is apple music a good source?

[matan124]

hey everyone, im not able to use spotify in my country so im thinking about using apple music as a source.
i have heard that apple music streams at 256 kbps so i was about to pass but then i heard that if u download the song to your library instead of streaming it will be in 320 kbps.
is it true?
also, should i just get google music? i got an iphone so i dont know how good the app will work and im mostly using my phone to listen to music with my oppo pm-3
 
tnx alot

 

[thejammonster]

I have an Android phone so I don't know about the iPhone app, but Google music streams in 320Kbps at the highest quality. It also allows you to upload up to 10GB of your own music for cloud storage if they don't have something. I've only found one instance of something they didn't have due to Apple Music exclusivity.

 

[matan124]

  i have heard that apple music streams at 256 kbps so i was about to pass but then i heard that if u download the song to your library instead of streaming it will be in 320 kbps.
is it true?
 
 
tnx alot

does anyone know? and is mp3 320 kbps better then 256 acc?

 

[RRod]

  does anyone know? and is mp3 320 kbps better then 256 acc?

 
Most people won't find much, if any, difference.

 

[fjrabon]

Apple music both streams and downloads at 256 kbps AAC.  I have it, and use it on both my iPhone and computer, and I love it.  
 
I think AAC is a very slightly better encoding than mp3, and thus 256 kbps AAC, to me, sounds better than 320 kbps mp3 that google uses.  But I think the difference is ****extremely**** subtle.  Virtually nobody can pass a blind test between 256 kbps AAC and lossless (don't want to get into a debate on DBT, or the benefits of lossless, just giving you an idea of how subtle this difference is).
 
At the very least, 320kbps mp3 isn't just automatically better than 256kbps AAC. The encodings matter, probably more than relatively minor differences in bitrate.
 
Here is a chart a pro sound guy did a while back, comparing them (take it FWIW):
 

 

[Soundizer]

Can i share something regarding a recent experiment. I listened to a Dire Straits Album on my iPhone 6 Plus with a Dac/Amp on ATH M50x.
Compared:
1. Spotify Premium with Album downloaded.
2. Apple lossless version ripped from my CD.
3. Mastered for ITunes on iTunes.

I much prefer the Apple Lossless to Spotify Premium which makes sense and probably no surprise.
After a while the Spotify quality sounded a bit artificial with high treble and low end bass tuned up.

What i cannot explan is that i liked Mastered for iTunes on iTunes best.

 

[Crimguy]

That doesn't surprise me too much. The vast majority of us wouldn't be able to hear the difference between CD and 256 AAC, especially if one isn't being analytical about what they are listening to but rather just enjoying themselves.

A lot of music can benefit from a remaster in the digital domain. Maybe Dire Straits needed a bit of freshening up.

Goes to show that a lot of arguing about minutiae is nothing compared to the need for a well-mastered source file, which doesn't necessarily need to be lossless. Just don't start this conversation with a guy who has a 5k turntable lol

 

[echoz]

how far of a quality comparison between lossless like tidal to 256AAC?

 

[Soundizer]

Thank you for your comments. I understand that Apple Engineers are strongly pushing the Mastered for iTunes format.

 

[thelight1]

I can't speak to the quality of apple streaming, but I have not been favorably impressed by either the  256 bit aac or mp3 files I've purchased either through itunes or amazon. 
 
My music files always sound better when I either rip from a CD to mp3/aac in itunes or convert from aiff or apple lossless to aac or mp3. 
 
I've compared amazon mp3's with aiff or apple lossless ripped from cd's and there is a major difference in sound quality. 
 
Google mp3's do sound very good to me. 

 

[ekimwons]

Does anyone know if tracks downloaded to be played offline with Apple Music can be played out the USB port to an external DAC?  I understand they are protected AAC (mp4) files and I assume they can't be easily played using Hibymusic or similar?  
 
I am on an Android phone with Fiio Q1 DAC/Amp.  
 
Thanks

 

[fjrabon]

Does anyone know if tracks downloaded to be played offline with Apple Music can be played out the USB port to an external DAC?  I understand they are protected AAC (mp4) files and I assume they can't be easily played using Hibymusic or similar?  

I am on an Android phone with Fiio Q1 DAC/Amp.  

Thanks

External DAC has nothing to do with it. The player itself should tell you if it will play AAC (most do). Downloaded purchased iTunes files haven't been protected in maybe 8 or so years. I have no idea what hibymusic is. I have no idea if there is some form of DRM on downloaded Apple Music files that prevents non-Apple players from playing them.

 

[ekimwons]

Thanks for the info.

Yes there is DRM on the downloaded music from Apple Music.

Still can't seem to find an answer on the web whether the Apple Music Android app will play digitally out of the micro USB to an external DAC. Will report back when I try it next week.

 

[fjrabon]

Thanks for the info.

Yes there is DRM on the downloaded music from Apple Music.

Still can't seem to find an answer on the web whether the Apple Music Android app will play digitally out of the micro USB to an external DAC. Will report back when I try it next week.

that shouldn't have any impact.  USB DAC comes after the translation from file type.  The DAC (nor any soundcard on board or off, for that matter) doesn't "know" if it's protected or not.  

 

[ekimwons]

Yes I understand that. The question is if the app can play any file DRM or not out the USB on Android.