HomePod 15 Beta Software Adds Lossless Audio Support

Apple today released a new beta version of the HomePod 15 software, and it appears that the update introduces Lossless Audio support for the ‌HomePod‌ and the HomePod mini.

HomePodandMini feature orange
Back in June, Apple added higher-quality Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio support to Apple Music, but at launch, Lossless Audio was not available on the ‌HomePod‌ or the ‌HomePod mini‌. Apple in a support document clarified that Lossless Audio would come to the ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌ in the future, and it appears the higher quality audio will be available this fall when the new ‌HomePod‌ 15 software is available to the public.

According to 9to5Mac, those who have the ‌HomePod‌ 15 beta software can enable Lossless Audio by opening up the Home app, tapping the Home icon in the upper left corner, selecting "Home Settings" and then tapping the user profile.

From there, scroll down to "Media" and select the "Apple Music" tab, toggling on "Lossless Audio." When playing a song that supports Lossless quality, the ‌Apple Music‌ player will feature a Lossless icon to make it clear that you're listening to the Lossless tier.

It is not clear if there are other features in the ‌HomePod‌ 15 beta, but the prior updates have led to complaints about sudden failures and overheating, which may have been caused by the new software.

The ‌HomePod‌ 15 beta is available on an invite-only basis from Apple and it is not widely available to developers or public beta testers.

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Top Rated Comments

kesenwangs Avatar
50 months ago
Ummm, no. That was Beta 1. There’s no such option in this Beta, Do you guys even check sourcing? It’s one thing to verify if lossless is happening, another to not even check and see if an option is there. The article says definitively Lossless is here, then the opening paragraph immediately starts off saying how it “appears to be” added.



Edit: After running the same logs all day, and still seeing AAC being called for all Lossless songs, finally am actually now getting Lossless. Both through Apple TV, Homepod independent of Device. and Macbook. That being said, the Toggle option referred to in the Article is actually present from Beta 1 on many Reddit posts as it was there during that time. This could not be reproduced with the Homepods as a Stereo Pair, As default Audio for Apple TV, nor separately.

oCntentItemChange for path origin-Space Grey-468769720/client-com.apple.Music-29/player-Music <MRContentItem: 0x13de74910> {
identifier = "NHe4lklnw\U2206HXHFl4SpH";
metadata = {
activeFormat = {
audioChannelLayoutDescription = Stereo;
bitDepth = 24;
bitrate = 0;
channelLayout = 6619138;
codec = 1634492771;
groupID = "audio-alac-stereo-44100-24";
multiChannel = 0;
sampleRate = 44100;
spatialized = 0;
stableVariantID = b2337035c1573664a9aacf67d9cab3e7cc4bd40a55ad006bf00707e18ab81cc8;
tier = 2;
};
activeFormatJustification = 100;
alternativeFormats = (
);
formatTierPreference = 4;
preferredFormat = {
audioChannelLayoutDescription = Stereo;
bitDepth = 24;
bitrate = 0;
channelLayout = 6619138;
codec = 1634492771;
groupID = "audio-alac-stereo-44100-24";
multiChannel = 0;
sampleRate = 44100;
spatialized = 0;
stableVariantID = b2337035c1573664a9aacf67d9cab3e7cc4bd40a55ad006bf00707e18ab81cc8;
tier = 2;

[0xE0C1] Created compression source 0x5C34. input=PCM, 48000 Hz, 32-bit, Stereo, Float, output=ALAC, 48000 Hz, 24-bit, Stereo, 352 samples/packet, layoutTag=0650002, vbr=256000, codecQuality=CodecQualityMode_Medium

ACAppleLosslessEncoder.cpp:755 (0x10920fe40) Output format: 2 ch, 48000 Hz, alac (0x00000003) from 24-bit source, 352 frames/packet

[0x05C3] New Cached Fmt Desc for ALAC, 48000 Hz, 24-bit, Stereo, 352 samples/packet

Attachment Image
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0pher Avatar
50 months ago

Great news. And even with this…there will STILL be people complaining all in the comments.
I’d be complaining if an update killed my HomePod. HomePod money doesn’t grow on trees and they are hard to come by new.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
50 months ago
Given Apple's QC on released software, I can't even imagine wanting to run their beta software.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nrose101 Avatar
50 months ago

This may be an odd place to ask this question, but has anyone had issues with playing the new lossless audio songs over car bluetooth speakers? My 2014 Toyota Corolla apparently doesn't like lossless audio and songs will just stop after a few seconds of playing it, so I had to switch back to downloading normal audio songs so that I can actually play them through my car. Not sure If the bluetooth in my car can be updated to support the new audio or if I have to upgrade it somehow.
Bluetooth can't handle lossless audio. Not enough bandwidth.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagar Avatar
50 months ago
I unplugged my homepods on 14.6 as one of them became hot. What now, Apple?

The HomePod farce is becoming a real joke. Discontinuing the original HomePod, promoting it on the packaging of the new ATV after it discontinued, then releasing new updates that fry it, there’s numerous reports of a mysterious plopping noise, … it’s like Apple really wants to fail in the home cinema and smart home department. All at once.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B/D Avatar
50 months ago

But did it kill yours? I bet not…
And as is the case with ALL beta software, that is a risk that literally everyone knows about with anything. By installing beta software, you are willingly taking that risk…no one is making anyone download it
The problem here is that many homepods with 14.6 are also overheating and dying.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)