The company could start offering music streaming at 24-bit/48Hz. Source: Phone Arena
The company could start offering music streaming at 24-bit/48Hz. Source: Phone Arena

Apple is preparing a major announcement for its Apple Music service. The company posted in one of the Browse tabs available on the platform the message “Get ready, music is about to change forever.” The teaser was first reported online at MacRumors and could be related to Apple’s lossless and hi-res streaming. 

Nothing has been confirmed yet by the US tech giant but the rumors have been coming thick and fast over the last few months. Besides, lossless and hi-res streaming has already appeared in both the Apple Music Android app and the web app as well. 

According to this code, if indeed Apple goes ahead and launches the lossless feature, the Apple Music app will now be able to offer music streaming at 24-bit/48Hz which is relatively higher quality than what most people are used to. The hi-res tier, on the other hand, will also support streaming at 24-bit/192 kHz which is quite huge as well.

Spotify is also working on a lossless HiFi tier. Source: Yahoo
Spotify is also working on a lossless HiFi tier. Source: Yahoo

The code that we have seen on the Android app is warning that this high-quality music streaming will require additional storage space and more data compared to current streaming qualities. At the moment, the highest tier of streaming in Apple Music eats just about 6 MB of data for a three-minute song. 

But a lossless tier could bring that up to 36 MB while the more advanced hi-res tier could require up to 145 MB. It’s a huge data requirement no doubt, something that could pose several challenges for customers. But then again, the improvement will indeed lead to higher quality audio. Besides, this high-tier streaming is already available in other music streaming apps such as Amazon Music HD, Deezer, and Tidal. 

Spotify, one of the biggest music streaming platforms, has also said that it is working on a lossless HiFi tier as well. The company is hoping to launch the new tier by the end of 2021.

The app could include Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos. Source: Yahoo Finance
The app could include Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos. Source: Yahoo Finance 

There are also reports that the app could include Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos as part of this new upgrade. The plan, according to the rumors we have seen, is to combine the Spatial Audio feature found on AirPods with Dolby’s surround sound technology to deliver an impeccable customer experience. 

But despite all these lofty expectations, Apple has not yet given us anything official. We do not know when the new streaming tiers will launch and how they will roll out. But one thing is clear. Apple Music is facing massive competition from other streaming apps and it’s about time it starts to step up in offering clients more value. 

Despite this, there are some rumors that the iPhone giant will make an announcement on Tuesday next week regarding the proposed plans. After that, we will be able to get a bit more details on what Apple plans to do, how soon we should expect the technology and anything else that might be relevant. Nonetheless, it is clear that Apple is very serious about taking Apple Music to the next level.