Apple lossless downloads... when-where-how?
ALAC Apple Lossless Audio Codec is studio quality sound, by Apple. ALAC files are GB in size and use sample rate 1,000 kHz (1 million Hz). Compare low resolution MP3 ring tones, that are MB in size and use bit rate 44.1 kHz. Huge difference in sound using reasonable quality speakers. AAC files are an Apple half-way option.
ALAC and FLAC use lossless sample rate with two qualities, 24 bit standard resolution and 32 bit high resolution. The 24 and 32 refer to bit depth. ObvIously, studio quality can only be 1,000 kHz+ and 32 bit. But configuring lossless could take at least 2 approaches, see A and B below.
Now, when music is purchased from iTunes store, naturally we expect the best that money can buy, since it is an Apple product. What we get from iTunes Store purchases, on our 2 year old Mac Pro (late 2013) are 44.1 kHz songs, ring tone quality. Apple Care advice is, "cheaper licensing costs for Apple". File and album downloads are M4A format, just so you know your MPG4 audio flags Apple. Bad for business, so something's not right here?
Apple lossless downloads... when and where are based on cost. For now, Apple is providing an ALAC download option, but delivers ring tones only. Googles of Apple.com make it clear that years ago today's ring tones were AAC 256-320 kHz reasonable iTunes store downloads. Why have iTunes downloads changed?
Music preferences (Files › Import Settings) allow users to set ALAC. The iTunes Store ignores that ALAC preference and downloads ring tones when albums and songs are purchased. The Apple Care iTunes senior advisors say that ring tones are the only offer, "Unless you know a better way to download." Apple Care Mac senior advisors do not know a better way to download, also claiming Apple only sells ring tones.
A. Is the real answer for Apple the $10 Streaming subscription? Regardless, why does Amazon Tidal $20 subscription download lossless, while Apple sells and downloads ring tones? Is it because Streaming fills in the gaps when Apple ring tones are played? If so, how is that supposed to work?
B. Is there a way to tweak Music app preferences? Today we found that Big Sur is quadruplicating user personal music files, keeping ring tone copies of copies of copies - and bloating Macintosh HD. With Apple Care we de-select three (3) defaults to stop the bloating: General › Sync Library, General Automatic Downloads, and Advanced › Add songs to Library when adding to playlists. Is some other default preference forcing ring tone downloads from iTunes Store, and how do we download the ALAC that Apple is streaming (or is that AAC)?
Mac Pro, macOS 11.0
