Google Play Music Gets New Playback Quality Options For Streaming and Offline Listening - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Google Play Music Gets New Playback Quality Options For Streaming and Offline Listening

by

Google has updated its Play Music app with new options to control the quality of music playback over wireless networks and choose the compression level of downloaded tracks.

Previously, users of the streaming service could only adjust the quality of music when listening over their mobile connection, but the additional options offer the same control over WiFi and when listening offline.

Google Play stream quality
The options to adjust streaming and download quality are listed simply as Low, Normal, and High, so it's unclear exactly what bitrate Google is referring to, but it's safe to say any increase in quality will eat further into any data caps, or use more storage in the case of downloaded tracks.

For comparison, Spotify offers a streaming choice of 96kbps, 160kbps, or 320kbps, while Tidal offers 96kbps, 320kbps, and Apple Lossless (Hi-Fi). Apple Music streams at 256kbps by default, but does include a 80kbps option for cellular connections.

(Via Engadget.)

Tag: Google Play Music

Top Rated Comments

JaySoul Avatar
JaySoul
119 months ago
Love how as a Google Play Music user on an Android phone, I only find out about this on MacRumors :D
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sMiK Avatar
sMiK
119 months ago
I have the option, fun fact is that you cannot actually select it. I can select the other three, but not this one. It's not greyed out or anything, the tick just doesn't move to it when you tap it. Eh Google...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Col4bin Avatar
Col4bin
119 months ago
Not a Google Play Music user by any stretch, but I would have assumed that the better listening quality/compression options would have been available to users streaming over WiFi first, before the same functionality being made available to users via mobile data. Not that it matters but it seemed a little backwards, right? (But what do I know.)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
keysofanxiety
119 months ago
Love how as a Google Play Music user on an Android phone, I only find out about this on MacRumors :D
Yeah I don't go to any other website for tech-related stories. I really dig this place.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...
Read Full Article
Instagram Feature 2

PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8

Tuesday May 5, 2026 8:24 am PDT by
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform. Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...
Read Full Article • 54 comments
iOS 26

Apple Says iOS 26.5 Adds Three New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday May 5, 2026 7:36 am PDT by
iOS 26.5 includes three new features for iPhones, according to Apple's release notes for the update, which is expected to be released next week. As discovered during beta testing, iOS 26.5 enables end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging between iOS and Android devices. Apple says this security upgrade is limited to supported carriers around the world and will continue to roll out....
Read Full Article • 27 comments