AirPods models do not support lossless audio for Apple Music

After a ton of leaks and teasers over the past few days, Apple has finally announced Hi-Res lossless audio support for Apple Music. However, this new audio format won’t help the company’s lineup of audio accessories, including AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max. These devices do not support lossless audio over Bluetooth.

For the uninitiated, Apple issued an official press release yesterday announcing the Hi-Fi Lossless Audio tier for Apple Music subscribers . The new audio format will be available to all Apple Music users starting next month. Deliver studio-quality audio across your entire catalog of songs without paying extra to your existing subscription.

AirPods do not support high-resolution lossless audio with Apple Music. The reason is as follows

According to recent reports, Apple has confirmed that its upcoming Hi-Res Lossless audio layer will only work with wired headsets and may require an additional dongle or USB digital-to-analog converter. So this eliminates Apple’s AirPods line. AirPods are essentially completely wireless earbuds or headphones with no wires or dongles.

Additionally, Apple’s lossless audio is encoded and provided as an Apple Lossless Audio Codec file. The lossless quality of songs ranges from 16-bit 44.1 kHz to 24-bit 48 kHz playback . Hi-Res Lossless audio, on the other hand, offers 24-bit 192 kHz playback.

Currently, AirPods, AirPods Max, and AirPods Pro are limited to the Bluetooth AAC codec when connected to Apple devices. As a result, all AirPods models will no longer be able to stream high-resolution lossless songs on Apple Music. However, AirPods Max may be able to play new formats when connected with a wire. However, the company has confirmed that you can’t stream lossless audio using a regular Lightning cable.

While this is sad news for AirPods owners, the good news is that all AirPods models support Apple’s spatial audio technology along with Dolby Atmos. So, following the rollout of Hi-Fi lossless audio in Apple Music, users will now be able to enjoy 360-degree audio on their AirPods . Additionally, artists have the opportunity to create more immersive audio experiences for their fans.

A new Hi-Res lossless audio layer and support for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos will be coming to Apple Music sometime in June. Existing Apple Music subscribers will also gain access at no additional charge.