YouTube Music is a popular music streaming service with over 100 million songs from all kinds of artists and genres. What makes it different from other platforms like Spotify or Apple Music is its wide range of exclusive music videos. You can watch official music videos, live shows, and even fan-made content—all in one place.

But what about the sound quality? Some people think YouTube Music doesn’t sound as clear as other apps because of its lower audio bitrate. Others say it sounds louder, more powerful, and fun to listen to.

So, how good is the sound really? Can it compete with other top streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, or TIDAL? Keep reading to learn more about YouTube Music’s audio quality, including what formats it uses, how it works on different devices, and whether it’s the right choice for your music needs.

Part 1. What is YouTube Music Audio Quality?

Let’s first clear up the difference between YouTube and YouTube Music.

YouTube is a general video platform where you can watch all kinds of content—music videos, vlogs, tutorials, live streams, and more. The audio quality you get depends on the video’s resolution:

• 240p or 360p (SD): Audio is usually around 64–96 kbps (AAC).
• 720p or 1080p (HD): Audio quality goes up to around 128 kbps (AAC).
• 1080p and higher (Full HD+): Can offer audio up to 256 kbps (AAC).

YouTube Music is different, it’s made just for music streaming. It offers a large collection of songs, albums, playlists, remixes, live shows, and music videos. The sound quality you get depends on your account type:

• Free users: Audio streams range from about 48 kbps to 128 kbps (AAC).
• Premium users: Get better quality, up to 256 kbps (AAC).

Part 2. How to Change YouTube Music Quality Settings

On Mobile (iOS/Android)

Want to adjust the sound quality while streaming or downloading music on your phone? Just follow these steps:

To change streaming quality:

Step 1. Open the YouTube Music app on your phone.

Step 2. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner.

Step 3. Go to Settings.

Step 4. (For iOS only) Tap Playback & restrictions.

Step 5. Choose either Audio quality on Wi-Fi or Audio quality on mobile network, depending on how you’re connected.

Step 6. Then pick your preferred sound quality:

• Low: 48 kbps (uses the least data)
• Normal: 128 kbps (default setting)
• High: 256 kbps (better quality)
• Always high: 256 kbps (even on slow connections)

To change download quality:

Step 1. Tap your profile icon in the app.

Step 2. Select Downloads and storage.

Step 3. Tap Audio quality under download settings.

Step 4. Choose Audio quality on Wi-Fi or Audio quality on mobile network, if needed.

Step 5. Select a quality level for downloaded songs:

• Low: 48 kbps (uses less storage)
• Normal: 128 kbps (default)
• High: 256 kbps (best quality, more storage used)

On Computer (Web Browser)

Step 1. Visit music.youtube.com.

Step 2. Sign in if you haven’t already.

Step 3. Click your profile picture in the top right corner and choose Settings.

Step 4. Look for the Audio quality section, then select your preferred streaming quality:

• Low
• Normal
• High

Part 3. Comparing Sound Quality: YouTube vs. YouTube Music

If you’re just after official music tracks, YouTube Music is probably your best bet. However, if you love watching music videos, live performances, or other video content alongside the music, YouTube might be more your style.

When it comes to sound quality, YouTube Music gives you the option for higher bit rates, so you can enjoy a clearer, more detailed sound compared to what you get on YouTube.

Part 4. YouTube Music vs. Other Streaming Services: Which Sounds Better?

Many popular music streaming services now offer lossless or high-quality audio for paid users, which is great for audiophiles. Platforms like Tidal, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer offer this feature. But like YouTube Music, which has both free and paid options, Spotify still doesn’t have a high-fidelity audio plan. So, YouTube Music and Spotify are quite similar in this way.

Looking at the details, Spotify has slightly better sound quality than YouTube Music. For free users, YouTube Music tops out at 128 kbps, while Spotify goes up to 160 kbps. For Premium users, YouTube Music offers 256 kbps, and Spotify offers 320 kbps. However, many users don’t notice much of a difference between them.

We’ve created a comparison table to help you see how YouTube Music stacks up against other popular streaming services.

Bonus: Download YouTube Music to MP3 320kbps High Quality

Now that we’ve talked about YouTube Music’s sound quality and how it compares to other platforms, here’s a useful tip you should know. If you are a free YouTube Music user, you can only stream music with lower audio quality and include ads. Even if you’re a paid user, the songs you download are just cached files that can only be played within the app. You can’t move, copy, or use them elsewhere.

But don’t worry, there’s a great solution to this. 4kFinder YouTube Music Converter is a professional tool that lets you download your full YouTube Music library to your computer for free and paid users. With 4kFinder, you can download and save your YouTube Music in various formats, including MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV or AIFF, while keeping the original 256 kbps audio quality and ID3 tags. Additionally, 4kFinder YouTube Music Converter is equipped with built-in YouTube Music web player, it allows you to search, browse, download and play music within the app, there is no need to install any extra app. Once downloaded, you’re free to use the music however you want, you can copy it to a USB drive, use it in a video project, mix it with DJ software, or anything else you need.

Features of 4kFinder YouTube Music Converter

• Download songs from YouTube Music Free/Premium.
• Convert YouTube Music to MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and AIFF.
• Preserve the original quality of the songs after conversion.
• Keep ID3 tags and metada info.
• 16X faster speed in batch.
• No need to install any extra app.
• Available for Windows & Mac.

Guide: How to Download YouTube Music to MP3 in 320kbps with 4kFinder

Step 1. Sign in to Your YouTube Music Account
Download, install, and open 4kFinder YouTube Music Converter on your computer. Click the “SIGN IN” button and log into your YouTube Music account (free or Premium).

Step 2. Set Output Format
Click the gear icon in the top corner to open Settings. Here, choose MP3 as your output format and set the audio quality up to 320kbps for the best sound.

Step 3. Add Songs, Albums, or Playlists
Find any song, album, or playlist you want to download. Click the red “+” button to add them to your conversion list.

All tracks in the album or playlist will be selected by default. Uncheck any you don’t want.

Step 4. Start to Convert Songs to MP3
After making your selection, click the “Convert” button. The tool will download and convert the songs from YouTube Music to MP3 format.

Step 5. Find Your Downloaded Music
Once the conversion is done, click the clock icon (History) at the top to see all your converted songs. You can sort them by Date, Artist, or Album.

FAQs about YouTube Music

Q1. Is YouTube Music Free?
Yes, YouTube Music has a free version with ads and some limitations. For ad-free listening and extra features, you can upgrade to YouTube Music Premium or use 4kFinder YouTube Music Converter to save ad-free songs as local files.

Q2. What Are the Benefits of YouTube Music Premium?
With Premium, you get ad-free music, offline downloads, higher audio quality, and background play.

Q3. How Much Does YouTube Music Premium Cost?
In the U.S., it’s $10.99/month or $109.99/year. Family and student plans are also available at lower prices.

Q4. Can I Convert Downloaded YouTube Music to MP3?
Not directly. Songs downloaded in the app are only playable inside YouTube Music. To save them as MP3 files, use 4kFinder YouTube Music Converter to download music to your computer.

Q5. Is YouTube Music Available on All Devices?
Yes, it works on phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, and smart speakers. If a device isn’t supported, you can use 4kFinder to convert songs to MP3 and play them anywhere.

Conclusion

In this article, we looked at YouTube Music’s audio quality, how to change its sound settings on your phone or computer, and how it compares to other popular streaming platforms. While YouTube Music may not offer the highest sound quality, it’s still good enough for most casual listeners.

If you’d like to save songs from YouTube Music in original quality as MP3, AAC, or other common formats, 4kFinder YouTube Music Converter is the best option. Just click the “Download” button below to try it now!