Apple Music Lossless Audio Requires Per-Device Setup, EQ Varies by Platform
Apple Music offers lossless streaming and EQ, but lossless is off by default and must be enabled on each device. Bluetooth support and equalizer access differ between iOS and Android.
Because lossless audio uses considerably more data, Apple Music requires users to enable lossless playback from settings on each device, and the same process can turn it off if it is consuming a data plan or if the playback equipment cannot render it properly. Engadget reported that Apple Music has robust cross-platform support for an Apple service, with native apps for iOS and macOS as well as well-designed versions for Android, Windows and other devices including smart TVs and game consoles. Android users miss iOS's karaoke feature but still get major features such as lossless quality streaming.
On iOS, users open the Settings app, select Apps, then Music. Under the Audio section, they choose Audio Quality and enable the toggle next to Lossless Audio to unlock hi-res streaming and downloads. The same screen lets them choose the quality for listening over Wi-Fi or cellular data and for locally downloaded music. To find the equalizer, users go to Settings, then Apps, then Music, and tap EQ in the Audio section, where they can select one of the presets.
On Android, users open the Apple Music app, tap the vertical three-dot menu icon in the top right of the home page, tap Settings, then tap Audio Quality. They enable the toggle next to Lossless Audio and choose quality levels for Wi-Fi, cellular and downloaded music on the same screen. If they enable Hi-Res Lossless, a popup warns that dedicated hardware is needed to take advantage of it, and they click OK to confirm. Android does not have an in-app equalizer; going to Settings and Equalizer instead redirects to the phone's audio settings.
Engadget noted a caveat: iOS does not support high-resolution Bluetooth codecs. Android users can take advantage of Apple Music's Lossless quality setting with certain wireless headphones or earbuds, whereas iPhone users can experience it only with a wired playback device. Unless they use wired headphones or buy a hi-res Bluetooth adapter dongle, iPhone users will not hear 24-bit, 48kHz audio with the Lossless setting, let alone audio from the higher Hi-Res Lossless setting, even if their Bluetooth headphones advertise support for high-resolution playback.
On macOS, users open the Apple Music app, click Music from the left side of the menu bar at the top of the screen, click Settings, then click the Playback tab and check Enable lossless audio if it is not already selected. On Windows 11, users open the Apple Music app, click the three horizontal dots parallel with the Apple Music logo at the top of the left-hand navigation menu, click Settings from the dropdown menu, and select the desired audio quality level from the dropdown menus in the Streaming and Downloads section. Streaming controls quality when playing songs over an Internet connection, while Downloads controls the quality in which songs are stored on the device for offline playback. Users may need to confirm their decision the first time they enable Lossless or High Resolution Lossless.
The equalizer is also available on Apple Music's desktop apps. Engadget reported that on both platforms it is a ten-band EQ with a range of presets, a preamp and the ability to save custom settings as new presets.