Hey, y’all! Got something different for you today.
Someone messaged me recently asking about my audio settings for when I listen to music (and am not multi-tasking, or the volume would be much lower ahahaha). I figured I could share it here with you, too. Maybe it’ll be interesting!
These options should work for both iTunes/Apple Music, but you might be limited in your choices for some audio quality settings in older versions (mostly the streaming aspect, as that’s new since they rebranded). Here I’m using MacOS 11.6 Big Sur and Music version 1.1.6.37. Highly recommend using these Equalizer settings and the Sound Enhancer, though! Got this sorted after researching “the Perfect EQ” ahaha. This has followed me for a number of years, tweaked from ye olden Winamp days, and from OSX Leopard onward. It sounds really good! ( ๑´･ᴗ･`๑) ❤ I think it might surprise you how much ‘brighter’ and ‘punchier’ it will sound!
The higher quality the actual track’s file is, the better this will sound! By that I mean 128kbps MP3 rips from YouTube or Soundcloud can only be enhanced so much… Try and aim for a higher bitrate if you can! (256kbps at the lowest, with 320kbps at the preferred.) The lower the number, the more its been compressed and you lose quality that way. Other filetypes (besides MP3) can sometimes impact your listening experience, too! MP3 is the default, but not the only thing available to try. (◍•ᴗ•`◍)*＊
If you need help figuring out what your song’s bitrate is, you can do it right within the program! In any Song view (Where you see only a downward list of songs. Don’t see it? Check your Finder bar, then click “View” to see if you’re in “Song” view), press Command+J and you can select “Bitrate” so it’ll show in your song table columns. (Lots of really great stuff hidden in this menu, by the way! I love using “Date Added” so I can sort with that and listen to all my latest tracks with ease right at the top of the list!) You can do this for Playlists as well, just make sure you first change “View” to say “Songs.” ٩(⁎❛ᴗ❛⁎)۶ The same keyboard shortcut CMND+J will give you the option if you’re in a Playlist or Album.
Keep in mind if you’re using songs added to your library that you got from Apple Music (where you do the + or “add to library” option, not in “Store” where you bought the individual track), you will not see a bitrate because you’re streaming it. This is why it’s important to follow the settings I’ve shown in the Playback menu pictured above. (Command+, or in the Finder bar, Music ›Preferences›Playback to access.) This way, you’re streaming the file in a higher quality bitrate! c:
Also should be worth noting that I use Airpods now (2nd gen, the new ones are on the way for some fun with spacial audio!), but I rocked these settings with both dollar-priced wired headphones and some professional studio grade ones, and it helps regardless of what your setup is. So don’t worry if you’re using some different equipment! It should still help out!
It goes without saying that if you’re an audiophile, you’re not using iTunes to play your FLAC, OPUS, raw WAV, etc. 😂 Don’t come for me, okay? I understand that, but I’m not a sound engineer, I just like music and this is easy. I’ve been down that road and I use other apps for that kind of experience lol. This is for your average listener who just wants to enhance their basic setup and doesn’t want to invest in more equipment or expensive services. c:
If you want more iTunes/Apple Music tips for organizing, tagging, transferring songs from other sources (like Spotify) etc, just let me know!
