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Streaming Audio Data/Hour

R

RMD68

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 7, 2007
283
10
Does anyone know what the data rate per hour (MB or GB / hour) for streaming iTunes Radio over a cellular signal on an iPhone 5 via Verizon Wireless?

I'd rather know off hand than killing my plan. I'm trying to adjust the monthly usage.

Thanks!
 
I am guessing iTunes Radio usages 128 bitrate. So, extropulate 128000 x 60 = 7.6 megabytes per hour. Each hour you stream equals about 7.6 megabytes.

I use spotify and you can specify different streaming qualities. Of course the higher bitrates use more bits and bytes.
 
CarmelMacchiato said:
On cellular iTunes Radio uses approximately 28MB an hour.
Click to expand...

wannabepcuser said:
I am guessing iTunes Radio usages 128 bitrate. So, extropulate 128000 x 60 = 7.6 megabytes per hour. Each hour you stream equals about 7.6 megabytes.

I use spotify and you can specify different streaming qualities. Of course the higher bitrates use more bits and bytes.
Click to expand...

That seems awfully low.

Forgive if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the math work like this:

1MB = 8000 kb

(128kb/s)*(60s/min)*(60min/hour)*(1MB/8000kb) ~= 57.6 MB /hour

80kb/s ~= 36 MB / hour
256kb/s ~= 115.2 MB / hour
320kb/s ~= 144 MB/ hour

Streaming Audio Rate: 36MB/Hour < Actual Usage < 144 MB/hour

Note:This assumes that there isn't any other data that hitchhikes with the audio when ones uses a streaming audio service
 
CarmelMacchiato said:
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/02/how-much-mobile-data-does-itunes-radio-use/
Click to expand...

Does Apple gimp the signal on US carrier signals as much as it apparently does on Australian carriers signals?

Lowering the bit rate by a significant degree seems to be the only way to obtain the ~30MB / hour target. In fact, when I use my previous calculation, the the bit rate for iTunes radio would need hover slightly south of 65kb/s to maintain the ~30MB/ hour target.
 
I tested iTunes radio out on cellular and it wasn't bad. I had it playing for 2hrs and where I was the signal fluctuates between 3G and LTE. 5-10MB used. I find it works better than GooglePlay. For some reason that app buffers too many times.
 
mofunk said:
I tested iTunes radio out on cellular and it wasn't bad. I had it playing for 2hrs and where I was the signal fluctuates between 3G and LTE. 5-10MB used. I find it works better than GooglePlay. For some reason that app buffers too many times.
Click to expand...


There is no way that's possible.
iTunes Radio uses about 30-40 MB an hour for me on my iPhone 5c on LTE.
 
richwoodrocket said:
There is no way that's possible.
iTunes Radio uses about 30-40 MB an hour for me on my iPhone 5c on LTE.
Click to expand...

That sounds more reasonable, but it would still indicate that a relatively low bit-rate signal (~80kb/s) on iTunes Radio via a cellular data signal.

Do you have any approximate rates for other audio streaming services?
 
richwoodrocket said:
There is no way that's possible.
iTunes Radio uses about 30-40 MB an hour for me on my iPhone 5c on LTE.
Click to expand...


I have to check again to get a better accuracy. But I'm sure that's what I saw. If it starts to buffer then its possible. If I don't get a signal then it's possible. So that would make my results different from yours. #anythingispossible
 
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