Yes apple music streaming Service / subscription service. But you can add tracks to “your iCloud library” (in OSX will appear as kind = Streaming). If you then select to download after adding to your iCloud library the tracks will download either AAC or lossless based on the preferences in the device you are downloading to. If you want lossless then check the preferences in the device you are downloading to. The default will be AAC not lossless. You can play the downloaded lossless while you have a subscription. If your subscription lapses, the downloaded items will disappear from your iCloud library and thus from any devices that use this library.Lossless music is offered only through Apple Music streaming service. Bought music in iTunes Store is still AAC.
Is there an option for the download to ITunes (auto-sync with Apple Music Library) to be anything other than AAC?
Yeah I have Apple Music lossless.At some stage I updated the bulk of my library from MP3 to AAC and ALAC (lossless). I am not sure (cannot remember) how I did the ALAC part. Some time in 2019. Might have been part of the iTunes match subscription I took up - that at least converted a lot of the MP3 to "Matched AAC".
But lossless is possible - even studio lossless in 24bit from some music. You need to pay to / join Apple Music subscription. You can select an album, at it to your cloud library. It will then sync down or stream to you linked machines in AAC but you can opt for local downloads in Lossless - the type 16 or 24 bit is selected in the Music app preferences. The tracks downloaded like this will be shown as "kind" of "HLS media" in your local library. Presumably if you leave the Apple Music subscription the cloud will update and such tracks will be removed from linked devices.
How? How did you purchase in lossless? Can you tell me/post screenshots?Yeah, you can also buy high-res losless audio on the iTunes Store.
I (re-)bought the Deluxe version of Purple Rain, and those songs are downloaded as HLS media, 24 bits 192 KHz.
BTW, I am not too happy on the HLS media. It seems the audio file can only be played in Music app. I would have prefered high-res ALAC.