

That’s a substantial difference, and if the music is mastered well, and you use nice equipment, you’ll notice a difference (Note: This difference may be minimized if you’ve suffer from hearing loss). High-resolution music can have a bit rate of up to 9,216kbps. Music files on CDs have a bit-rate of 1,411 kbps (this is a limitation of the CD format). Typical music streaming services like Apple Music or Spotify allow you to stream high-quality MP3s, which have a bit rate of 320kb (kilobytes). If the actual music is compressed while it’s being made, bit-rate won’t mater much). The more data, the better the sound (Note: the way music is mixed and mastered also plays a huge role in how music sounds. One way to judge the way digital music sounds is by looking at its bit rate, or the amount of data that’s transmitted between the file you’re listening to, through the player you’re using, and to your ears. Thankfully this has changed recently, and a handful of companies have started high-resolution music streaming services, which offer convenience and audio quality. The former is way more convenient, and gives you unlimited access to a library containing millions of songs, but the latter will sound better. Until recently, music fans have had to face an annoying choice: use a streaming service with compressed audio, or get CDs and high-resolution music a la carte. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
