How to Make Apple Music Louder on iPhone/Mac

Learning how to make Apple Music louder is simple. However, it is equally important to understand why this happens in the first place. Knowing the reason not only helps you closely analyze the issue but also enables you to determine where to hit to fix the problem in a single go.

Why Is Apple Music So Quiet?

If you’re curious why Apple Music is so quiet, you might be comparing the volume level with other streaming portals like Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, etc. If so, you must understand that every piece of music comprises several elements, and the sound engineers use varied blending techniques to produce the final output. In addition, streaming portals use different audio formats, which may vary in many aspects.

Apple Music is not an exception either, and therefore, some tracks may have low volume while others might be louder compared to what you hear on other platforms. For example, Spotify uses Ogg Vorbis, whereas Apple Music streams audio in the AAC format, and the two have different architectures. As a result, you experience variance in volume levels while comparing the music on these.

How to Make Apple Music Louder

This section has five subsections covering all kinds of solutions that people across the globe have tried and found useful. In your case, you can choose the one that works best and learn how to make Apple Music louder.

Subsection 1: Make Apple Music Louder via Volume Control

Many people ask how to make Apple Music louder on an iPhone. The answer is that you can apply the methods explained under this subsection on both iPhone and Mac. Continue reading to learn step-by-step processes for each.

Method 1: Increase the Volume in the Apple Music App

Apple Music has an integrated volume controller that interacts with the one present on your device. Given that, when you increase the volume inside Apple Music, it automatically affects the overall sound level of your iPhone/iPad/Mac. The instructions to manage sound volume in Apple Music are given below:

Note: iPhone 13 Pro Max running iOS 17 is used here for reference and illustrations.

  • Launch the Music app on your iPhone
  • Start playing a song from your library or a playlist
  • Tap the song bar at the bottom
  • Use the Volume slider at the bottom to adjust the volume level within the app
Increase the Volume in the Apple Music App

Method 2: Increase the Volume on an iPhone

This is probably the most convenient way to control the volume level on an iPhone. The method is given below:

  • On iPhone X and later, swipe down the screen from the top-right to access Control Center. (On the other hand, if you have an iPhone 8 or earlier or iPhone SE, swipe up the screen from the bottom)
  • Use the Volume bar to adjust the volume of the device
  • Alternatively, you can adjust the sound level via the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons present on the left side of the phone
Increase the Volume on iPhone

Method 3: Increase the Volume on a Mac

As with iPhones, macOS also has a Control Center from where you can adjust the volume level. The method is given below:

Note: macOS Ventura is used here for reference.

  • Launch the Music app on your Mac
  • Play a song
  • Click the Control Center icon from the right of the menu bar at the top
  • Use the Sound slider to adjust the volume level
Increase the Volume on Mac

Subsection 2: Make Apple Music Louder via Audio Settings

Apart from using the sound controller, you can also manage the volume using several other audio settings Apple devices offer. This section covers some of the most effective ones:

Method 1: Disable Lock Sound

Formerly ‘Volume Limit’, Lock Sound is enabled in iPhones by default, and it automatically reduces high-volume audio to a level considered safe for hearing. If you’re wondering why Apple Music is so quiet, you can turn off the ‘Lock Sound’ switch and see if the solution helps. The method is given below:

  • On your iPhone, go to Settings
  • Scroll down and tap Sounds & Haptics
  • Scroll down to the SYSTEM SOUNDS & HAPTICS section
  • Tap to turn off the Lock Sound switch
Disable Lock Sound on iPhone

Method 2: Disable Sound Check

Sound Check is an auto-adjust feature that plays all audio on your device at almost the same volume level. If the ‘Sound Check’ switch is turned on, you may experience a quieter output while streaming some songs on Apple Music, and disabling it might help. The process of how to make Apple Music louder via the ‘Sound Check’ option is as follows:

  • Go to Settings
  • Locate and tap Music on the Settings screen
  • Scroll down to the AUDIO section
  • Tap to turn off the Sound Check switch
  • See if the problem is resolved
Disable Sound Check on iPhone

Method 3: Disable Reduce Loud Sounds

If you use headphones to listen to music, you might have enabled the ‘Reduce Loud Sounds’ feature, which is disabled by default, and ended up with a reduced volume. Disabling the feature could help, and the instructions are given below:

  • Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics
  • Scroll down to the HEADPHONE AUDIO section
  • Tap Headphone Safety
  • Tap to turn off the Reduce Loud Sounds switch (if it is turned on)
  • Start streaming a song and check if the issue is fixed
Disable Reduce Loud Sounds on iPhone

Method 4: Increase the Sound Enhancer on a Mac

Disabled by default, Sound Enhancer on Mac, when enabled, allows you to adjust the volume level from within the Music app. You can try using it to see if it helps. The process is explained below:

  • Go to the Music menu from the menu bar at the top
  • Click Settings
Apple Music settings on Mac
  • Go to the Playback tab
  • Check the Sound Enhancer box
  • Use the slider to adjust the volume level
  • Click OK from the bottom-right
Increase the Sound Enhancer on a Mac
  • See if the audio becomes louder

Subsection 3: Adjust the EQ Settings to Make Apple Music Louder

EQ or Equalizer helps you regulate the audio output according to your listening preferences. You can also use the feature to make audio louder on your iPhone and Mac. The processes are explained below:

Method 1: Adjust EQ Settings to Late Night on iPhone

The ‘Late Night’ preset in EQ on iPhones proportionally increases the volume level. Although EQ is set to ‘Off’ by default, enabling it is easy. The process is given below:

  • Go to Settings > Music
  • Scroll down to the AUDIO section
  • Tap EQ
  • Scroll down and tap Late Night on the EQ window
Adjust EQ Settings to Late Night on iPhone

Method 2: Adjust EQ Settings to Boost the Bass on Mac

With this setting, you can boost the bass effect in songs, allowing you to experience increased volume while listening to the music. You can adjust this EQ setting on a Mac computer by following the instructions given below:

  • Go to the Window menu from the top
  • Click Equalizer
Equalizer settings on Mac
  • Check the On button on the Equalizer window
  • Choose the Increase Bass preset from the menu at the top
Adjust EQ Settings to Boost the Bass on Mac
  • Check if the issue is resolved

Subsection 4: Make Apple Music Louder via Lossless Audio

Disabled by default, Lossless Audio preserves all the details an audio file has. As a result, your listening experience improves considerably at the cost of a significant amount of Internet bandwidth consumption. Nevertheless, Apple integrated the Lossless Audio option into the Music app for people like you, who prefer quality over anything else. The steps given below explain how to enable Lossless Audio on an iPhone and Mac:

Method 1: Enable Lossless Audio on an iPhone

  • Go to Settings > Music
  • Scroll down to the AUDIO section
  • Tap Audio Quality
  • Tap to turn on the Lossless Audio switch
Enable Lossless Audio on an iPhone
  • For further improvement, optionally tap Wi-Fi Streaming
  • Tap Hi-Res Lossless
  • Tap Continue in Hi-Res Lossless on the information box (for better listening experience, connect the external digital-to-analog converting hardware if you have access to it)
Enable Hi-Res Lossless on iPhone
  • See if the sound quality improves

Method 2: Enable Lossless Audio on Mac

  • From the menu bar at the top, go to Music > Settings
  • Go to the Playback tab
  • Check the Lossless Audio box under the Audio Quality section
  • Choose Lossless from the Streaming menu
  • Click OK
Enable Lossless Audio on Mac
  • Optionally, choose Hi-Res Lossless if you have access to the external hardware
  • Click Continue in Hi-Res Lossless on the information box
  • Click OK from the bottom-right to confirm the changes
  • Check if this fixes the issue

Subsection 5: Play Apple Music on Another Player

If none of the above solutions helps, you can use an efficient third-party tool called HitPaw Apple Music Converter. The best thing about this tool is that it allows you to download Apple Music to your local storage in an audio format of your preference. Once the songs are on your computer, you can use any media player with better volume control options to play those tracks.

HitPaw apple music converter

Another advantage of using HitPaw Apple Music Converter is that you can keep the downloaded songs forever, even after your Apple Music subscription expires. Furthermore, the program is available for both Windows and Mac platforms, so you are free to use any PC you have access to.

FAQs About Making Apple Music Lounder

Is it normal for Apple Music to be quieter compared to other portals?

Yes, and this is not only the case with Apple Music but almost every streaming audio portal that exists today. Because each platform uses a different audio format, songs that are quieter on Spotify or Tidal may seem louder on Apple Music and vice versa.

How does increasing the Bass in macOS EQ make the volume louder?

While macOS doesn’t have the ‘Late Night’ preset as iPhones do, ‘Increase Bass’ produces almost the same effect and gives you a louder and clearer listening experience.

Is increasing the loudness harmful to the ears?

Allowing your ears to consume too much noise is harmful. Therefore, if the track you are listening to has an acceptable volume, you can stick to the iPhone and Mac default audio settings. On the other hand, if you notice that the sound is almost inaudible, changing the settings manually to a comfortable level won’t harm you. Nevertheless, you must be extremely careful while switching to significantly high volumes.

Conclusion

Now that you know why Apple Music is so quiet and have a couple of solutions under your sleeves, you can stay assured of a decent and enjoyable audio output. While you can use the most obvious troubleshooting procedures like increasing the volume in the Music app or by accessing the Control Center, some advanced customizations on how to make Apple Music louder include tweaking the EQ settings, enabling Lossless Audio, etc., for finer sound adjustments.

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