Improve the quality of your music streaming in minutes

Lossless audio is becoming more common, but many people are still unsure what the term means. In simple words, lossless audio preserves all the details of the original recording. Nothing is removed to make the file smaller, so the music sounds closer to what the artist created. Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music support at least CD-quality sound. The only major service that still relies on compressed formats is YouTube Music.

Even if your favorite app doesn’t offer lossless quality, you can still improve the sound of your music. Most streaming apps use default settings that focus on convenience rather than clarity. With a few quick tweaks, you can unlock richer audio without purchasing new equipment.

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Turn off volume normalization

Volume normalization changes the volume of your tracks to match each other. Softens loud songs and enhances quiet ones. That may maintain balance, but it alters the original recording and may reduce dynamic range.

By turning it off, the music becomes closer to what the artist intended. You can adjust the volume more frequently, but the sound becomes cleaner.

How to turn off volume normalization in Spotify

• Click on your image icon at the top left
• Tap Settings and privacy
• Click Reproduction
• Then turn off Enable audio normalization (either Volume normalizationdepending on your version).

How to check volume normalization in YouTube Music

YouTube Music is the only major music service that doesn’t yet support lossless audio, and its volume settings may cause further confusion. In 2025, Google began rolling out a feature called Constant volumewhich normalizes the volume between tracks so they play at a more similar level. The problem is that this configuration has not yet reached all accounts. To see if you have it:

YouTube Music (Android and iOS)

• Open YouTube Music
• touch your profile photo
• Gonna Settings
• Select Reproduction (on some iPhones, it appears below Playback and restrictions)
• Look for a lever called Constant volume
• if you see Constant volumeturn it off for the most precise sound and widest dynamics. (If you don’t see that option on your devices, it’s likely that your version of YouTube Music hasn’t rolled out yet, and there’s currently no direct way to turn off its volume normalization.)

How to turn off volume normalization on Amazon Music

Amazon Music includes a feature called Normalize volumewhich softens the volume between tracks. Turning it off brings the dynamic range closer to the original recording.

iPhone and Android

YesSettings may vary depending on the manufacturer of your Android phone.

• Open the Amazon Music app
• touch your profile icon at the top left
• Tap Settings
• Scroll to Reproduction
• Fold Volume normalization off (This may appear as “Normalize Volume” in some versions of the app.)

Mac (desktop app)

• Open the Amazon Music app
• Click on your profile photo in the upper right corner
• Click Settings
• Gonna Reproduction
• Fold Normalize volume (either Volume normalization) off
• Desktop web player (browser)

The web player No Always include the Normalize Volume option. If you see it below Settings → Playbackturn it off. if you do No See, your account type or browser version does not allow you to change these settings on the web.

Tune the equalizer to your liking

Your equalizer shapes the way your music sounds. It can enhance the bass, soften the midtones, or brighten the treble. Many apps include presets. Others allow you to create custom profiles. If your streaming app isn’t enough, you can try third-party equalizer apps like Wavelet on Android or Boom on iOS.

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How to adjust your equalizer settings

Spotify Equalizer

• Click on your image icon at the top left
• Gonna Settings and privacy
• Tap Reproduction
• Click Equalizer

Once you open the equalizer, you’ll see sliders that control different parts of the sound:

• Low for low tones
• media for mid tones such as vocals and guitars
• Triple for higher tones

You can choose a preset like Bass Booster, Vocal Booster, or Acoustic. You can also move the sliders to create your own profile. Start with a preset, then adjust each slider little by little until the music matches what you like.

YouTube Music Equalizer

• Touch the initial icon at the top right of the screen
• Click Settings
• Tap Reproduction
• If you see an option labeled Equalizer, touch it to open your device’s audio settings. You can adjust the bass, mids or treble according to your taste.

if you do No see an Equalizer option, that’s completely normal. YouTube Music does not include its own equalizer on most devices. The app only displays an equalizer button when your phone or tablet has a system equalizer that YouTube Music can access. Many iPhones and several Android models hide or remove access to the system equalizer, so the settings never appear.

To use EQ on devices that don’t support it, consider a third-party app like Wavelet on Android or Boom on iOS.

Apple Music Equalizer on iPhone

Apple Music does not include an equalizer menu within the app. To adjust your sound profile:

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone
• Tap Applications
• Click Music
• Then tap Equalizer.
• Choose a preset like Vocal reinforcement, bass or acoustic reduction, or try a few options to find the sound you prefer.

Changing equalizer presets is one of the quickest ways to make your music sound new again.

Apple Music Equalizer on Mac

The Mac version of Apple Music includes its own equalizer, but it can be difficult to find if you’re not used to the Mac menu bar. Here’s exactly what you should see:

• Open Discoverer
• Gonna Applications
• Open the Music application

Once the Music app is open, look at the high above your screenabove all. This thin horizontal strip is the mac menu bar. It is not located within the Music application window. It is always on top of macOS.

You should see words in the menu bar that look like this (from left to right):

Music file Edit song View controls Account window Help

• Click Window in that row
• A drop-down menu should appear below the word “Window”
• In that dropdown menu, look for Equalizer and click on it

As soon as you click Equalizera small floating window should appear with:

• A drop-down menu of presets (Bass Booster, Classical, Vocal, Acoustic, etc.)
• A row of vertical sliders for different frequency bands.
• A checkbox to turn the equalizer on or off.

if he Equalizer option does No appears in the Window menu, or the EQ window does not appear when selected, that’s a known issue affecting some versions of macOS as of late 2025. It’s not something you’re doing wrong.

You can also consult Window > Sound Enhancer to disable Apple’s additional processing if you prefer a clean sound.

Amazon Music Equalizer

Amazon Music does it No Include your own in-app equalizer. Instead, it uses your device’s system equalizer.

If your device has a system equalizer:

• You will see a Equalizer button inside Amazon Music below Settings > Playback
• Tapping it opens your device’s sound settings.
• If you don’t see the Equalizer option, your phone doesn’t expose a system equalizer to apps. This is normal on many iPhone and Android models. For equalizer control, Amazon Music recommends using third-party equalizer apps or system-level audio tools.

Avoid Dolby Atmos if you want lossless quality

Dolby Atmos adds a spatial effect. It makes the sound seem like it’s coming from around you. It’s immersive but it’s not the same as lossless quality. Many users mix them together and lose higher audio fidelity without realizing it.

On Apple Music, you can download songs in Dolby Atmos or lossless quality, but not both at the same time. If Atmos is enabled, your downloads will not be saved in lossless format.

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How to check your settings

apple music

• On your iPhone, click Settings
• Click Applications
• Tap Music
• Scroll down to Dolby Atmos and turn it off

Pro Tip: Delete and redownload songs to replace Atmos files with Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless versions.

Amazon Music

• How to Check Audio Quality Settings on Amazon Music
• Open the Amazon Music application
• touch your profile icon at the top left
• Tap Settings
• Gonna Reproduction
• Check these options:

Audio streaming quality

• Choose high definition either ultra high definition for lossless playback
• if you only see “Best available”, click on it as it will automatically use HD/Ultra HD when your plan and device allow it

Download audio quality

Some users only see Standard and space saver, meaning lossless downloads are not available on that plan or device. If your account supports HD/Ultra HD downloads, set it to high definition either ultra high definition for lossless offline files. Not all users will see them. Amazon hasn’t implemented lossless downloads universally, even for unlimited subscribers.

Spatial Audio (only appears on supported accounts)

If visible, turn spatial audiof for consistent, lossless stereo. Dolby Atmos or 360 Reality Audio can override Ultra HD when both versions exist. If the switch does not appear, your device or account is not part of Amazon’s spatial audio release.

Spotify

Spotify does it No Dolby Atmos compatible. You won’t see a switch for it and there’s no risk of replacing lossless files with Atmos versions. Spotify streams only in stereo.

YouTube Music

YouTube Music supports spatial audio on some devices, but the service does not No deliver lossless audio. Turning on spatial audio does not affect lossless quality because lossless formats are not available.

Improve your audio quality settings on any streaming service

Each platform allows you to improve the quality of the transmission. Free tiers often have a lower default quality for saving data. Paid plans unlock higher bitrates. Here’s what you get with the higher levels:

• Spotify Premium: FLAC up to 24-bit/44.1kHz
• Apple Music: up to 24-bit/192kHz ALAC
• Amazon Ultra HD Music: up to 24-bit/192kHz
• YouTube Music: no lossless support yet
• Other easy ways to improve your sound

If you want even better audio, try some hardware checks.

Confirm that your headphones or earphones support high-resolution Bluetooth codecs such as LDAC or AptX Adaptive

Use a USB-C DAC if your headphones don’t support high-resolution codecs

Match your audio equipment to your source to avoid compression issues

Small changes can produce big improvements.

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Kurt’s Key Takeaways

Better sound is just a few taps away. These settings help you unlock cleaner audio, wider dynamics, and more detail without purchasing expensive equipment. Small changes can make your music feel richer and more enveloping on every track.

Which setting made the biggest difference in your sound? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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