By
Justin SabrinaUpdated on March 17, 2025
Summary
What is Apple Music lossless audio? How to stream lossless audio from Apple Music? What device can play Apple Music lossless audio? Can You Listen to Apple Music Lossless Audio on Apple AirPods? How to download Apple Music to lossless audio files? Check out this post to get the answers!
Apple Music Lossless Audio is a game-changer for audiophiles, offering studio-quality sound without extra costs. Since its 2021 launch, it has redefined how users experience music streaming. But what exactly is lossless audio? How does Apple deliver it, and how to stream lossless audio from Apple Music? Does AirPods Support Apple Music Lossless Audio? Is it possible to listen to high-quality Apple Music tracks after subscription ends? Keep reading, you will find the answers and solutions on how to enjoy lossless Apple Music on your AirPods!
CONTENTS
What Is Apple Music Lossless Audio?
Apple Music Lossless Audio is a high-fidelity streaming tier that preserves every detail of original recordings. Unlike standard compressed formats (e.g., MP3, AAC), lossless audio uses ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) to deliver bit-for-bit accuracy.
Key Features:
Lossless Tier: Up to 24-bit/48 kHz resolution.
Hi-Res Lossless: Up to 24-bit/192 kHz for audiophile-grade sound.
No Extra Cost: Included with all Apple Music subscriptions.
20+ Million Tracks: Most of Apple Music's catalog supports lossless.
Why It Matters: Lossless audio eliminates compression artifacts, offering richer bass, clearer vocals, and nuanced instrumentals.
How Does Apple Music Lossless Work?
Apple Music Lossless relies on ALAC, an open-source codec that compresses files without losing data. Let's take a look at below chart.
| Format |
Bit Depth |
Sample Rate |
Quality |
| Standard AAC |
16-bit |
44.1 kHz |
Compressed (256 kbps) |
| Lossless (ALAC) |
24-bit |
48 kHz |
CD-quality |
| Hi-Res Lossless |
24-bit |
192 kHz |
Studio-quality |
Technical Requirements:
Internet Speed: Minimum 1.5 Mbps for Lossless, 4 Mbps for Hi-Res.
Storage: Lossless tracks are 2-5x larger than AAC files.
Keywords: ALAC codec, Hi-Res Lossless, sample rate
Does AirPods Support Apple Music Lossless Audio?
The short answer is no. Apple Music's Lossless Audio tier promises studio-quality sound, but you can't listen to lossless music audio on Apple AirPods due to Bluetooth limitations. All AirPods models (AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirPods 3rd Gen) rely on Bluetooth for connectivity. Currently, Apple's AirPods can only use Bluetooth AAC codecs, they do not support technologies such as LDAC and aptX HD, as well as lossless transmission encoding technologies. Even wired AirPods Max (via Lightning-to-3.5mm cable) downsample Lossless Audio to AAC, as the DAC (digital-to-analog converter) is in the cable, not the headphones.
What Devices Support Apple Music Lossless Audio?
Note that the AirPods Bluetooth headphones don't support streaming Lossless Audio in Apple Music. To stream lossless audio from Apple Music, you can use the following compatible devices:
- iPhone
- iPad
- Mac
- Apple TV 4K and above
- CarPlay (wired)
- HomePod, HomePod mini (settings tutorial)
- AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) with Vision Pro
How to Get Lossless Audio in Apple Music?
On iPhone, iPad:
Step 1. OApen "Settings" > "Music" > "Audio Quality".
Step 2. Toggle on "Lossless Audio".
Step 3. Choose "Lossless" option.
On Android:
Step 1. Open Apple Music app on your Android.
Step 2. Tap three dots at the upper right corner and select "Settings".
Step 3. Tap "Audio Quality", and then enable "Lossless Audio" option.
On Mac:
Step 1. Launch Music app and go to "Music" > "Preferences..."
Step 2. In the pop-up window, tap "Playback" tab and tick the check box front of "Lossless audio".
Step 3. Select "Lossless" option in the "Streaming" and "Download" section.
Pros and Cons of Apple Music Lossless
Pros:
Studio-Quality Sound: Perfect for classical, jazz, and audiophiles.
No Extra Fees: Bundled with Apple Music's $10.99/month plan.
Wide Compatibility: Works on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows.
Massive Catalog: Over 20 million tracks optimized for lossless.
Cons:
No Bluetooth Support: AirPods Max/Pro can't stream lossless.
Large File Sizes: Hi-Res tracks consume ~145 MB per song.
Hardware Costs: DACs and wired gear add expense.
FAQs About Apple Music Lossless Audio
Q1. Is Apple Music Lossless worth it?
Yes, if you own high-end headphones or speakers. Casual listeners may not notice the difference.
Q2. Can AirPods Pro play lossless audio?
No. Bluetooth uses AAC, which compresses audio. Use wired headphones for lossless.
Q3. How much data does Apple Music lossless audio use?
Lossless streams consume ~1.5x more data than standard quality.
Q4. Can I download lossless music from Apple Music?
Yes. You can first enable lossless downloads in Settings > Music > Downloads. Then download your favorite tracks in Apple Music app.
Bonus: Download Apple Music to Lossless Audio Files (No DRM)
When your subscription ends, you will no longer access the music library and listen to Apple Music in lossless audio. All your downloaded Apple Music tracks will be removed from your devices. As Apple Music used FairPlay DRM to encrypted its streaming music content. Therefore, you can utilize a third-party tool to download Apple Music as local audio files. In this way, you'll be able to save Apple Music tracks on your phone as local audios, and enjoy them across your AirPods!
UkeySoft Apple Music Converter is a powerful desktop software that can help you easily remove DRM protection and download Apple Music songs, playlists, albums to computer drive with lossless audio quality. It can download and convert Apple Music tracks to plain MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and AIFF audio formats, making them playable on any device without restrictions. Even if you cancel your subscription, you still can enjoy these music tracks!
To enhance your listening experience, the tool provides bitrates of up to 640 kbps. Better still, it will automatically detects the ID3 tags and downloads them along the Apple Music songs at the same time. And the built-in music manager also helps you organize and manage your offline music library with ease!
UkeySoft Apple Music Converter
- Strip DRM from Apple Music for easier streaming and collection.
- Download Apple Music tracks with lossless audio, with up to 640kbps.
- Download and convert Apple Music to MP3, AAC, FLAC, M4A, WAV, AIFF.
- Built-in Apple Music web player for direct searching, adding songs.
- Batch download entire Apple Music playlists or albums at once.
- 10X faster speed to save time while keeping full ID3 tags info.
- Save lossless Apple Music songs forever even after subscription ends.
- Enable you to play Apple Music offline on any device and player.
Tip: System Requirements:
Windows 7 or later on 64bit required
Step on How to Download Apple Music to Lossless AAC Audios?
Step 1. Log In Your Apple Music Account
Click the Download button above to install the UkeySoft Apple Music converter on your computer. Then launch the program and log in to your Apple ID to enter its built-in web player.
Step 2. Customize Output Settings
Access the settings window by clicking the "Gear" icon at the upper right corner. From where you can customize the output audio parameters like output format, output quality, output folder, output file name and more based on your needs. To get Apple Music in lossless audio, you can select AAC format and 640kbps.
Step 3. Choose Apple Music Songs
Browse and select the Apple Music songs, playlists, albums or artists. And click the red "+" button in the right side to load the items.
It will display all imported Apple Music songs in the converting list. You need to check and confirm the songs you want.
Step 4. Start to Download Apple Music Losslessly
Lastly, time to press the "Convert" button to let the tool download and convert Apple Music songs to lossless audios.
After that, you can check your downloaded Apple Music songs by clicking the "Clock" icon. Then hit on the "Blue Folder" icon to locate the output folder.
Step 5. Sync Lossless Music Audios to Your iPhone
Now, connect your iPhone with your computer using USB cable. Open iTunes or Finder, import the converted Apple Music files to your music library. Then sync the lossless music audios to your iPhone.
Then, you are able to connect your AirPods with your iPhone, and enjoy lossless music audios offline without network!
Conclusion
To sum up, Apple Music Lossless Audio is a feature that allows users to experience music without any loss of quality due to compression. It uses Apple's proprietary ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) to maintain high-quality sound, offering options from CD-quality audio (16-bit/44.1 kHz) to high-resolution (up to 24-bit/192 kHz). It’s available at no extra cost for subscribers, enhancing the audio experience for users with compatible devices. But Apple's AirPods can't play lossless Apple Music. If you want to listen to lossless Apple Music on your AirPods and any other device, tools like UkeySoft Apple Music Converter offer the ability to download and convert Apple Music tracks to MP3, M4A, FLAC, AAC, WAV, AIFF with lossless audio quality. Thus, you can save the lossless music audios on your phone and connect it to your Apple's AirPods for offline enjoying! Give it a try now!
Apple Music Lossless Audio on AirPods
Apple Music Converter
Justin Sabrina has always had great enthusiasm for writing, programming and web development. He likes writing about software and technology, his works are featured on some tech blogs or forums like Tom's Hardware, CNET, etc.
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