Lossless badge, but output differs
Apple Music may play ALAC while the selected Mac output sample rate is still set to something else. Trace shows the detected playback format and Mac output sample rate together.
Apple Music says Lossless. Output may not match.
Audex Trace shows what Apple Music is playing on your Mac, down to the live codec, bit depth, and sample rate, and whether your Mac's output matches it.
Needs a macOS administrator account Standard user accounts cannot access the local playback logs Trace needs, so Playback Verification and live playback-format detection are unavailable. Trace does not run with elevated privileges and never asks for an administrator password.
Trace Pro is a one-time purchase of $29.99, with no subscription.
Output match status
Playing 24-bit / 192 kHz
Output 44.1 kHz
A track can play in Hi-Res Lossless while your Mac output is still set to another sample rate.
What the Lossless badge does not tell you.
The badge does not show the format Music is playing right now, the sample rate your Mac output is set to, or whether the next track in the queue may fail or skip. Trace checks all of these.
Dolby Atmos or AAC on some routes
From metadata alone it is hard to tell which version Music picked for the current route. Trace shows the detected format: Dolby Atmos, AAC, Lossless, or Hi-Res.
Next track may fail or skip
Trace Pro warns about upcoming tracks that may fail or skip before playback reaches them.
The free download includes Playback Verification, so you can play a track in Apple Music and confirm detection on your own Mac before buying Pro.
Checking by hand versus leaving Trace running.
Audio MIDI Setup can show and change the output format, but it does not follow Apple Music as the queue moves from track to track. Trace keeps the playback path visible in the background, and Pro adds automatic sample rate matching.
Manual Audio MIDI Setup
- Open a separate utility to inspect or change the Mac output format.
- Check one device setting while Apple Music may move between 44.1, 48, 96, and 192 kHz.
- Find queue quality or skip issues only when playback reaches the track.
Trace Pro running in the background
- Keep codec, bit depth, sample rate, and output match status visible in a player that stays open.
- Let Auto Sample Rate Match switch the output format for you.
- See queue quality estimates and skip warnings before a queued track interrupts playback.
Already using LosslessSwitcher or SyncHz?
Both are free, and both switch your output to the sample rate Apple Music is playing. If that is all you want, keep using them. Trace Pro is for people who also want the things below.
The readout and the switch follow the track you hear. Music prepares the next track before the current one ends, and that track logs its format early. This happens with Song Transitions, AutoMix, and Crossfade off too. A switcher that applies the newest log line can move your DAC to the next track's rate partway through a song, as two open LosslessSwitcher issues report (#159, #231). Trace keeps the readout and Auto Sample Rate Match on the track that is playing until the next one starts, on a best-effort basis. Within a track the readout is live: if Music's stream drops to a lower quality partway through a song, or comes back up, the readout changes when that happens.
Song Transitions, AutoMix, and Crossfade can stay on. The readout still changes when the next track starts. Auto Sample Rate Match waits until Music has finished handing over from the previous track, because changing the rate mid-blend makes Music cut the blend off and start it again. So the switch can land a few seconds after the track change, up to about 20 seconds in the worst case, and macOS resamples the new track until then. The developer tested this with AutoMix on macOS 26.
You see the whole format. Playback details show the codec, bit depth, sample rate, and channels of what is playing, next to your output device's current and supported sample rates and whether they match.
Playing Next shows what comes after this track. It lists up to 99 upcoming tracks with artwork, an estimated format for each, and a warning when one may skip. You can drag a track to move it, swipe to remove it, or double-click to play it.
Start with what is actually playing.
Trace shows the current playback format, whether your output matches it, higher-quality releases that may be in the catalog, and the expected quality of upcoming tracks before they play.
Where Trace lives
Trace is also a player, so it can stay open while you work.
- Player Window: a floating mini player that stays above your other windows, optionally over full-screen apps, with the current artwork as a blurred background if you want it. Horizontal trackpad swipes can move to the previous or next track.
- Menu Bar: current track, controls, and volume, without leaving what you are doing.
- Notch: the same track and controls in the display cutout, expanded only when you want them.
The Player Window, Menu Bar, and Notch are in the free version, with Now Playing, playback controls, track metadata, and artwork. Playing Next and the playback details shown inside the views are Pro.
A higher-resolution release may already be in the catalog
Apple Music does not always play the highest-resolution release of a recording. The same album can sit in the catalog at a higher bit depth or sample rate, or in Dolby Atmos, and Music does not mention it while you listen to the release you picked.
While a track is playing, Trace checks for alternate releases. When it finds one, it shows what it found and can open it in Music, but it does not switch playback for you.
The catalog also changes after you save music. A Lossless or Dolby Atmos version can appear on a release you never opened again.
Playback quality suggestions are a Pro feature. Availability is a catalog estimate: Trace tells you what it found, which is not always what Music will play.
Actual Playback Readout
Open Playback details in Trace Pro to see the detected codec, bit depth, sample rate, and channels.
Playback Quality Suggestions
Trace Pro tells you when another format or release of the current track may be higher quality, and opens it in Music if you want.
Output Match Status
With Trace Pro you see the output device format, its current and supported sample rates, and whether it matches the detected playback.
Auto Sample Rate Match
Trace Pro switches supported output devices to match what is playing. You can optionally include lossy and Dolby playback.
Playing Next
A compact, scrolling list of the upcoming Apple Music queue in Trace Pro: every track Music reports, up to 99, with artwork and queue editing. Estimates for Lossless, Hi-Res, Dolby, and exact Apple Lossless bit depth and sample rate appear when available. Skip warnings for queued tracks are part of the same Pro feature.
Skip Risk Detection
Queued tracks that may fail, become unavailable, or interrupt playback get a warning in Trace Pro before they reach the player.
Built for Music.app playback.
Music.app source
Status
Apple Music catalog
Supported
Local files played in Music.app
Experimental
What to know before you pay.
Playback VerificationConfirm detection on your own Mac before buying Pro.
Built for macOS and Apple MusicA local Mac utility for Music.app playback on macOS 15 and later.
Signed Mac appSigned, notarized, and distributed through GitHub Releases.
Independent appNot affiliated with Apple.
PrivacyNo Apple Music sign-in, no audio upload, and no listening history upload for quality detection.
One-time purchase. No subscription.
Trace Pro
$29.99
One-time lifetime license
Verify playback first. If Trace does not detect playback format on your Mac, don't buy Pro.
Free
Free forever, with no time limit.
- Now Playing with playback controls
- Track metadata and artwork
- Player window, menu bar panel, and notch
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Playback Verification
Pro
Everything in Free, plus:
- Actual playback readout
- Playback quality suggestions
- Output match status
- Auto Sample Rate Match
- Playing Next: upcoming queue, artwork, scrolling, queue editing, quality estimates, and skip warnings
- Lifetime license for all Macs you personally use
Designed for recent macOS and Apple Music.
Requires macOS 15 or later with the Apple Music app installed.
Playback-format detection currently requires a macOS administrator account. In a standard user account, Playback Verification and live playback-format detection do not work.
Tested on macOS 26.3, 26.3.1, 26.4.1, and 26.5. Automated tests run on macOS 15 before each release, and a user confirmed 1.3.2 on macOS 15.8 after the crash fix. See tested setups.
macOS 14 and earlier are not officially supported.
Local Apple Music playback on the Mac.
Auto Sample Rate Match requires an output device that exposes compatible macOS sample rates and affects the selected macOS output device, not only Apple Music.
What runs locally and what uses the network.
Local detection
Playback format detection runs locally on your Mac.
No audio or history upload
Audex Trace does not modify, record, or upload your audio, and no listening history is uploaded for quality detection.
No Apple Music sign-in
No Apple Music account sign-in or cloud library API access.
Limited network use
License verification, update checks, purchase checkout, optional artwork fallback, and minimal anonymous website or pre-purchase app events may use the network.
Common questions about Audex Trace.
Audex Trace requires macOS 15 or later and the Apple Music app. Playback-format detection currently requires a macOS administrator account; Playback Verification and live playback-format detection are unavailable in standard user accounts. It is the account you are logged in with that has to be an administrator. Trace itself does not run with elevated privileges and never asks for an administrator password. The restriction comes from macOS, which limits who can read the system log, so it applies to any tool that reads Apple Music's playback format from that log; LosslessSwitcher's README states the same requirement. Download Trace free, play a track in Apple Music, and verify playback on your own Mac before buying Pro.
A narrow refund policy for compatibility.
7-day compatibility refund. If Audex Trace cannot detect Apple Music playback format on a supported macOS version, contact support@audex.dev within 7 days.
Personal Mac license. One Trace Pro license covers all Macs you personally use. Enter the same license key on each Mac; first-time activation and key changes require an internet connection.
Known limitation. Future macOS or Apple Music updates may require Audex Trace updates.
Audex Trace 1.5 is available now.
Download the signed and notarized macOS app from GitHub Releases. Requires macOS 15 or later.
Playback detection requires a macOS administrator account.