“What format does Spotify support?” has no single answer because Spotify receives masters from distributors, accepts creator uploads, transcodes content for streaming and plays local files. Confusing those stages leads people to upload a streaming copy when the platform actually wants a master.
For music delivered by artists and labels
Spotify says it strongly prefers FLAC and also accepts WAV meeting the same specifications. The delivered master should be stereo, at least 44.1 kHz and at least 16-bit. If the recording is natively 24-bit, deliver the 24-bit file rather than reducing it first. Spotify converts WAV submissions losslessly to FLAC.
Do not convert an MP3 into FLAC merely to satisfy the filename. That produces a larger container around a lossy source. Deliver the highest-quality native master available and let Spotify create its service-specific versions.
For podcast episodes in Spotify for Creators
Spotify for Creators currently supports MP3, M4A and WAV audio, in mono or stereo. Its help documentation does not impose a simple hard file-size limit, but warns that larger files take longer to process and can fail more easily on an unreliable connection.
For a finished podcast, a carefully encoded MP3 or M4A is practical. Keep a separate WAV or FLAC production master even if you upload the compressed version.
What listeners receive
Spotify prepares its own streaming formats and quality levels. Its support documentation lists AAC for the web player and a range of app quality settings commonly described by approximate bitrates. The exact result can depend on device, connection, plan and region. Lossless availability is also plan- and region-dependent, so do not assume every listener receives the same stream.
| Situation | Good source choice | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Music distributor delivery | Native FLAC or compliant WAV | MP3 converted to WAV/FLAC |
| Podcast upload | MP3, M4A or WAV per creator workflow | Unnecessarily huge file on a weak connection |
| Personal archive | FLAC, ALAC or WAV master | Relying on a downloaded stream as the master |
| Sharing a reference | High-quality MP3 or AAC | Sending a giant WAV when fidelity is not being reviewed |
Sample rate and bit depth mistakes
Do not upsample a 44.1 kHz file to 96 kHz or pad 16-bit audio to 24-bit. The numbers get larger, but the source gains no detail. Conversely, do not reduce a genuine high-quality master just because streaming delivery will eventually be compressed. The platform asks for the best native master so it can create current and future versions.
Recommended delivery checklist
- Start from the final native mix or master, not a listening MP3.
- Confirm stereo channels are correct and not accidentally phase-cancelled.
- Keep the original sample rate and bit depth unless the distributor requires a change.
- Export FLAC or WAV without normalization added by the conversion tool.
- Enter accurate title, artist and release metadata in the distributor.
- Listen to the released result on more than one quality setting.