I know that the highest bit-rate of Apple Music is 256 kbps AAC but what is the bit-rate of lower quality on cell networks?
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Apple Music bitrates?
- Thread starter tonyr6
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Nothing published but probably in the 96 kbps range.
EDIT: Just found an old thread where I measured the data and came up with 96 kbps.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/itunes-streaming-bitrate.1639713/#post-17961490
EDIT: Just found an old thread where I measured the data and came up with 96 kbps.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/itunes-streaming-bitrate.1639713/#post-17961490
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Keep in mind my unscientific calculations were bases off of iTunes Radio (2013) and predate
Music. However they are probably relevant or comparative.
Not sure why it seems so implausible since what would be the point in having a data saving 'low quality' setting unless it significantly saved you data. Here are just for a few others for comparisons.
Spotify uses 96 kbps: https://support.spotify.com/us/usin.../what-bitrate-does-spotify-use-for-streaming/
Tidal uses 96 kbps: https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/201594722-How-good-is-the-sound-quality-on-TIDAL-
Goggle Music uses 96 kbps: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/play/vWp09iu3XL8
Pandora can be 64 kbps: http://www.gadgetreview.com/pandora-vs-itunes-radio-comparison
XM is 16 kbps to 65 kbps (65 kbps is the highest quality available) for music and 5 kbps to 16 kbps on talk: https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,64686.0.html
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There is no "low quality" setting in Apple Music, but there is a "High Quality on Cellular" setting. And 128 vs 256, for example, would be half the data, no?
Anyway, I'm not sure you can put an accurate number on streaming bitrates, since so much depends on the codec used, and it's doubtful that anyone's using CBR. 96kbps VBR AAC is much different than 96kbps CBR MP3, which would have a very noticeable loss of quality on all music. AM sounds good to me, and pretty much the same on either setting. Maybe I'm deaf?
I've had Apple music for a while and never really used it because I listen to music I own most of all. Yesterday I listened to some music from Apple's library and the quality was horrible. I thought it might be the bluetooth connection in my car, but when I play it from my own library (which uses the cloud library to download songs), the quality is fine. I have high quality on cellular turned on, but on a wide variety of songs they were so heavily compressed I couldn't stand to listen to them.
Have you by chance passed your throttling limit? Or you could have been connected to an overloaded tower that was throttling.
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Something's not right with your setup or device. High Quality on cellular is 256kbps, which is undetectable from 16-bit in blind listening tests.
I think that AM improved there sound quality. I notice a big difference since using it in February. Actually I use to say Play Music 320kbps MP3 sounded better while Amazon 256kbps MP3 is mud horrible which it did but I think AM remastered many of there older albums. I don't listen to any new mainstream music most pre 2006 so I did not notice it then.