Apple HomePod, Mini to support lossless audio via software update
Apple is bringing its lossless audio technology to
HomePod and HomePod Mini in a future software update.
Apple has
developed its own lossless audio compression technology called Apple Lossless Audio
Codec (ALAC).
In a new support document, the tech giant also revealed that Apple
TV 4K will only support standard lossless audio at its launch.
Apple Music will offer more than 20 million songs in lossless
quality for free at the launch of ALAC technology in June that will reach over
75 million by the end of this year.
Most audio compression techniques lose some amount of data
contained in the original source file.
Lossless compression is a form of compression that preserves all
of the original data.
In addition to Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC), the entire Apple Music
catalog is now also encoded using ALAC in resolutions ranging from
"16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD Quality) up to 24-bit/192 kHz," the company
informed.
Apple will deliver music using lossless audio compression to
iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.
"Lossless will play back normally on Bluetooth speakers and
headphones. However, Bluetooth connections don't support lossless audio,"
said the company.
Broadcast radio, live radio and on-demand content from Apple Music
1, Apple Music Hits, Apple Music Country and music videos will not be available
in lossless audio.
"We're offering Apple Music subscribers the additional option
to access our entire catalog encoded using lossless audio compression at no
extra cost," said the company.
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