/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24108919/HT036_Youtube_S_Haddad_01.jpg "How to improve sound quality in your streaming apps")
When you load your chosen music streaming app on your mobile device, your audio quality settings are worth taking a minute or two to configure. If you don’t have them set to the highest possible quality, you’re missing out on the best audio experience your streaming apps can offer.
Since they are managed separately for streaming music over cellular and Wi-Fi networks and for downloading songs to your device for offline listening, there is a trade-off. The increased audio quality and fidelity means more data is used (which can be a problem if you’re not on an unlimited cellular plan), larger file sizes (which take up more space on your device), and longer wait times for download. But even if you have to compromise some settings, it’s a good idea to at least see what your options are.
I’ve included instructions for four well-known music streaming services. If yours isn’t included here, you should at least be able to use them as a template to check if your app of choice has these options.
- From At home in the Spotify app on Android or iOS, tap your profile avatar (top left), then Settings and privacy.
- Scroll down to and select Sound quality.
- Free users have four Wi-Fi and cellular streaming options: Automatic (which adjusts the setting based on your internet connection), low, Average (or normal), and High. (You can see Very high in the options list, but you can’t select it.) According to Spotify, the Low setting is equivalent to 24kbps, Medium to 96kbps, High to 160kbps, and Very High to 320kbps.
- If you are a Premium subscriber, Very high option is enabled and you can download songs, which has its own quality setting with the same five options.
There is also Automatic quality control a switch that will temporarily reduce the sound quality when you have a bad connection to avoid interruptions; otherwise, your configured setting is applied.
If you want to store songs on your device but are worried that transferring files will affect your data plan, turn off Download via cellular network (or Download via mobile data) switch that is at the bottom of the page. This means that downloads, regardless of quality, are only done over Wi-Fi.
While most Apple Music mobile users naturally play it on iOS devices, there are a few Android users. As a result, I’ve included instructions for both.
If you’re using an iPhone:
- Open Settings and then select Music > Sound quality.
- The next screen shows a switch for lossless audio, the highest quality available.
- Before enabling Lossless Audio, you’ll see an option to stream mobile data; once the switch is flipped you will see options for Mobile data streaming, Wi-Fi streamingand Downloads.
- Tap any of these menu options to set the sound quality for that scenario. For example, if Lossless audio is enabled, you can select High efficiency, High quality, No lossand No loss of high resolution for Mobile data streaming.
Below each option, iOS lists the quality of the file and gives an example of the file size. High Efficiency is described as “He-AAC Low Data Consumption” (AAC is Apple’s preferred compressed audio format), High Quality as AAC 256kbps, Lossless as Superior ALAC format up to 24 bit, 48kHz and Hi-Res Lossless as ALAC up to 24 bit, 192kHz.
If you want to save data on downloads, go to Settings > Music > Download via cellular data and turn off the switch.
If you use Apple Music on Android:
- From At home tap the three dots (top right) > Settings > Sound qualityand you’ll find the same options I covered above.
- To prevent downloads over cellular connections, go to Settings > Mobile data.
YouTube Music quality settings are only available if you are a Premium subscriber.
- Open it At home tab, then tap your profile avatar (top right) and select Settings.
- Audio quality options for streaming and downloads are separated here. Choose Playback and limitations to set the streaming quality over Wi-Fi and cellular connections or Downloads and storage to set the quality of songs downloaded to your device.
- You can choose from low, normal, Highand Always high for streaming and from low, normaland High To download. The official support page lists Low up to 48kbps, Normal up to 128kbps and High and Always High up to 256kbps. (YouTube Music, like Apple Music, uses AAC.)
While YouTube Music doesn’t specify this anywhere, it’s assumed that Always high the setting will maintain this highest level of quality regardless of the strength of your internet connection while you select High means the quality will be downgraded if necessary.
There is also a setting here to stop downloads over cellular networks: on Downloads and storage page, activate Download over Wi-Fi only.
The settings available to set up your Amazon Music app may depend on whether you’re using the free version or the version you get with Amazon Prime or Amazon Music Unlimited; they may also vary depending on whether you’re using the Android or iOS version. So here’s a general guide to changing your audio quality in Amazon Music, but what’s available may vary.
- Open it At home then tap the gear icon (top right).
- Choose Music settings (Android) or Settings (iOS).
- Under Playback category, there are separate menu entries for streaming music and downloaded music. Touch any of them to set the corresponding quality. (Note that if you’re using the free version on an Android device, the streaming music quality option may not be available.)
- If you want to change the quality of your streamed music and have a free Amazon Music account or one bundled with a Prime subscription, you can choose Standardthe more compressed Data economyor The best available (so the app chooses based on your signal strength) for cellular streaming. you get Standard or The best available for Wi-Fi streaming – although the latter option seems a bit redundant.
- For downloads on the free or Prime plans, you get Standard or the more compressed ones Space saving. You will also notice a Download over Wi-Fi only check box to make sure the app only downloads songs while you’re on a Wi-Fi connection.
- With Amazon Music Unlimited, you unlock another HD/Ultra HD streaming option and HD and Best Available (HD/Ultra HD) download options.
Note that some songs are available in Ultra HD on Amazon Music and others are not, so the options seem a bit confusing. According to Amazon’s help pages, HD tracks offer up to 16-bit, 44.1kHz quality with an average bitrate of 850kbps, while Ultra HD offers up to 24-bit, 192kHz quality, with an average bitrate of 3730kbps.
