Apple has announced a new Apple Music Lossless option that grants listeners higher-quality audio in their music streaming for no extra money. The downside? That Apple's best headphones, the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, can't access it.
Apple's new Lossless and Hi-Resolution Lossless audio will be added to Apple Music starting in June 2021. In a bit of news that's good for customers, but scary for streaming rivals who charge a premium for lossless audio, Apple is offering it for no extra charge.
That means that it will cost the same $9.99 per month that Apple already charges for Apple Music. It will also offer a Dolby Atmos "Spatial Audio" system that provides a new 3D surround sound experience for many Apple Music tracks.
Blame Bluetooth
Apple's Lossless music streaming option calls for CD quality 16-bit 44.1kHz playback up to 24-bit 48kHz. Meanwhile, the High-Res Lossless option will offer 24-bit 192kHz. In essence, the promise is that music will sound far closer to what the audio masters sound like, unlike the more compressed tracks currently available on the streaming service.
The catch, according to T3, is that neither the AirPods Pro or AirPods Max (or, for that matter, the cheaper regular AirPods) can play the new lossless tracks. This is because, as the T3 report notes:
Both of Apple's elite headphone models only use the Bluetooth AAC codec when connected to an iPhone, which means they can't receive the full quality of the Apple Music 'Lossless' files, which will be encoded as ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) files.
While both will be able to support the new Spatial Audio option, due to the H1 or W1 wireless chips they contain, the fact that Apple's most expensive earbuds and headphones won't be able to play Apple Music at its top quality is certainly going to disappoint some. On the other hand, if you use some decent over-the-ear wired headphones with your iPhone, you will be able to enjoy the new Apple Music audio tiers.
Apple's Biggest Advancement Ever in Sound Quality
"Apple Music is making its biggest advancement ever in sound quality," said Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of Apple Music and Beats, in a statement on Monday, May 17. But it seems as if, unless something changes, AirPods customers will only be able to enjoy half of the new experience.
Apple Music isn't the only streaming company to offer lossless listening. Most notably, chief rival Spotify recently announced a new Spotify HiFi that will arrive later this year. Spotify has yet to reveal a date or price for its new service.