Back in October 2021, Apple rolled out an update for the HomePod and HomePod mini speakers, which added support for Apple Music lossless playback and Dolby Atmos spatial audio. It was a much-awaited update after Apple Music lossless arrived on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Apple TV 4K devices the summer before in 2020.

Whilst the update has now been around for quite some time - and we've even seen a new HomePod arrive in that time in the form of the Apple HomePod (2nd Generation), you may still be wondering how to get lossless audio and spatial audio on your HomePod speakers. Well, look no further as this is what you need to do to ensure your HomePod mini or HomePod speakers are playing music in the best format it supports.

HomePod mini
Apple HomePod Mini

A move in the right direction for Apple's speakers, with this diminutive model offering a good blend of affordability and sound performance.

What is Apple Music lossless?

Apple Music's lossless audio is the name given to music tracks on Apple Music that are in a higher-resolution format than normal. That means you can listen to music that hasn't been compressed and therefore retains all the detail and nuance of the original recordings. Apple Music's lossless audio offers users the option to listen to higher bitrate music tracks, with a couple of "lossless" options.

It uses the ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) file type and offers different types:

  • Lossless Audio (up to 24-bit at 48kHz)
  • Hi-Res Lossless Audio (up to 24 bit at 192kHz)

To learn more about Apple Music lossless, we have a Pocket-lint Apple Music Lossless Audio guide, which will give you a full rundown of everything you need to know. We have another feature on how to turn on Apple Music Lossless Audio and get it working too if you need a little bit of extra information.

How to listen to lossless on your HomePod or HomePod mini

Requirements

  1. You need a HomePod (1st or 2nd generation) or HomePod mini updated to the latest software update.
  2. You also need the Home app on the iPhone or iPad that was used to set up your HomePod.

Turn lossless on or off

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Home app.
  2. Tap the Home button in the bottom left of the app.
  3. Tap on the circle with the three dots in the top right corner.
  4. Tap Home Settings.
  5. Under People, tap your name.
  6. Tap Apple Music.
  7. Turn Lossless Audio on or off.
  8. That's it!