Spotify cuts off a popular tool that saved songs in top quality

Spotify has dealt a major blow to SpotiFLAC, a popular tool that let people download songs from Spotify in lossless quality. That means CD-quality sound, with no detail squeezed out to save space. The news comes from Android Authority, which reports that existing users are not entirely out of luck and that replacement tools are on the way.

What changed

SpotiFLAC was an unofficial tool. It was not made by Spotify. It let people save Spotify songs in a lossless format. According to Android Authority, Spotify has now hit the tool hard. The source material does not say exactly how Spotify did it, or which features stopped working.

Who it affects

The people most affected are those who used SpotiFLAC to build a collection of high-quality music files. The report says current users are not entirely stuck. It does not spell out what they can still do, so it is unclear how much of the tool still works.

What to do

Tools like this depend on a service they do not control. When the service changes, the tool can stop working. Unofficial downloaders can also conflict with Spotify's rules. A few points are worth keeping in mind:

• Do not count on an unofficial tool as your only way to keep music.
• Check Spotify's own terms before using any third-party downloader.
• Treat promised replacement tools with care until they prove reliable.

What happens next

Replacement tools are reportedly on the way. The material does not name them, say when they will arrive, or explain how they would avoid the same fate. It also does not say whether Spotify plans further action. Those details are not known yet.