Amazon, Apple not to charge extra for lossless music

Amazon.com Inc and Apple Inc will let users stream high-quality lossless audio at no extra charge, as they explore new ways to keep subscribers tuned in to their services amid intense competition.

Amazon Music, which so far charged a premium for lossless audio, became the first major music service on Monday to upgrade its subscribers to the format.

Lossless is a higher quality audio format that preserves every detail of the original audio file without compressing the quality while streaming.

American rapper Jay-Z’s Tidal was among the first to roll out the technology, charging $19.99 per month for lossless music.