Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
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- According to new code strings in the latest YouTube Beta app, YouTube can soon allow users to adjust the audio quality separately from video quality, offering options such as Auto, Normal and High.
- The feature appears to be exclusive to YouTube premium subscribers and may not be available to all videos.
- Higher sound quality settings can also consume more data.
YouTube tests a major upgrade that can give users more control over the listening experience. Android Authority has discovered new code strings in the latest YouTube app, suggesting an upcoming feature that will allow users to adjust the audio quality separately from video quality, a long-sized function for those frustrated with inconsistent or poor sound in videos.
Ease APK Demolition Helps predict features that may come to a service in the future based on work code. However, it is possible that such predicted functions may not come to a public release.
So far, changing video resolution on YouTube has no effect on the sound quality of a video. Whether you are looking at in 144p or 4K, YouTube’s audio format, which appears as “opus 251” in statistics for nerds, the same. Opus is a sound coding format and 251 is the name of the Codec option, which corresponds to 128kbps variable Bitrate 48kHz sound. This means that even if a video looks first class, the sound quality depends on the uploader and is fixed by YouTube. Users have no control over it. This can be problematic when videos are uploaded with subparing sound.
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
YouTube statistics for nerds
But that may change soon. We have discovered code strings in the latest YouTube Beta app that reveals references to user-controlled audio quality options, which suggests that YouTube can soon let you choose between different audio bits. According to the detected strings, users may choose between the following options:
- Auto: Probably adjust the sound quality based on your internet speed.
- Normal: Youtube’s standard sound quality (possibly current 128 kbps opus format)
- High: A higher bit rate option, which potentially improves clarity.
However, there is a catch: this feature appears to be exclusive to Youtube premium Subscribers according to the code strings. YouTube will of course do this to offer more benefits to paid users. However, it is possible that the options for choosing sound quality may not be available to all videos, as the code suggests that it may be limited to selecting content. Furthermore, the code also shows that choosing a higher sound quality flow will eat more data, which it can expect.
We hope we can learn more about these upcoming audio quality options in future YouTube updates. Since the feature is currently buried in the app’s code, there are no official words about when or whether it will be released much.
Assembledebug / Android Authority
YouTube often tests new features internally before rolling them out to users. If the feature is actually on the horizon, it may be one of the most important updates to YouTube’s streaming experience in many years.