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

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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
124 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
124 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
124 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
124 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)
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