Re-download songs to get lossless?

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Level 1

39 points

Re-download songs to get lossless?

Okay, all my settings are where they should be to get lossless and I'm enjoying the difference, but it seems that it only applies to newly downloaded songs? I subscribe to Apple Music and download songs from there, the songs I've downloaded prior to release of lossless doesn't have lossless, unless I remove them and download them anew.

First I figured lossless only applied to newest songs, but songs from two years ago are lossless too. So I removed "Hotel walls" by Smith and Tell from two years back and downloaded it again. It didn't have lossless before I removed it, but has lossless after I downloaded it again... See attachment at the bottom...

Apple can't be serious if they expect us to individually remove and download ALL songs just to get lossless? Is there any way to get all the previously downloaded songs into lossless, of course not all songs will be lossless but for those songs with this option...

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.4

Posted on Jun 27, 2021 9:50 AM

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Answer 1

Voldemorten Author

Level 1

39 points

Jun 29, 2021 1:06 AM in response to ed2345

Like I said in my original post I have an Apple Music subscription and I was talking about downloading and deleting songs from the streaming service, I never once mentioned iTunes Store so not sure why you brought it up..

My issue was in fact that deleting a song and redownloading it does indeed make the song lossless, but I have over 3000 songs downloaded and my issue with this is that Apple cannot expect us to individually remove and then search for that song anew and redownload it again? Is there a way around this? Or will I have to remove each and every song individually, search said song up again in the stream and download it again?

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Answer 2

Jun 29, 2021 1:29 AM in response to Voldemorten

Voldemorten wrote:

My issue was in fact that deleting a song and redownloading it does indeed make the song lossless, but I have over 3000 songs downloaded and my issue with this is that Apple cannot expect us to individually remove and then search for that song anew and redownload it again? Is there a way around this? Or will I have to remove each and every song individually, search said song up again in the stream and download it again?

You only need to remove download and the tracks will be in the cloud but still show in your library.

You can now download them again in bulk, small batches at a time or individually.

Jim

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Answer 3

ed2345

Level 9

62,846 points

Jun 28, 2021 4:18 AM in response to Voldemorten

Voldemorton,

The recent announcement about lossless applies to the Apple Music streaming and download service. It does not apply to the iTunes Store.

If you just delete from your library and redownload from the Store, you will get another AAC/256 like you already had. Make sure you are getting the lossless version from the Apple Music catalog.

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Answer 4

Jun 28, 2021 8:11 AM in response to ed2345

I just realised, as per your first answe it must be an album I purchased and loaded into my iTunes library. I thought I had just downloaded it. Done a test with deleting some other albums and downloading them and all was well. Don’t know why I didn’t try that in the first place!

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Answer 5

Jun 29, 2021 2:13 AM in response to Voldemorten

That’s what it looks like. Those songs also take up a lot more space and take a lot longer to download (depending on Broadband speed). Currently for me no point as use Sonos speakers and lossless isn’t currently supported, not even over airplay.

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Answer 6

Jun 28, 2021 1:50 AM in response to Voldemorten

I am finding that even if I delete and re-download the album still isnt lossless. Any new stuff I download is lossless.

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Answer 7

ed2345

Level 9

62,846 points

Jun 28, 2021 6:45 AM in response to Prog_Mike

Mike,

Did you make sure to completely delete the old item from the library, not just the download?

Delete music, movies, and TV shows from your device - Apple Support

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Answer 8

Jun 28, 2021 5:38 AM in response to ed2345

I am using Apple Music. If I download a new album it is lossless. If I delete an album I downloaded from before Apple Music went lossless and then download it again it still is not lossless.

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Answer 9

ed2345

Level 9

62,846 points

Jun 28, 2021 2:30 PM in response to Prog_Mike

Done a test with deleting some other albums and downloading them and all was well.

Mike - Glad it worked out!

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Answer 10

Voldemorten Author

Level 1

39 points

Jun 29, 2021 7:23 AM in response to Jimzgoldfinch

Omg thank you! This helped a bunch, I actually didn't know the difference between deleting a song and just removing a download... Now I've learned that too, again thank you!

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Re-download songs to get lossless?

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