Apple Music offers different audio quality settings, including High Quality, Lossless, and Hi-Res Lossless, each consuming varying amounts of data. The High Quality setting uses the least data, while the Hi-Res Lossless option uses significantly more. According to Apple, data usage depends on factors like the song, network conditions, and the device being used. For example, a three-minute song might be around 6MB in High Quality, 36MB in Lossless, and 145MB in Hi-Res Lossless. These numbers are estimates and may vary. Listening for an hour of continuous playback would use roughly 120MB in High Quality, 720MB in Lossless, and up to 2.9GB in Hi-Res Lossless. Apple’s Lossless audio is capped at 24-bit/48kHz, while Hi-Res Lossless reaches up to 24-bit/192kHz. Over 30 days, listening for one hour a day at the 720MB-per-hour Lossless rate would use about 21.6GB, while Hi-Res Lossless could use up to 87GB. These differences highlight the trade-off between audio quality and data usage. Apple uses its own Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) for Lossless streams, which compresses audio without losing quality. This means the data required depends on the specific recording, not a fixed bitrate. The actual quality of the stream can also be affected by the song’s availability, network conditions, and the capabilities of the user’s headphones or speakers. Users looking to reduce data usage can adjust their Apple Music settings on an iPhone by going to Settings > Apps > Music > Audio Quality. Here, they can set different quality levels for cellular streaming, Wi-Fi streaming, and downloads. This allows users to keep cellular playback at High Quality while enjoying Lossless audio on Wi-Fi. Downloading content while connected to Wi-Fi is a good option for users with limited data but enough storage space. Lossless audio files take up more storage space, but once downloaded, they do not use cellular data. This can be useful for listening while driving, as USB CarPlay supports lossless playback. However, the overall experience may be affected by the quality of the car’s speakers and road noise. Bluetooth connections, on the other hand, do not support lossless audio, so streaming from an iPhone to regular Bluetooth headphones will lower the audio quality. Some high-end devices like the AirPods Max 2 support lossless audio over USB-C, but not wirelessly. Hi-Res Lossless playback on an iPhone requires an external digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for sample rates above 48kHz. Apple notes that the difference between AAC (used in High Quality) and lossless audio is “virtually indistinguishable” to most listeners. This suggests that while lossless audio offers higher quality, the benefits may not be worth the data cost in all situations, especially when the final playback device, like Bluetooth headphones, can’t support the full quality. Lossless audio is ideal for users who can fully appreciate the difference, but it may not be necessary for everyone.