About lossless audio in Apple Music
Our commitment to your listening experience
Apple Music delivers an unparalleled listening experience that’s defined by the highest standards of audio quality. We developed our own implementation of AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) that delivers audio that’s virtually indistinguishable from the original studio recording. We also introduced Apple Digital Masters to deliver the highest-quality recordings. And now, we’re offering Apple Music subscribers the additional option to access our entire catalog encoded using lossless audio compression at no extra cost.
What is lossless audio compression?
Most audio compression techniques lose some amount of data contained in the original source file. Lossless compression is a form of compression that preserves all of the original data.
Apple has developed its own lossless audio compression technology called Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC). In addition to AAC, the entire Apple Music catalog is now also encoded using ALAC in resolutions ranging from 16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD Quality) up to 24-bit/192 kHz.
While the difference between AAC and lossless audio is virtually indistinguishable, we’re offering Apple Music subscribers the option to access music in lossless audio compression.
What you need to know about lossless in Apple Music
Streaming lossless audio over a cellular or Wi-Fi network consumes significantly more data. And downloading lossless audio uses significantly more space on your device. Higher resolutions use more data than lower ones.
AirPods 3 or earlier, AirPods Pro 1, AirPods Pro 2 with Lightning Charging Case, AirPods Max, and Beats wireless headphones use Apple AAC Bluetooth Codec to ensure excellent audio quality. However, Bluetooth connections aren't lossless.
AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C Charging Case provide Lossless Audio with ultra-low latency when paired with an Apple Vision Pro.
To get a lossless version of music that you already downloaded from Apple Music, delete the music, turn on lossless for your device, then redownload the music from the Apple Music catalog.
How to listen to lossless on your iPhone or iPad
What you need
You can listen to lossless on an iPhone or iPad updated to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS using:
A wired connection to headphones, receivers, or powered speakers
The built-in speakers
An external digital-to-analog converter to listen to songs at sample rates higher than 48 kHz
How to turn lossless on or off
Go to Settings > Apps.
Tap Music.
Tap Audio Quality.
Tap Lossless Audio to turn it on or off. From here, you can choose the audio quality for streaming and downloading audio.
Lossless for a maximum resolution of 24-bit/48 kHz
Hi-Res Lossless for a maximum resolution of 24-bit/192 kHz
How to listen to lossless on your Mac
What you need
You can listen to lossless on a Mac updated to the latest version of macOS using:
A wired connection to headphones, receivers, or powered speakers
The built-in speakers
14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro support native playback of songs at sample rates up to 96 kHz.
To listen to songs at sample rates higher than 48 kHz on other Mac computers, you need an external digital-to-analog converter.
How to turn lossless on or off
Open the Apple Music app.
In the menu bar, choose Music > Preferences.
Click the Playback tab.
Under Audio Quality, select or unselect "Lossless audio" to turn it on or off. From here, you can also change the settings for streaming and downloading lossless.
Lossless for a maximum resolution of 24-bit/48 kHz
Hi-Res Lossless for a maximum resolution of 24-bit/192 kHz
How to listen to lossless on your HomePod
What you need
A HomePod or HomePod mini updated to the latest software version
The Home app on the iPhone or iPad that was used to set up your HomePod
How to turn lossless on or off
On your iPhone or iPad, open the Home app.
Tap the Home button
.Tap Home Settings.
Under People, tap your name.
Tap Apple Music.
Turn Lossless Audio on or off.
How to listen to lossless on your Apple TV 4K
What you need
Connect your Apple TV 4K to an AV receiver using an HDMI cable.
How to turn lossless on or off
Go to Settings > Apps.
Select Music.
Select Audio Quality.
Select or unselect Lossless. Apple TV 4K currently doesn’t support Hi-Res Lossless (sample rates greater than 48 kHz).
How to listen to lossless on your Apple Vision Pro
What you need
You can listen to lossless on Apple Vision Pro using:
The built-in speakers
AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, or AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C Charging Case
How to turn lossless on or off
Go to Settings > Apps.
Tap Music.
Under Audio, tap Audio Quality.
Turn Lossless Audio on or off.
How to listen to lossless on your Android device
What you need
You can listen to lossless on an Android device with the latest version of the Apple Music app using:
A wired connection to headphones, receivers, or powered speakers
To listen to songs at sample rates higher than 48 kHz, you might need an external digital-to-analog converter.*
*To see if your Android device requires an external digital-to-analog converter, check with your device's manufacturer.
How to turn lossless on or off
Open the Apple Music app.
Tap the More button
.Tap Settings.
Tap Audio Quality.
Tap Lossless to turn it on or off. From here, you can choose the audio quality for streaming and downloading audio.
Lossless for a maximum resolution of 24-bit/48 kHz
Hi-Res Lossless for a maximum resolution of 24-bit/192 kHz
How to listen to lossless on your PC
What you need
You can listen to lossless on a PC with the Apple Music app for Windows using:
The built-in speakers
A wired connection to headphones, receivers, or powered speakers
An external digital-to-analog converter to listen to songs at sample rates higher than 48 kHz*
*To see if your PC requires an external digital-to-analog converter, check with your computer's manufacturer.
How to turn lossless on or off
Open the Apple Music app.
At the top, click Sidebar Actions
, then click Settings.Click Playback.
Under Audio Quality, turn Lossless audio on or off. From here, you can choose the audio quality for streaming and downloading audio.
Lossless for a maximum resolution of 24-bit/48 kHz
Hi-Res Lossless for a maximum resolution of 24-bit/192 kHz
Frequently asked questions about lossless
Can I listen to lossless audio using AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or Beats headphones?
AirPods 3 or earlier, AirPods Pro 1, AirPods Pro 2 with Lightning Charging Case, AirPods Max, and Beats wireless headphones use Apple AAC Bluetooth Codec to ensure excellent audio quality. However, Bluetooth connections aren't lossless.
AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C Charging Case use a proprietary wireless audio protocol that can provide Lossless Audio with ultra-low latency when paired with Apple Vision Pro.
Can I listen to lossless audio over Bluetooth?
We will deliver music using lossless audio compression to your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Lossless will play back normally on Bluetooth speakers and headphones. However, Bluetooth connections don’t support lossless audio.
Can I listen to lossless audio using Apple’s Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter?
Yes. The Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter is designed to transmit audio from the iPhone’s Lightning connector. It contains a digital-to-analog converter that supports up to 24-bit/48 kHz lossless audio.
Can I listen to lossless audio using the AirPods Max Lightning to 3.5mm Audio Cable?
The Lightning to 3.5 mm Audio Cable was designed to allow AirPods Max to connect to analog sources for listening to movies and music. AirPods Max can be connected to devices playing Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless recordings with exceptional audio quality. However, given the analog-to-digital conversion in the cable, the playback will not be completely lossless.
What content isn’t available in lossless audio?
Broadcast radio
Live radio and on-demand content from Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country
Music videos
Can I redownload my iTunes purchases in lossless?
If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can redownload music in lossless only from the Apple Music catalog.
Can I listen to lossless audio using CarPlay?
You can listen to lossless audio with CarPlay using a USB connection. Streaming lossless audio in a car over a cellular network will consume significantly more data.
Apple Music availability might vary by country or region. Learn what's available in your country or region.
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