I built Audex Trace because I couldn’t find a Mac app that showed what Apple Music was actually streaming in real time.
One thing I noticed is that Apple Music can start a song in AAC before switching to ALAC or Hi-Res Lossless, while metadata-based apps may show “Lossless” or “Hi-Res Lossless” from the beginning. Audex Trace detects the actual playback format live, including codec, bit depth, sample rate, Dolby Atmos status, and whether your Mac’s output sample rate is matched.
It also shows quality estimates for upcoming tracks and can warn when a track looks likely to skip before it plays.
There’s a free compatibility check, and the Pro unlock is $19.99 one-time (launch price). macOS 15+.
trace.audex.dev
I’d love feedback from other Apple Music / Mac audio users.
One thing I noticed is that Apple Music can start a song in AAC before switching to ALAC or Hi-Res Lossless, while metadata-based apps may show “Lossless” or “Hi-Res Lossless” from the beginning. Audex Trace detects the actual playback format live, including codec, bit depth, sample rate, Dolby Atmos status, and whether your Mac’s output sample rate is matched.
It also shows quality estimates for upcoming tracks and can warn when a track looks likely to skip before it plays.
There’s a free compatibility check, and the Pro unlock is $19.99 one-time (launch price). macOS 15+.
Audex Trace
A macOS Apple Music companion for seeing what is playing now and what is coming next.
trace.audex.dev
I’d love feedback from other Apple Music / Mac audio users.
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