Apple Music for Android is rolling spatial and lossless audio support, plus other new features

Apple is now testing the latest Apple Music features for its Android client, including support for spatial audio and lossless audio, as well as automatic crossfading and other perks.


STORY HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Apple Music for Android is beta-testing new features.
  • Android fans will soon be able to enjoy lossless audio.
  • Spatial audio is supported on compatible Android devices.

Apple's promotional graphics for spatial audio with the tagline "Hear sound all around"

Apple Music for Android gains spatial and lossless audio

Apple Music recently started rolling out support for lossless audio modes as well as spatial audio on tracks that have been updated from stereo to multichannel audio with Dolby Atmos.

On Apple’s platforms, these features already work in the Music app with the latest OS updates.

And now, the Cupertino tech giant is testing Apple Music for Android’s upcoming 3.6 update that will enable support for Apple’s spatial and lossless audio on the Android platform. According to release notes, spatial listening is supported on compatible Android devices.

How to share your Apple Music playlists on iOS and iPadOS

Apple will post a list of Android devices that support spatial audio when the update launches publicly. Dolby Atmos support launched on Apple Music with thousands of tracks.

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Other upcoming changes include a new automatic crossfade option that will prompt the app to blend each song into the next (up to ten seconds) for a gapless playback experience, as well as an inline search feature letting you more easily find songs in your library.

Last but certainly not least,  the update enables support for the new lossless audio modes described as “a new way to experience uncompromised sound, with bit-for-bit accuracy”.

Apple Music for Android: lossless audio quality settings

You can manage the feature through a new “Audio Quality” menu, with the following audio quality settings separately available for cellular and Wi-Fi connections and offline downloads:

  • High Efficiency: AAC with low data usage
  • High Quality: AAC 256 kbps
  • Lossless: ALAC up to 24-bit/48 kHz
  • High-Resolution Lossless: ALAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz

Apple says lossless audio preserves every detail of the original recording but at the expense of data consumption. According to the company, a three-minute song will be approximately:

  • 1.5 MB with High Efficiency
  • 6 MB with High Quality at 256 kbps
  • 36 MB with Lossless at 24-bit/48 kHz
  • 14 MB with Hi-Res Lossless at 24-bit/192 kHz

The above features will be available to all customers when Apple Music for Android 3.6 exits beta and launches on Google’s Play Store.