I have heard that Apple Music is not lossless when streamed with Airplay or Airplay 2. Is this correct, and if so, when will it be fixed?
Hi Timothy- here's a link to a really good article that explains the whole thing in detail. It seems I am currently streaming losslessly which is nice to know! Hope this helps!
https://darko.audio/2023/10/apple-airplay-isnt-always-lossless-sometimes-its-lossy/
Thanks Timothy. This has been discussed for a while now. It appears that when streaming directly from Apple Music over Airplay2, apple downscales the ALAC files to AAC. This doesn't effect files you may have on a local server which are still streamed losslessly, its only streamed files from their own AM servers. I've also heard that Airplay1 may not be effected, but I'm not sure if that comes from a reliable source. I was hoping Apple could provide an update.
I have never heard that. It may be what player you are using? Using iTunes, then Music.app, over Airplay to an AirportExpress serves up lossless, provided of course the source files are indeed lossless. To that regard Airplay will play non-Apple lossless (i.e. not ALAC but FLAC, etc.). I used Subsonic to serve up FLAC files from the server/hard drive to my AirportExpress for years before converting all to ALAC then committing to Apple Music subscription and syncing my library.
Root around the web, searching for devices/stream/home stereo and you will get results mentioning AirportExpress and other more costly solutions.
That would be SO weird. I don't know how many folks use Airplay to play their AppleMusic libraries but I gotta believe it is significant. And even though Apple has gone to great lengths to get as much stuff into lossless as possible they then turn around and limit it?
Ha! Thanks. Yep, just found that link this week. I'm happy. I use a 1st gen AirportExpress which is Airplay 1, and have a few in waiting after a roundup on eBay.
Not that my 72 year old ears could ever tell a difference.
Apple music streaming with Airplay not lossless?
