Updated September 2026: in 2021 I suggested two features for Apple Music after Lossless and Dolby Atmos arrived, a quick way to see a song's audio quality and a faster way to start a station. I have rewritten it as a practical guide to checking and getting the best audio quality in Apple Music.
I had been using Apple Music for a few months and was hooked on the sound quality and the Dolby Atmos catalogue. What bothered me was how hard it was to tell which version of a song I was hearing. To check, I had to unlock my iPhone, open the Music app and look for the Lossless or Dolby Atmos badge on the player. I wanted that information to be visible at a glance.
How do you check if a song is playing in Lossless or Dolby Atmos?
Open the Now Playing screen in the Music app. When a song is playing in Lossless, Hi-Res Lossless or Dolby Atmos, a badge appears on the player. Tapping the badge on recent iOS versions shows more detail about the format. Where exactly the badge sits has moved between iOS releases, so look around the song title and progress bar if you do not see it straight away.
What settings do you need to turn on?
- Lossless Audio: go to Settings, then Music, then Audio Quality, and switch on Lossless Audio.
- Streaming and download quality: choose Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless separately for mobile data, Wi-Fi and downloads.
- Dolby Atmos: in the same Music settings, set Dolby Atmos to Automatic or Always On.
Lossless files are much larger than standard ones, so higher settings use more data and storage. Menu names can change with iOS updates.
Why does a song not play in Lossless even when it is switched on?
There are a few common reasons. Not every song in the catalogue is available in every format. Bluetooth headphones, including AirPods, do not carry true lossless audio because Bluetooth compresses the signal, although you still get the better source. Hi-Res Lossless also needs an external digital-to-analogue converter to play at its full resolution.
Which headphones get the most from Dolby Atmos?
Dolby Atmos works with most headphones in Apple Music, and supported AirPods and Beats models add head-tracked spatial audio. Wired headphones connected to a suitable adapter are the better choice if lossless quality matters more to you than spatial effects.
What about creating a station from the lock screen?
My second wish was to start a station from a song without opening the app, because my mood often changes with the music while I work. Siri can do this: while a song is playing, ask it to create a station based on that song. Inside the app, the song's menu also offers a Create Station option.
Is the difference in quality easy to hear?
It depends on your ears, your headphones and the recording. Many people struggle to tell Lossless from standard quality in blind tests, while Dolby Atmos mixes are usually easier to notice because they change how the music is laid out around you. Try a few songs you know well in each format and decide whether the extra data use is worth it.