For all of Apple Music’s merits, one feature has been sorely lacking – the ability to choose music-streaming quality.
That’s in contrast to rival services such as Spotify and Tidal, both of which let users pick the bit rate at which audio is streamed.
This is set to change, however, as Apple plans to open up the feature in the fast-approaching iOS 9 release.
Currently, Apple Music streams at different qualities depending on the type of connection you’re using.
Apple’s Software VP Eddy Cue explains in a tweet: “
That’s so Apple Music users don’t chew through mobile data allowances too quickly when streaming sans Wi-Fi.
Fortunately, the latest beta release of iOS 9 includes a toggle switch for high-quality audio streaming over cellular networks, as spotted by Apple Insider.
The setting comes with a warning, however: “Always stream music at the highest quality. This will use more cellular data and songs may take longer to start playing.”
Related: Apple Music vs Spotify
The highest bit rate currently available to Apple Music users is 256kbps (AAC), but it’s not yet clear what this drops to when using mobile networks to stream.
Whatever the case, at least customers will soon have a choice over whether they take the data hit and stream in high quality, or settle for a lower bit rate.
If you’re looking for a device from which you can listen to Apple Music, you might want to check out our iPhone 6 video review:
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
