Streaming data
How much data does Apple Music use per hour?
115MB per hour
Apple Music, AAC 256 kbps: worked out from the bitrate the service publishes
Apple Music's standard quality is 256 kbps AAC, the same format Apple sells music in. Turning on Lossless raises it several times over.
The arithmetic
- Apple Music AAC 256 kbps: 256 kbps (published bitrate)
- 256,000 bits/s × 3,600 s ÷ 8 = 115,200,000 bytes = 115 MB per hour
- A 2-hour film: 0.12 × 2 = 0.23 GB
- Two hours a day for 30 days: 0.12 × 60 = 6.91 GB a month
| Setting | Per hour | Per 2-hour film | 2 h a day, 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAC 256 kbps | 115 MB | 230 MB | 6.91 GB |
Sources and assumptions
- Apple: standard-quality Apple Music streams are 256 kbps AAC, checked 2026-10-25. Standard quality only. Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless use several times more.