VPN How-Tos
VPN Reviews
View Hardware
View Software
Operating Systems
View Security
Identity Theft Protection
Parental Controls
Malware & Adware
View VR & AR
Virtual Reality
Augmented Reality
Smart Glasses
View Laptops
Chromebooks
Gaming Laptops
View Desktops
Apple Desktops
Gaming Desktops
View Tablets
Android Tablets
Computing Brands
AI Insights
AI Best Picks
AI Face-Offs
AI Engines
Google Gemini
Apple Intelligence
View Wellness
Mattresses
View Mattresses
Mattress Best Picks
Mattress Deals
Mattress Face-Offs
Mattress How-Tos
Mattress News
Mattress Reviews
Mattress Care
Mattress Toppers
Pillows & Bedding
View Fitness
Smartwatches
Fitness Trackers
Smart Rings
Apple Watch
Home Insights
Home Best Picks
Home Face-Offs
Home How-Tos
Home Reviews
Home Topics
Home Appliances
Home Office
Home Security
View Outdoors
Home Brands
Popular Brands
Exclusive Apple Interview
iPhone 17 Pro
Wordle Today
Best laptops
Best Mattress
Don’t miss these
Music Streaming
Why I don’t use Spotify — and the alternative I use instead
Music Streaming
Spotify Lossless just dropped — here’s how it compares to Apple Music, Tidal and other high-res services
I’m an audio reviewer — and the device I use to listen to music every day isn’t what you think it is
Forget AirPods Pro — these are my favorite wireless earbuds with even better sound for every budget
Music Streaming
Rejoice, all ye hi-res audio fans — Spotify Lossless is finally here
Why I keep my streaming separate from my amplifier — and the device which makes it possible
I came so close to loving the Nothing Headphone (1), but the sound held them back — here’s what I’d recommend instead
I’m an audio reviewer who can’t ditch her AirPods — sue me. Here’s what other brands need to do to make me switch
Music Streaming
Spotify’s Lossless Listening makes music sound amazing — here’s how to enable it
I’m about to ditch my AirPods Pro 2 for these budget audiophile earbuds — there’s just one thing holding me back
I test audio gear for a living — and I recommend these headphones and earbuds above everything else
Over-Ear Headphones
I tested these headphones that are $150 cheaper than Sony and Bose — and they deliver even better sound
I test wireless earbuds for a living — here’s my top picks for every budget
I finally tested Denon’s flagship earbuds and they’re the perfect choice for audiophiles on a budget
Music Streaming
Spotify just tipped to finally bring lossless audio to the masses — here’s what we know
Entertainment
Music Streaming
Don’t fall for the Spotify lossless hype — here’s the streaming service you should use instead and why
Erin Bashford
15 September 2025
There are many better options, but Qobuz is the best
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Spotify)
Even though Spotify shocked the world (and made a lot of people very happy) with its lossless streaming announcement last week, I still don’t think you should use it. In my opinion, it’s not the best music streaming service by a long shot, and I think I’m going to switch to Qobuz.
True, it’ll be a difficult sacrifice to make — Spotify has great UI, fantastic social features, and it has stood the test of time. But I don’t think it’s the streaming service is for me anymore. On top of its meagre artist payouts (estimated to be about $0.003-$0.006 per stream), Spotify’s CEO has made some investments that don’t sit right with me, ethically, and to top it all off, its new lossless streaming rate isn’t even that impressive.
As a result, I’m going to switch to Qobuz, which is a French streaming service known for higher artist payouts ($0.018 per stream) and sample rates up to 192kHz. Yes, it’s a little pricier, but I think it’s worth the investment, and here’s why.
You may like
Why I don’t use Spotify — and the alternative I use instead
Spotify Lossless just dropped — here’s how it compares to Apple Music, Tidal and other high-res services
I’m an audio reviewer — and the device I use to listen to music every day isn’t what you think it is
Qobuz Monthly subscription: $10.83 at Qobuz
Qobuz is our best music streaming service for audiophiles. In addition to its comprehensive music library, Qobuz offers 24-bit, 192kHz streaming quality. Comparatively, Spotify’s high-resolution streaming rate tops out at 44.1kHz (a bitrate created in the 1970s for digital audio).
I’ll miss Spotify, don’t get me wrong
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
There are many things I’ll miss about Spotify.
I, like many others, await Spotify Wrapped Day with barely concealed excitement. The day I wake up, open Spotify, and see my Wrapped has dropped? Oh, I never feel joy like it. Spotify Wrapped Day brings me a unique sense of pleasure that can never be replicated.
Qobuz, if you’re reading this, please, I implore you: please bring Qobuz Wrapped to the market ASAP. Ideally, by this December. Thanks!
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Secondly, I’ll miss the second-to-none social features. I’ll miss seeing what my friends are listening to in the right-hand column. I’ll miss being able to send the Spotify waveform to my friends, and they can instantly load the song. You can do this on Qobuz too, but none of my friends have Qobuz, so they won’t be able to play the song. I’ll miss the new Spotify DM feature (yes, it’s real).
Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Thirdly, I’ll miss how well Spotify’s algorithm knows me. I’ve been using Spotify since January 2009 (my dad has always been one of those very techie types who can smell a trend coming with the sense of a bloodhound), and, oh boy, does it show.
Spotify seems to understand my music taste like no one else. The song radio that plays when an album finishes? All hits. No notes.
I’ve been using Qobuz on and off for about six months now, and it doesn’t quite understand the nuance of my music taste yet. It tends to err on the side of “She likes folk, right?” Qobuz doesn’t yet understand that my answer is, “No, not unless it’s Julia Jacklin.”
You may like
Why I don’t use Spotify — and the alternative I use instead
Spotify Lossless just dropped — here’s how it compares to Apple Music, Tidal and other high-res services
I’m an audio reviewer — and the device I use to listen to music every day isn’t what you think it is
Hopefully, this will change with time. But, when I think about it, do I want an algorithm to understand me? Maybe I want to be so idiosyncratic that the robots will never understand the inner workings of my oh-so-unique human brain. Who knows.
Qobuz, however, highlights lesser-known genres like jazz and classical, and will introduce you to a wider range of music. I feel like sometimes my Spotify Daily Mixes are just the same tracks it’s always trying to recommend to me.
But Spotify’s lossless sample rate isn’t even that good
So I’m about to chat about some numbers, so if you don’t care about kHz and bitrates, then feel free to scroll down.
Spotify’s lossless has a max sample rate of 44.1kHz, whereas Qobuz’s max sample rate is 192kHz. In simple terms, this means that Qobuz’s music has more samples per second, and therefore is higher resolution. TIDAL also offers a 24-bit 192kHz sample rate.
Whether you’ll hear the difference depends on your ears and your listening device, but if you’ve got a pair of the best earbuds or best headphones, you’ll probably notice the change. I use my AirPods Pro 2 for pretty much all my listening, and I can tell a difference between Spotify and Qobuz quality.
Anyway, numbers talk over. The long and short of it is that Qobuz’s lossless is, well, more lossless than Spotify’s.
And Spotify’s pay-per-stream is incredibly low
(Image credit: Credit: Qobuz/Tom’s Guide)
I’m sure you’re already aware of this, but Spotify is widely acknowledged to be one of the lowest-paying music streaming services. Spotify is estimated to pay out $0.003-$0.006 per stream, but it doesn’t actually announce its payment rates. I wonder why that is.
Conversely, Qobuz publicizes its payment rates, and it’s the only streaming service that does.
On its website, Qobuz announced it paid “US$0.01873 per stream” during 2024’s fiscal year. for the fiscal year 2024. It explained that “if a track reaches 1,000 plays on Qobuz, this represents US$18.73 paid to these rights holders”.
While yes, “rights holders” doesn’t mean artists, this is due to the inner workings of the music industry, not Qobuz itself.
You’d also be surprised to know that TIDAL doesn’t publicize its payout figures. While the most common estimate is $0.013 per stream, TIDAL hasn’t confirmed or denied this, so we cannot be sure.
Even if that estimate is accurate, though, Qobuz’s confirmed payout of $0.018 is much, much higher. And Qobuz willingly publicizes its payouts, which says it all.
The switch isn’t overly painful, either
My transferred Spotify-to-Qobuz library, reminding me of some forgotten classics. (Image credit: Future / Qobuz)
I know copying all your songs and playlists from Spotify to Qobuz sounds like a right pain in the neck, but it’s as painless as it can be thanks to Qobuz’s Soundiiz partnership. Soundiiz is one of those third-party services that transfers your data from streaming service A to streaming service B. It normally charges a fee, but Qobuz is offering its services for free at the moment.
I’d hop on that while it’s available — I’m not sure when or if it’ll end. I transferred my Spotify library of around 9,000 songs in an hour or two thanks to Soundiiz, and it was completely stress-free. Now I have all my songs in my Qobuz library, which is a great place to start.
And to tell you the truth, it all sounds a lot better on Qobuz’s 24-bit 192kHz stream.
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
More from Tom’s Guide
AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods 4: All the key differences
I wasn’t expecting much when I tested these inconspicuous H2O Audio workout earbuds — but they hooked me instantly
This premium speaker just made my home audio setup 10 times better — here’s why I love it
Today’s best Qobuz deals
Qobuz Studio Premier
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Erin Bashford
Social Links Navigation
Staff Writer, Reviews
Erin Bashford is a staff writer at Tom’s Guide, covering reviews. She has a Masters in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the University of East Anglia. As an ex-barista and avid home cook, she’s got a soft spot for coffee and home tech; as a proud music nerd, she’s always on the hunt for the best headphones, speakers, and earbuds. In her spare time you can find her reading, practising yoga, writing, or stressing over today’s NYT Games.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Why I don’t use Spotify — and the alternative I use instead
Spotify Lossless just dropped — here’s how it compares to Apple Music, Tidal and other high-res services
I’m an audio reviewer — and the device I use to listen to music every day isn’t what you think it is
Forget AirPods Pro — these are my favorite wireless earbuds with even better sound for every budget
Rejoice, all ye hi-res audio fans — Spotify Lossless is finally here
Why I keep my streaming separate from my amplifier — and the device which makes it possible
Latest in Music Streaming
Spotify Lossless just dropped — here’s how it compares to Apple Music, Tidal and other high-res services
Spotify’s Lossless Listening makes music sound amazing — here’s how to enable it
Rejoice, all ye hi-res audio fans — Spotify Lossless is finally here
I have a big problem with Spotify’s new messaging feature — here’s why
I Don’t Understand Spotify’s New Messaging Feature — And Where’s My HiFi
Spotify just got a huge upgrade for over 200 million users — you’ve got to try this new feature
Latest in Opinion
Don’t fall for the Spotify lossless hype — here’s the streaming service you should use instead and why
I’ve been testing the new Breville Oracle Dual Boiler — here’s 3 things I like and 1 thing I don’t
I review mechanical keyboards for a living and this is what I think of Reddit’s top picks
Enough is enough — it’s time for Samsung to put Dolby Vision on its TVs
iPhone 17 Pro Max: 7 reasons to buy (and 3 reasons to skip)
Apple could make Wi-Fi “just work” with a new take on AirPort — and the iPhone Air’s wireless chips might be the key
LATEST ARTICLES
Research shows back pain’s worst enemy is walking this many minutes a day — here’s why
iPhone 17 Pro is missing this big rumored feature — and now I think we know why
This one insect is endangering the honeybee pollination — what to do if you spot one
Netflix just added this guilty pleasure drama with 91% on Rotten Tomatoes —binge all six seasons of ‘Nashville’ now
Apple AirPods Pro 3 review: The best AirPods yet
Tom’s Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Terms and conditions
Contact Future’s experts
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Accessibility Statement
Advertise with us
Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,
Please login or signup to comment
Please wait…
