LosslessSwitcher switches your current audio device's sample rate to match the currently playing lossless song on your Apple Music app, automatically.

Let's say if the next song that you are playing, is a Hi-Res Lossless track with a sample rate of 192kHz, LosslessSwitcher will switch your device to that sample rate as soon as possible.

The opposite happens, when the next track happens to have a lower sample rate.

Installation

For macOS Big Sur 11.4 to macOS Sonoma 14.x

Please use releases of version 1.x, such as versions 1.0, 1.1 or 1.1.1 betas. Version 1.x also works up to macOS Sequoia 15.3.1.

You can find the latest stable release of the version 1.x branch here: Link to v1.1

For macOS Sequoia 15.4 onwards

Support for this is still in beta. You can try the latest version 2.0 beta here: Link to v2.0 Beta 1

Steps

Download the .zip file of the preferred version.
Drag the app to your Applications folder.

If you wish to have it running when logging in, you should be able to add LosslessSwitcher in System Settings:

> User & Groups > Login Items > Add LosslessSwitcher app

App details

There isn't much going on, when it comes to the UI of the app, as most of the logic is to:

Read Apple Music's logs to know the song's sample rate.
Set the sample rate to the device that you are currently playing to.

As such, the app lives on your menu bar. The screenshot above shows it's only UI component that it offers, which is to show the sample rate that it has parsed from Apple Music's logs.

If you wish, the sample rate can also be directly visible as the menu bar item.

Do also note that:

There may be short interuptions to your audio playback, during the time where the app attempts to switch the sample rates.
Prolonged use on MacBooks may accelerate battery usages, due to the frequent querying of the latest sample rate.

Bit Depth switching is also supported, although, enabling it will reduce detection accuracy, hence, it is not recommended.

Why make this?

Ever since Apple Music Lossless launched along with macOS 11.4, the app would never switch the sample rates according to the song that was playing. A trip down to the Audio MIDI Setup app was required. This still happens today, with macOS 12.3.1, despite iOS's Music app having such an ability.

I think this improvement might be well appreciated by many, hence this project is here, free and open source.

Prerequisites

Due to how the app works, this app is not, and cannot be sandboxed. It also has the following requirement, due to the use of OSLog API:

The user running LosslessSwitcher must be an admin. This is not tested and assumed due to this Apple Developer Forums thread.
Apple Music app must have Lossless mode on. (well, of course)

Other than that, it should run on any Mac running macOS 11.4 or later.

Disclaimer

By using LosslessSwitcher, you agree that under no circumstances will the developer or any contributors be held responsible or liable in any way for any claims, damages, losses, expenses, costs or liabilities whatsoever or any other consequences suffered by you or incurred by you directly or indirectly in connection with any form of usages of LosslessSwitcher.

Devices tested

Here are some device combinations tested to be working, by users of LosslessSwitcher. Regardless, you are still reminded to use LosslessSwitcher at your own risk.

Version 1.x

| CPU | Mac Model | --------------- | -------------------------- | Intel | MacBook Pro 13 inch | Intel | Mac mini (2018) | Intel | MacBook Pro 13 inch (2018) | Intel | MacBook Pro 13 inch, | Apple Silicon | MacBook Pro 13 inch (M1, 2020) | Intel | MacBook Pro 15 inch (2016) | Apple Silicon | Mac mini (M1, 2020) | Intel | Hackintosh (XPS 9570, i7-8750H) | Intel | MacBook Pro 13 inch (2016) | Apple Silicon | Mac mini (M1, 2020) | Intel | MacBook Pro 15 inch (2018) | Apple Silicon | MacBook Air 13 inch (2020) | Apple Silicon | Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2022) | Intel | MacBook Pro 16 inch (2019) | Intel | Mac mini (Late 2014) | Apple Silicon | Mac mini (M1, 2020) | Apple Silicon | Mac mini (M1, 2020) | Apple Silicon | MacBook Pro 14 inch (M1 Pro, 2021) | Apple Silicon | Mac mini (M1, 2020) | Apple Silicon | MacBook Pro 14 inch (2021) | Apple Silicon | MacBook Air (M1, 2020) | Intel | MacBook Pro 15 inch (2018) | Apple Silicon | iMac 24 inch (M1, 2021) | Apple Silicon | MacBook Pro 14 inch (2021) | Apple Silicon | Mac mini (M1, 2020) | Apple Silicon | MacBook Pro 16 inch (M1 Max, 2021) | Apple Silicon | MacBook Pro 14 inch (M1 Pro, 2021) | Apple Silicon | Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2022) | Intel | 27-inch iMac (2017) | Apple Silicon | Mac mini (M1, 2020) | Apple Silicon | MacBook Pro 13 inch (M1, 2020) | I | macOS Version | Beta macOS? | Audio Device | -------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | (Early 2015, Dual Core i5) | 11.6.2 | No | Denon AVR-X4400H | | 12.2 12.4 | No | Denon PMA-50 | | 12.3.1 | No | Denon PMA-50 | four Thunderbolt 3 ports (2016) | 12.3.1 | No | Topping DX7 Pro | | 12.3.1 | No | FX Audio DAC-X6 | | 12.4 | No | Topping D30Pro | | 12.4 | No | Meridian Explorer 2 | | 12.4 | No | Universal Audio Apollo X4 FiiO Q3 FiiO M5 (DAC mode) | | 12.4 12.6.1 | No | AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt | | 12.4 | No | iFi Zen DAC V2 | | 12.4 | No | PS Audio Sprout | | 12.5.1 | No | Shanling M8 | | 12.6 | No | Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 (2nd Gen) | | 12.6 | No | Mytek Brooklyn+ DAC | | 12.6.3 | No | NAD C658 | | 13.0 | 22A5286j | Topping D50s | | 13.0 | No | iBasso DC06 Khadass Tone 2 Pro | | 13.0 13.0.1 | No | Topping D10 Balanced | | 13.0.1 | No | Fiio K7 Fiio K5 Pro (AKM DAC) Topping EX5 | | 13.0.1 | No | AudioQuest Dragonfly Black v1.5 | | 13.1 | No | Schiit Bifrost 2 | | 13.1 | No | Apogee Groove | | 13.1 | No | SMSL PO100 | | 13.1 | No | Chord Mojo | | 13.2 | No | RME ADI-2 DAC FS | | 13.2 | No | M-Audio Fast Track | | 13.2 | No | Topping D10s | | 13.2.1 | No | RME ADI-2 PRO FS R (Black Edition) | | 13.2.1 | No | Chord Hugo M Scaler + TT2 Combo | | 13.2.1 | No | Moondrop Moonriver 2 | | 13.3.1 | No | Gustard X18 |

LosslessSwitcher

Install / Use

README