VERY loud sound when switching songs sometimes on Apple Music

These generic responses are no help whatsoever! Let's analyse your response. Firstly, you unnecessarily repeat the question and then ask if this is correct. 'Community Specialists' rarely continue a dialogue so one must assume this question is somewhat rhetorical.

You then offer a link which does not include any information regarding noises or clicks. What help is this to the person asking the question?

Far from helping this merely leaves the query frustratingly unanswered. This does nobody any favours, least of all Apple!

Hi Mike Safar,

Thank you for posting in the Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you're getting having trouble with a loud sound since enabling lossless audio, correct? If so, we would love to help see if we can get the issue resolved for you. Let's go ahead and follow the steps we've linked for you below.

About lossless audio in Apple Music

If your setup is all good, let's go ahead and go to the top menu bar in the Music app, under Music > Preferences. Click the Playback tab, then select Sound Check to turn it on. Once that is on, let's see if that takes care of the issue for you.

Please let us know how it goes. We're always happy to help.

Cheers!

I have exactly the same problem on a 2018 MacBook Pro 15 running the most up to date OS + software. It happened a few times while using Airpods Pro, and it ABSOLUTELY HURT my ears. It also happens directly on the built-in speakers and it was even louder. I quit the Music app out of fear. For these scenarios, I had system volume set around 50%, and the BZZZZT sound was louder than the max volume I have ever heard on either of the speakers.

I thought it was something to do with the EQ which I turned off. Thinking its a hardware issue, did the usual PRAM, SMC, etc resets but that hadn't fixed it.

I would pause between songs, and that seems to prevent it, but the anxiety of getting to the Music app before the song is over is absolutely real.

Specifically turning off Lossless audio seems to have fixed it. Nonetheless, the sound is so traumatic, I am genuinely afraid of wearing my earphones again for music.

I experience this too but with just the speakers of my 15'' MBP 2018 (same OS and Apple Music version). I suspect we heard the same thing when you described it as being "electrocuted". For me it's like a really loud "BZZZT" that doesn't last for more than a second.

The problem also occurs when I listen to music with Airpods (Gen 2).

I noticed this last evening on my Macbook Pro 2020, a loud buzz that lasts only a few seconds when I switched from one album to another. Unfortunately, I was listening with headphones at the time. I thought it might be isolated to the laptop, but it happened again on the iMac (2020). I never noticed this before the lossless and Dolby Atmos were instituted. I've since turned all of that back off to see if that alleviates the problem. What a bummer.

it has happened to my on my iPhone 11 even, at first it happened like one week ago with a 2017 song using my AirPods, then yesterday it happened with a song that was released like two months ago while I was using a soundbar that I use daily with my tv and sometimes as a speaker for my phone (through Bluetooth), but just right now it happened with a song from last year while using lightning cable EarPods, there is no adapter and I first used this EarPods a little over a year ago, but on fall last year I stopped using them that much because I got my AirPods. The problem has persisted even when it has been played through the iPhone’s speakers. This is so strange, I really hope Apple releases an update for this ASAP because it has happened with songs I love. I will also try and restart the device, and play those songs again. I think this has happened while using Lossless and I’m seeing comments that it was solved by turning it off, but that shouldn’t be it, we should be able to enjoy it.

This is all happening to me as well. Began after turning on Lossless on my MacBook and wiring my Bose QC since it seems Lossless doesn't work via Bluetooth. It's extremely loud to the point of being dangerous. I assumed it was my headphone wiring but then it happened through the Mac's built-in speakers. Apple support had me turn off Lossless, restart my computer, and then turn Lossless back on - didn't solve for this.

Some Googling brought me to going into Bluetooth advanced settings and deselecting all of the check boxes. So far no issues since then, but I haven't turned Lossless back on for fear of blowing out my eardrums.

Apple needs to get to the bottom of this ASAP before someone seriously injures their ears.

Just experienced the issue again (through Mac speakers, thankfully - too nervous to use headphones now) so those Bluetooth settings did nothing to solve this. Turning Lossless off hoping that'll do the trick.

I am also experiencing this issue for several weeks now on my headphones plugged into the 3.5mm jack of my Macbook Air Late 2013. Issue appears to correlate with a recent update of MacOS or the activation of the new lossless/atmos features in Music application.

The volume of this distortion is way too high and harmful to hearing without a doubt.

I have the same problem on a new 24in iMac though the computer speakers. Sound has been working fine for the two weeks that i'v had the computer until yesterday when I was selecting a new song in Apple Music, a short very loud crackle/buzz came out of the speakers before the song started. Scared the crap out of everyone who was near. My volume was set to about 5, the noise was set to 11! I can not imagine what that would have felt like with headphones on. Has happen three times since yesterday. Loseless is on. I'm very nervous about using Apple Music at the moment .

Dear God I just started experiencing this today. It happens randomly when transitioning from a regular Apple Music ACC file to a lossless/Dolby Atmos sound. It's a PHYSICALLY PAINFUL burst of sound from my Mac's internal speakers, no matter what the volume level is.

I need to permanently disable lossless/Dolby Atmos. I've set it to 'Off' in preferences but Apple Music keeps downloading the lossless versions. I cannot take another burst like this.

I have a M1 MacBook Air and it happens every time the song changes when I have it blue toothed to my home theater system. If I bluetooth my phone to the same system it never does it. Just my MacBook. Have we found a fix yet?

Anecdotally, I have found that disabling all lossless or Dolby Atmos functionality, and then REMOVING the previously download lossless/DA versions has fixed the issue. Since doing that, I've gone ten days without the issue.