diff --git a/mopidy/backends/spotify/__init__.py b/mopidy/backends/spotify/__init__.py
index 9dababc0..da839b26 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/spotify/__init__.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/spotify/__init__.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from mopidy.gstreamer import GStreamer
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.backends.spotify')
 
 ENCODING = 'utf-8'
+BITRATES = {96: 2, 160: 0, 320: 1}
 
 class SpotifyBackend(ThreadingActor, Backend):
     """
diff --git a/mopidy/backends/spotify/session_manager.py b/mopidy/backends/spotify/session_manager.py
index 388b29c3..4b6abe85 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/spotify/session_manager.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/spotify/session_manager.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from pykka.registry import ActorRegistry
 
 from mopidy import get_version, settings
 from mopidy.backends.base import Backend
+from mopidy.backends.spotify import BITRATES
 from mopidy.backends.spotify.translator import SpotifyTranslator
 from mopidy.models import Playlist
 from mopidy.gstreamer import GStreamer
@@ -58,12 +59,10 @@ class SpotifySessionManager(BaseThread, PyspotifySessionManager):
             return
         logger.info(u'Connected to Spotify')
         self.session = session
-        if settings.SPOTIFY_HIGH_BITRATE:
-            logger.debug(u'Preferring high bitrate from Spotify')
-            self.session.set_preferred_bitrate(1)
-        else:
-            logger.debug(u'Preferring normal bitrate from Spotify')
-            self.session.set_preferred_bitrate(0)
+
+        logger.debug(u'Preferred Spotify bitrate is %s kbps.', settings.SPOTIFY_BITRATE)
+        self.session.set_preferred_bitrate(BITRATES[settings.SPOTIFY_BITRATE])
+
         self.container_manager = SpotifyContainerManager(self)
         self.container_manager.watch(self.session.playlist_container())
         self.connected.set()
diff --git a/mopidy/backends/spotify/translator.py b/mopidy/backends/spotify/translator.py
index 21abdf78..91a2a9ae 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/spotify/translator.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/spotify/translator.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import logging
 from spotify import Link, SpotifyError
 
 from mopidy import settings
-from mopidy.backends.spotify import ENCODING
+from mopidy.backends.spotify import ENCODING, BITRATES
 from mopidy.models import Artist, Album, Track, Playlist
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.backends.spotify.translator')
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class SpotifyTranslator(object):
             track_no=spotify_track.index(),
             date=date,
             length=spotify_track.duration(),
-            bitrate=(settings.SPOTIFY_HIGH_BITRATE and 320 or 160),
+            bitrate=BITRATES[settings.SPOTIFY_BITRATE],
         )
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/mopidy/settings.py b/mopidy/settings.py
index 6721e0a6..9ac63719 100644
--- a/mopidy/settings.py
+++ b/mopidy/settings.py
@@ -248,11 +248,13 @@ SPOTIFY_USERNAME = u''
 #: Used by :mod:`mopidy.backends.spotify`.
 SPOTIFY_PASSWORD = u''
 
-#: Do you prefer high bitrate (320k)?
+#: Spotify preferred bitrate.
+#:
+#: Available values are 96, 160, and 320.
 #:
 #: Used by :mod:`mopidy.backends.spotify`.
 #
 #: Default::
 #:
-#:     SPOTIFY_HIGH_BITRATE = False # 160k
-SPOTIFY_HIGH_BITRATE = False
+#:     SPOTIFY_BITRATE = 160
+SPOTIFY_BITRATE = 160
diff --git a/mopidy/utils/settings.py b/mopidy/utils/settings.py
index 2bd6e6f3..01fee23d 100644
--- a/mopidy/utils/settings.py
+++ b/mopidy/utils/settings.py
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ def validate_settings(defaults, settings):
         'SERVER': None,
         'SERVER_HOSTNAME': 'MPD_SERVER_HOSTNAME',
         'SERVER_PORT': 'MPD_SERVER_PORT',
+        'SPOTIFY_HIGH_BITRATE': 'SPOTIFY_BITRATE',
         'SPOTIFY_LIB_APPKEY': None,
         'SPOTIFY_LIB_CACHE': 'SPOTIFY_CACHE_PATH',
     }
@@ -127,6 +128,11 @@ def validate_settings(defaults, settings):
                     'longer available.')
                 continue
 
+        if setting == 'SPOTIFY_BITRATE':
+            if value not in (96, 160, 320):
+                errors[setting] = (u'Unavailable Spotify bitrate. ' +
+                    u'Available bitrates are 96, 160, and 320.')
+
         if setting not in defaults:
             errors[setting] = u'Unknown setting. Is it misspelled?'
             continue
diff --git a/tests/utils/settings_test.py b/tests/utils/settings_test.py
index 1ffff9a6..748eae85 100644
--- a/tests/utils/settings_test.py
+++ b/tests/utils/settings_test.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class ValidateSettingsTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.defaults = {
             'MPD_SERVER_HOSTNAME': '::',
             'MPD_SERVER_PORT': 6600,
+            'SPOTIFY_BITRATE': 160,
         }
 
     def test_no_errors_yields_empty_dict(self):
@@ -42,6 +43,13 @@ class ValidateSettingsTest(unittest.TestCase):
             '"mopidy.backends.despotify.DespotifyBackend" is no longer ' +
             'available.')
 
+    def test_unavailable_bitrate_setting_returns_error(self):
+        result = validate_settings(self.defaults,
+            {'SPOTIFY_BITRATE': 50})
+        self.assertEqual(result['SPOTIFY_BITRATE'],
+            u'Unavailable Spotify bitrate. ' +
+            u'Available bitrates are 96, 160, and 320.')
+
     def test_two_errors_are_both_reported(self):
         result = validate_settings(self.defaults,
             {'FOO': '', 'BAR': ''})