How to check Apple Music bit depth and sample rate on Mac.
Apple Music's Lossless label tells you the quality tier. To see the detected playback format next to the current Mac output format, you need to check them separately.
Check playback and output separately.
Check two things: what Apple Music is playing now, and what macOS is outputting now. The Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless label in Apple Music is not a live readout of codec, bit depth, sample rate, or output match.
Audex Trace's free Playback Verification tells you whether playback detection works on your Mac. The full playback readout is in Trace Pro, which keeps detected codec, bit depth where applicable, sample rate, Mac output sample rate, and output match visible while you listen.
The four numbers and labels worth separating.
| Signal | What it tells you | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Codec | The detected current playback format, such as AAC or ALAC. | Lossless Apple Music playback is expected to use ALAC, not AAC. |
| Bit depth | The detected current playback bit depth when it applies to the format, such as ALAC Lossless. | Hi-Res Lossless can be 24-bit, but lossy formats do not have a useful lossless bit-depth signal in the same way. |
| Playback sample rate | The detected current Apple Music playback sample rate. | Your queue can move between 44.1, 48, 96, and 192 kHz tracks. |
| Mac output sample rate | The current output format selected for the active macOS audio device. | It may stay fixed even when Apple Music playback changes. |
A practical check before you change anything.
- Enable Lossless in Apple Music settings.Confirm streaming and download quality are set the way you expect.
- Play a known Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless track.Use a track where the Apple Music label appears clearly.
- Verify playback before buying Pro.This tells you whether Trace can detect playback on your Mac. It may not show the full Pro readout.
- Open Audio MIDI Setup.Check the Format menu for the active output device.
- Compare detected playback with Mac output in Pro.Trace Pro keeps the current playback format and Mac output sample rate visible while you listen.
What a label does not tell you.
Apple Music labels help you understand track availability and the selected quality tier, but a label alone does not tell you every layer of the playback path. It does not replace checking the current output device format in Audio MIDI Setup, and it does not guarantee bit-perfect output.
For lossy playback formats such as AAC, bit depth is not the meaningful signal in the same way it is for ALAC Lossless. Trace labels playback cautiously based on what can be detected.
Check support first, then keep the readout visible in Pro.
Verify playback for free.
Play a track in Apple Music, open Trace, and confirm detection support on your Mac before buying Pro.
Common questions.
Apple Music can show Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless labels, but for troubleshooting you should separate the track label, detected playback format, Audio MIDI Setup output format, and any DAC display.