Why Apple Don’t Support FLAC-in-OGG for Lossless Streaming
If you’re an audiophile tuning in on Audiophile.fm from an Apple device, you might be noticing that the audio quality isn’t labeled as lossless and might be wondering why? Let’s break it down for you and explain what we’re doing to bring the best internet radio experience to everyone.
What is FLAC and Why Does It Matter?
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is a format that preserves every detail of a song without any compression loss. It’s like hearing the music as the artist intended—every nuance, every note, perfectly intact. For audiophiles, FLAC is the gold standard of music streaming.
Meanwhile, an OGG container is a way of packaging audio data, including FLAC, to make it streamable over the internet. Many internet radio stations, including the ones on Audiophile.fm, use this combination because it balances quality and compatibility across most devices.
The Apple Browser Challenge
Here’s where things get tricky: Safari on macOS and all browsers installed on iOS don’t support FLAC audio playback when it’s stored in an OGG container. This is because Apple mandates that all iOS browsers use the WebKit engine, which does not include support for OGG containers. As a result, while FLAC itself is widely compatible, its use in OGG containers remains unsupported on Apple devices.
This is why, if you’re using Safari or an iOS browser, you’re getting lossy playback instead of lossless.
Why Apple Doesn’t Support FLAC-in-OGG
The big question is why Apple has taken this approach. While Apple hasn’t publicly explained their reasoning, there are a few likely factors: