Is Apple about to offer higher quality music downloads through iTunes?
For quite some time, a portion of Apple's customers have wanted higher quality audio files from the iTunes Store. Apple uses AAC coding for the iTunes Store, which is lossy, but a shade better than standard MP3 files. Competitors are now pushing higher quality through download stores like HDtracks. Musicians are also getting into the act, wanting people to hear their music the way it was recorded, and Neil Young has stepped into the fray with his own Pono hardware and music download store. All these initiatives are banking on consumers wanting higher quality than what Apple provides.
A sharp-eyed reader noticed a newly released album -- Knives to the Future -- from Project 86 as being a "24-Bit Master". That may be a first for the iTunes Store, or perhaps I just haven't noticed those listings before. 24-Bit mastering would certainly indicate a higher quality download that what's normally available. It may also just be Apple keeping pace with its own request to get music from producers for iTunes encoding with the best possible quality to begin with. In Apple's own notes to producers it says:
"To take best advantage of our latest encoders send us the highest resolution master file possible, appropriate to the medium and the project."
"An ideal master will have 24-bit 96kHz resolution. These files contain more detail from which our encoders can create more accurate encodes. However, any resolution above 16-bit 44.1kHz, including sample rates of 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, and 192kHz, will benefit from our encoding process."
Most studio tracks today are recorded in 24-bit. Chances are Apple isn't sending out higher resolution files yet, but rather taking them in that way. Apple has already said in several venues that it thinks iTunes downloads are the highest quality reasonably obtainable now. While not quite up to CD quality, Apple thinks the differences are imperceptible. Audiophiles differ. I expect the reference on the album mentioned is that the producers supplied a 24-bit master which Apple re-encoded to AAC. Of course Apple invented ALAC, or Apple Lossless Encoding, but Apple hasn't offered any ALAC downloads in the iTunes store, at least not yet.
Audiophiles would surely like something better. I have a question in to Apple about its plans, but haven't heard anything back as of publication time. I'll certainly let you know if I hear anything. Apple has been so influential in music sales and hardware over the past decade that it would be nice to see the company step up with an option for higher quality downloads.
Let us know in comments if you'd like to have Apple offer higher resolution audio files, or if you think things sound fine as they are.
