iTunes

[TankTop]

Please be nice, I’m a bit new to this...

I was playing with iTunes trying to figure out how to download higher quality tracks, went into settings and maxed it out at 192/24. Restarted my computer to make sure settings were saved, double checked settings then I deleted a song and re downloaded it from iTunes, still at 144???

My guess is that’s the best I can download from iTunes but if I have a higher quality recording from somewhere else I can import it at a higher quality?

 

[Frank Dernie]

I have higher res files imported into iTunes.
If you are using a Mac though iTunes resamples to the last file type set in Audio midi setup.
This is a known pita so you need to quit iTunes and change the settings in Audio MIDI Setup then re-launch iTunes it will play at whatever you set in Audio MIDI Setup.
There is an app called Bitperfect which can be run in parallel with iTunes which does it for you though.

 

[TankTop]

I have higher res files imported into iTunes.
If you are using a Mac though iTunes resamples to the last file type set in Audio midi setup.
This is a known pita so you need to quit iTunes and change the settings in Audio MIDI Setup then re-launch iTunes it will play at whatever you set in Audio MIDI Setup.
There is an app called Bitperfect which can be run in parallel with iTunes which does it for you though.

Thanks, I’m using a PC, would it be different?

 

[Frank Dernie]

Thanks, I’m using a PC, would it be different?

Sorry, I gave my PC away when I retired almost 10 years ago and only used it for work so never tried iTunes on a PC.

 

[TankTop]

Sorry, I gave my PC away when I retired almost 10 years ago and only used it for work so never tried iTunes on a PC.

Thanks again, I’m at work now and was hoping to use their data... . I’ll try to figure it out when I get home.

 

[Apesbrain]

Unless things have recently changed, tracks downloaded from Apple are AAC-256; about 1/6 the CD data rate (and for most people the minimum acceptable quality). There is no setting in iTunes that will make this "higher quality". If you have access to higher bitrate files, iTunes will gladly play them so long as they are in a file format it understands. I believe support is there for AAC, AIF, ALAC, MP3 & WAV.

When you say you "went into settings and maxed it out at 192/24", I'm not clear on what you actually did. Is this a setting in iTunes or in Windows? The only such setting I recall in iTunes is concerned with the quality of ripping your own CDs. Just set the ripping format for Apple Lossless (ALAC) and you'll get CD-quality.

[UPDATE: Maybe I found the setting in iTunes to which you refer:

https://www.psaudio.com/ps_how/how-to-convert-file-types-in-itunes/

This setting does not have any bearing on the quality of your downloaded files. See "Note" on screen above.]

 

[Frank Dernie]

Unless things have recently changed, tracks downloaded from Apple are AAC-256; about 1/6 the CD data rate (and for most people the minimum acceptable quality). There is no setting in iTunes that will make this "higher quality". If you have access to higher bitrate files, iTunes will gladly play them so long as they are in a file format it understands. I believe support is there for AAC, AIF, ALAC, MP3 & WAV.

When you say you "went into settings and maxed it out at 192/24", I'm not clear on what you actually did. Is this a setting in iTunes or in Windows? The only such setting I recall in iTunes is concerned with the quality of ripping your own CDs. Just set the ripping format for Apple Lossless (ALAC) and you'll get CD-quality.

[UPDATE: Maybe I found the setting in iTunes to which you refer:

https://www.psaudio.com/ps_how/how-to-convert-file-types-in-itunes/

This setting does not have any bearing on the quality of your downloaded files. See "Note" on screen above.]

I think the OP was talking about playing in iTunes not ripping discs.
It is easy to import higher res files into iTunes but less easy to get it to output the raw data stream rather than 44/16 which it defaults to.
I know how to do it on a Mac but would have thought a PC wouldn't have had this "feature".

 

[TankTop]

so I just double checked in general settings. Download max is Apple Lossless, playback is 192/24 max. Obviously you need to import those files from another source.

 

[purplerain]

Use iTunes audio converter which allows you to customize parameters including codec, channel, sample rates from 8000 to 48000 HZ, and bit rate ranging from 16 to 320 kbps, and then download them to local files. This way will be able to save high-quality iTunes music.