Lossless Audio in Apple Music on iPhone: How to Turn It On

Apple Music can stream and download songs in lossless quality, which preserves more of the original recording detail than the standard AAC files. This guide shows you how to enable lossless audio on your iPhone, what settings to pick, and what you need to actually hear the difference.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone with iOS 14.6 or later (lossless arrived with that update).
• An active Apple Music subscription (free trials and individual/student/family plans all include lossless).
• Enough storage space if you plan to download lossless files — they are much larger than standard ones.
• For the full experience: a wired connection. Bluetooth headphones (including AirPods) cannot carry lossless audio, so you’ll need wired earphones or speakers connected via the Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter or a USB DAC.

Step-by-Step

1. Update your iPhone. Go to Settings → General → Software Update and install any available update. Lossless requires iOS 14.6 or newer.
2. Open the Settings app. Tap the gear icon on your home screen.
3. Scroll down and tap Music. It’s between Messages and TV in the Settings list.
4. Tap Audio Quality. This is near the top of the Music settings, under the Playback section.
5. Turn on Lossless Audio. Toggle the switch at the top of the Audio Quality screen so it’s green.
6. Choose your cellular streaming quality. Below the toggle, tap Streaming and pick one:
   • High Efficiency – smallest files, not lossless.
   • High Quality – 256 kbps AAC, not lossless.
   • Lossless – up to 24-bit/48 kHz, good balance of quality and file size.
   • Hi-Res Lossless – up to 24-bit/192 kHz, the best quality but uses the most data. Only works with an external DAC.
7. Set your download quality. Tap Downloads and choose the same options. If you want the best quality on your phone, pick Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless here.
8. Return to the Music app. Go back to the home screen and open Apple Music.
9. Play a song. Lossless is applied automatically to any song that has it. You can verify by looking at the Now Playing screen — you should see a small “Lossless” badge near the song title.
10. Optional: Re-download existing songs. If you previously downloaded music, those files are in the old format. Delete them and download again to get lossless versions.

Common Mistakes

• Expecting Bluetooth to carry lossless. Bluetooth can’t transmit lossless audio, period. AirPods, Beats, and most wireless headphones will still play AAC, not lossless. You need wired headphones or a wired connection to a speaker.
• Forgetting to set both streaming and downloads. Changing only the streaming quality leaves your downloads in the old format. Set both.
• Not checking the badge. If you don’t see “Lossless” on the Now Playing screen, the song might not have a lossless version (some older or live tracks don’t), or you’re on a Bluetooth connection.
• Choosing Hi-Res Lossless without a DAC. The iPhone’s built-in DAC (digital-to-analog converter) caps out at 48 kHz. Hi-Res Lossless files above that will be downsampled unless you plug in an external DAC. You’re not getting the full quality, just using more storage and data.
• Ignoring storage. A 3-minute song in Lossless is roughly 30 MB; in Hi-Res Lossless it can be 100+ MB. A big library can fill your phone fast.

Tips

• Use Wi-Fi for downloads. Lossless files are large. Download them over Wi-Fi to avoid eating your cellular data allowance.
• Get a good wired setup. The Apple Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter works fine. For Hi-Res Lossless, you’ll need a USB DAC that supports 24-bit/192 kHz.
• Check your data plan. Streaming Lossless uses about 1.5 MB per minute; Hi-Res Lossless can use 5 MB per minute or more. If you have a limited plan, set streaming to High Quality when on cellular.
• Download before you go offline. If you’re traveling, download lossless versions in advance so you don’t have to stream.
• Compare with standard quality. The difference is subtle on phone speakers or cheap earbuds. If you can’t hear it, you might not need the larger files.

Troubleshooting

• No “Lossless” badge appears. First, make sure you’ve toggled on Lossless Audio in Settings → Music → Audio Quality. Then check if the specific song has a lossless version — search for it in the Apple Music catalog; if it says “Lossless” next to the album, it’s available. If you’re using Bluetooth, the badge may not show at all.
• Settings won’t save. Force-quit the Settings app (swipe up from the bottom and hold, then swipe the Settings card away) and try again. If that fails, restart your iPhone.
• Downloads are still in old format. Delete the downloaded song (swipe left on it in your library, tap Delete) and download it again. The new download should be lossless if you set Downloads to Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless.
• Playback stutters or skips. This is usually a network issue with large files. Switch from cellular to Wi-Fi, or lower the streaming quality to Lossless (not Hi-Res) and try again.
• Can’t hear a difference. This is normal. On most headphones, the difference between AAC and Lossless is very subtle. You’ll only hear it on high-end wired headphones or speakers in a quiet room. If you can’t hear it, keep the standard quality to save space.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do AirPods support lossless audio? No. All AirPods (including AirPods Pro and AirPods Max) use Bluetooth, which can’t transmit lossless. They will play AAC, which is good but not lossless.

Does lossless audio use more battery? Yes, slightly. The files are larger and require more processing, and if you’re using an external DAC, that draws power too. You may see a modest decrease in battery life.

Is Hi-Res Lossless worth it? Only if you have an external DAC and high-quality wired headphones. Without those, the iPhone will downsample the audio and you won’t hear the extra detail.

Will lossless audio work over CarPlay? CarPlay uses a wireless or wired connection that doesn’t support lossless in most cars. You’ll get standard quality, not lossless.

Can I enable lossless for just downloads and not streaming? Yes. In Settings → Music → Audio Quality, you can set Streaming to High Quality and Downloads to Lossless. This saves cellular data while giving you lossless files for offline listening.

Does enabling lossless affect my existing playlists? No. Your playlists and library are unchanged. Only the audio format of played or downloaded songs changes.

Related

• Fix Black Background Behind Folder Icons in Windows 10
• Chromebook Lag & Low FPS: Fix Steps
• Best Laptop Sleeves: 5 Picks for Fit & Portability