The lossless icon in Apple Music means that the audio files you are listening to have been treated using lossless compression, as opposed to lossy compression. The lossless format is supposed to bring better audio quality to the Apple Music catalog, but it takes specific requirements to hear the difference.
Here is everything you need to know about lossless audio on Apple Music and how you can hear the difference.
What Is Lossless Audio on Apple Music?
Lossless audio is a method applied during compression and decompression that preserves the quality of the original recording. Even though the audio file is made smaller, it still sounds exactly like it did when the artist recorded it.
Apple wants to use lossless to improve your overall listening experience and has changed its entire catalog’s compatibility. Lossless audio has compressed files that are even smaller than regular audio files.
Normally, when files are compressed they lose a piece of the quality with it. To solve this issue, Apple created the Apple Lossless Audio Codec, which is a proprietary tech built specifically for lossless audio.
What Is Hi-Res Lossless Audio?
Apple introduced lossless audio to their entire catalog of music, but it also introduced an upgraded version called hi-res lossless audio.
Regular lossless audio runs at CD quality, which is 16bit at 44.1 kHz. This quality should be enough for most casual listeners, but the real audiophiles will appreciate the hi-res version. Hi-res goes up to 24bit and 192kHzm, making it one of the best audio experiences in the industry.
What Do You Need to Hear Lossless Audio on Apple Music?
Lossless files are going to use up more data than regular audio files when streaming. You need an adequate data plan if you plan on streaming your favorite music using lossless audio.
The same can be said for your computer. You need more storage space for lossless files than if you were downloading MP3 files. This is because the higher resolution files always take up more space than uncompressed or lower resolution files that don’t contain the same level of quality.
As long as you are using an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV you will be able to listen to lossless audio. You can’t hear lossless if you are using AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, HomePod, and HomePod Mini. The hardware used in the AirPods and HomePod is incompatible with lossless.
You won’t be able to hear radio broadcast, live radio and on-demand content from Apple 1, Apple Music Hits, music videos, or Apple Music Country in lossless audio. These formats aren’t fully supported.
Can You Notice a Difference With Lossless Audio?
Although Apple has made a big push to market the lossless audio format, not many people can tell the difference.
Part of the problem is the equipment you use to listen to lossless audio. If you don’t have a high-quality device with proper speakers, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference. If you are trying to use a Bluetooth connection to listen to your lossless audio, you will never be able to enjoy the lossless experience. Bluetooth doesn’t support lossless audio formats, so you’re better off playing the music from your device’s speakers.
People who are constantly listening to Apple Music with the supported equipment will be the most likely to hear the difference in lossless audio. Casual music listeners who don’t have as much exposure to the sounds won’t be able to differentiate between lossless and lossy audio.
Audiophiles Will Love Lossless Audio
Lossless audio helps music that has been compressed retain the same level of quality as the day it was recorded. You can listen to any song in the Apple Music catalog in lossless audio, but you need to have the right equipment. Even then, more casual listeners may not hear the subtle difference.
Put your ears to the ultimate test and take a lossless audio challenge to see if you’ve earned the right to call yourself a real audiophile.