Whether you're trying to finish an audiobook faster, slow down a difficult music passage for practice, or simply enjoy podcasts at a more comfortable pace, playback speed control has become an essential listening feature.
Unfortunately, Apple Music doesn't provide a universal playback speed option for every type of content. While Apple Podcasts and Apple Books include built-in speed controls, regular Apple Music songs generally play only at their original speed due to licensing and streaming limitations. As a result, many users search for ways to speed up or slow down Apple Music tracks on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, or the web.
The good news is that there are still several effective solutions. In this guide, we'll show you how to change Apple Music playback speed on different devices, introducing the flexible method that lets you enjoy Apple Music at any speed - even in third-party media players. Let's start!
Part 1. Can You Change Apple Music Playback Speed Natively?
Unfortunately, no. Whether you're using the Apple Music app on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, or the Apple Music web player, there is no built-in option to speed up or slow down regular Apple Music songs.
At present, playback speed controls are available only for certain types of content, such as podcasts and audiobooks, through Apple's dedicated apps. For songs in the Apple Music catalog, you can only adjust settings like audio quality, Apple Music Crossfade, Sound Check, Dolby Atmos, Lossless Audio, and EQ - but not the playback speed.
This limitation becomes even more restrictive because Apple Music streams are protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM). Even downloaded songs remain encrypted and can only be played within authorized Apple Music apps. As a result, they cannot be freely opened in third-party music players that offer playback speed controls.
If you want to listen to Apple Music at 0.5×, 1.25×, 1.5×, 2×, or any other custom speed, you'll need an alternative solution. The following section introduces one of the easiest methods to convert Apple Music into standard audio files, allowing you to adjust playback speed with virtually any compatible media player on Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android.
Can You Change Apple Music Playback Speed on the Web Player with Browser Extensions?
Some users wonder whether browser extensions such as Video Speed Controller can change the playback speed of the Apple Music web player.
The answer is no. While popular open-source extensions like Video Speed Controller excel at manipulating standard HTML5 video and audio playback, they cannot modify the playback speed of protected Apple Music streams.
During our testing, Video Speed Controller worked normally with ordinary MP3 and other unprotected audio files. If you first convert Apple Music songs into DRM-free local files (using the method in Part 2), you can freely adjust their playback speed in media players like VLC or QuickTime, or even edit them in browser-based audio tools such as AudioMass.
When you stream music through the Apple Music web player, the audio is protected by browser-level DRM technology - Widevine in Chrome and Firefox, and FairPlay in Safari.
Instead of exposing the raw audio stream to the browser, the encrypted music is decrypted inside a secure Content Decryption Module (CDM). Since playback occurs within this protected environment, browser extensions cannot access or modify playback parameters such as speed or pitch. In other words, the limitation comes from the DRM protection itself rather than the extension.
Part 2. Best Way to Change Apple Music Playback Speed on Any Device
Since Apple Music doesn't natively support playback speed adjustment for songs, the most practical solution is to convert your Apple Music tracks into standard audio formats first. Once converted, you can open them in any music player that supports playback speed control, including VLC Media Player, QuickTime Player, MusicBox, Foobar2000, and many mobile music apps.
One of the easiest tools for this purpose is AudFree Apple Music Converter. It downloads and converts Apple Music songs into DRM-free audio files in popular formats such as MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A, and M4B while preserving the original audio quality and complete ID3 metadata.
After conversion, you can not only adjust Apple Music playback speed freely, but also keep your music permanently for offline listening without depending on the Apple Music app.
In addition, AudFree lets you customize output settings such as codec, bitrate, sample rate, and audio channels, helping you balance sound quality and file size. With batch conversion and download speeds of up to 17×, it's an efficient way to prepare your Apple Music library for playback on virtually any device.
AudFree Apple Music Converter
- Download and convert Apple Music to MP3, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, etc.
- Keep lossless sound quality and all ID3 tags for organization and editing
- Play Apple Music songs in any media player with customizable playback
- Batch download and convert Apple Music at 17X faster speed
- Enjoy permanent offline playback without relying on the Apple Music app
How to Speed up or Slow Down Apple Music Songs
Before decreasing or increasing the play speed for Apple Music songs, please ensure you have downloaded AudFree Apple Music Converter on your PC or Mac. You can install it directly by clicking the "Try It Free" button above. After that, let's see how to download Apple Music to Windows or Mac losslessly and change the playback speed of Apple Music with the aid of other music players.
- Step 1. Run and Register AudFree Apple Music Converter
- Open AudFree Apple Music Converter and click the 'Sign in' button to log in to your Apple Music library. To convert Apple Music tracks, you can use the free trial version of AudFree tool permanently to get 30-seconds conversions of each song. Or, you can purchase its full version and register it to break the limit. After that, you can register this software. Just click on the register icon from the top-right corner on the screen, then enter your email and registration code. Once registered, you can convert a whole Apple Music song.
- Step 2. Import Apple Music Files to AudFree Apple Music Converter
- Then browse your Apple Music library inside AudFree, click the song, and tap the '+' button on the right side of the screen. Then choose 'Add to list' in the pop-up window to load the music to the conversion list.
- Step 3. Configure Apple Music Output Format and Quality
- Tap the 'Menu' icon > 'Preferences', then a new window will pop up. Then tap the 'Conversion' tab and you are allowed to choose the output format for compatibility between Apple Music tracks and other audio players. MP3 is the best shot since it is accepted by almost all players. Plus, it is feasible to change Apple Music bitrate, sample rate, audio channels, and among others. Once done, click on 'OK' to confirm it.
- Step 4. Convert Apple Music and Change Playback Speed
- Click on the Converting tab and hit the 'Convert' button in the lower-right corner of this best Apple Music converter. Then it will start downloading and converting Apple Music songs in bulk at a 17X speed. When the download process is complete, please click on the Converted icon at the top to find them. You can pre-listen Apple Music songs within the program. By the way, you can slow down or speed up Apple Music for playback according to your needs.
- Also, you can put and play these downloaded Apple Music songs with other music players like VLC players, QuickTime Player, etc. on your device. Then it's easy to change Apple Music speed as you want - without any Apple Music restrictions.
- Video Guide. How to Convert Apple Music Songs for Speed Change on Any Device
Just like Apple Music, major platforms like Spotify, Tidal, and Amazon Music do not offer native speed control features for their music libraries. If you are looking for a complete solution, AudFree Streaming Audio Recorder is the ultimate all-in-one tool. It breaks down these platform-level limitations, giving you total playback control and making it effortless to manage, archive, and speed-adjust your entire music library.
Part 3. How to Play Apple Music at Different Speeds on Any Device
Once you've converted your Apple Music songs into DRM-free audio files, you can play them in virtually any media player that supports playback speed control. This gives you much greater flexibility than the official Apple Music app.
Depending on your device, you can choose different playback speed tools:
| Platform | Recommended Speed Changer | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone/iPad | Speedic | Playback speed adjustment, A-B repeat, practice mode |
| Android | Music Speed Changer | Tempo & pitch control, equalizer, loop playback |
| Windows | VLC Media Player | Free playback speed adjustment with broad format support |
| Mac | GarageBand | Tempo editing and music practice |
| Web | AudioMass | Browser-based speed adjustment for local audio files |
The following tutorials show how to speed up or slow down Apple Music songs on iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and Web step by step.
How to Change Apple Music Playback Speed on iPhone via Speedic Music Speed Controller
If you're an iPhone or iPad user, Speedic is one of the easiest apps for adjusting the playback speed of downloaded Apple Music songs. Besides changing playback speed, it also supports A-B repeat, loop playback, and other useful features for language learning and music practice.
Go and check the how-to guide to install and use it to increase or decrease Apple Music play speed.
Step 1. Install the Speedic app from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
Step 2. Please transfer the converted Apple Music songs to Speedic.
Step 3. Go back to the Speedic app and tap on the top-right Music icon.
Step 4. Choose and move the downloaded Apple Music track to the selection screen. Then play it.
Step 5. Tap on the bottom-right 'x1.00' icon to select a speed mode for speeding up or slowing down an Apple Music song.
How to Adjust Apple Music Play Speed on Android via Music Speed Changer
Music Speed Changer is another free software capable of adjusting the playback speed (tempo), pitch, loop, and sound effects for Apple Music songs in real-time. Different from Speedic, Music Speed Changer is mainly available on Android devices. It also serves as an audio editor with a built-in music player, boasting equalizer and effects and featuring an A/B repeat feature, BPM detection, marker settings, etc. This tool is tested on multiple music services, supporting changing the playback speed of Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, Deezer, etc.
Step 1. Install the Music Speed Changer app from the Google Play Store on your Android devices.
Step 2. Make sure you have imported the Apple Music conversions to the library of Music Speed Changer.
Step 3. On Music Speed Changer, click on a song to start playing and pull up the bottom blue Playing bar to access the editor.
Step 4. Move the slider on the upper 'Tempo' bar to increase or decrease the speed of the song.
How to Change Apple Music Playback Speed on Mac via GarageBand
Step 1. Open GarageBand on your Mac computer.
Step 2. Tap the 'File' option in the top menu bar. Then locate and import the converted Apple Music tracks to it. Or, you can drag and drop music files to it.
Step 3. Once imported, drag and drop the audio track into the workspace on GarageBand, then double-click on it to show it under the 'Track' section. After that, you need to check the box 'Enable Flex' under the 'Track' and 'Region' options.
Step 4. Hit on the tempo number in the top control bar on the screen. Then you can adjust playback speed on Apple Music songs.
How to Increase or Decrease Local Apple Music Files on Windows via VLC Player
Step 1. Start VLC Media Player from your computer.
Step 2. Click on 'Media', then locate and add the converted Apple Music files to it.
Step 3. Click and play the Apple Music track on VLC Player. Then tap the Playback option at the top menu bar. Next, tap the Speed option in the list and start to increase or decrease playback speed for Apple Music songs/podcasts, etc.
How to Change Apple Music Playback Speed Online with AudioMass
If you don't want to install another desktop application, AudioMass is a convenient browser-based audio editor.
Simply upload your converted Apple Music file, adjust the playback speed using the 'Effects' menu, and preview the result directly in your browser. Since AudioMass works with local audio files only, you'll first need to remove Apple Music's DRM protection by converting your songs as described in Part 2.
Part 4. How to Change Playback Speed for Apple Audiobooks and Podcasts
Unlike Apple Music songs, Apple Podcasts and Apple Books audiobooks include built-in playback speed controls. If you're listening to this type of content, you don't need any third-party software.
Change Playback Speed for Audiobooks in Apple Books on Mac/iOS
Step 1. Open Apple Books app on your device.
Step 2. Select any audiobook you want to play. Tap on the bottom Now Playing bar to open the fullscreen mode.
Step 3. Find the '1x' icon on the screen.
Step 4. Once you tap on it, it will change the playback speed to 2X. If you tap on it again, the playback speed will slow down to 0.5X. The third tap will bring the speed back to 1X.
How to Adjust Playback Speed on Apple Music for Podcasts on iPhone/iPad/Mac
Step 1. Open the Podcasts app from your Mac or iOS device.
Step 2. Find and click on the podcast/episode that you want to play, then start play it.
Step 3. Click on the speed icon, then you can view and select several speed options from a pop-up list. You can pick up 0.5x, 0.75x, 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x and 2x.
Some app versions may also offer higher speeds, depending on your operating system
Part 5. FAQs about Changing Apple Music Play Speed
You can easily get Apple Music playback speed changed by following the steps above. Here in this part, we selected some frequently asked questions about speeding up or slowing down Apple Music songs, podcasts, albums, etc. You can get a quick look below.
How Do I Change Playback Speed on Apple Music on Mac?
Apple Music for macOS doesn't offer a built-in playback speed control for songs. Playback speed adjustment is only available in Apple's Books app (for audiobooks) and Podcasts app. If you want to speed up or slow down Apple Music songs, you'll need to first convert them into standard audio files using AudFree Apple Music Converter. You can then open the converted files in a media player that supports variable playback speed, such as VLC or other compatible audio players.
How Can I Listen Apple Music at 2× Speed on iPhone or Mac?
Apple Music songs don't support playback speed adjustment natively on either iPhone or Mac. If you'd like to listen to Apple Music tracks at 2× speed, you can convert them to standard audio formats with AudFree Apple Music Converter and then play them in a media player that supports adjustable playback speed.
Can I Use iOS Shortcuts to Change Apple Music Playback Speed on iPhone?
Not directly. Although Apple's Shortcuts app can automate many tasks on iPhone and iPad, it can't change the playback speed of DRM-protected Apple Music songs during normal playback.
If you want adjustable playback speed for Apple Music songs, you'll first need to convert them into standard audio files. You can then play them in any compatible media player that supports variable playback speed.
Why Are My Apple Music Songs Suddenly Playing Too Fast or Too Slow?
When meeting this issue, you can check if you connect your device to another device to stream Apple Music. If so, you need to check the speed settings on that device is normal. If it is OK, you can try to restart and update the Apple Music app and your device. Also, you need to disable Apple Music Crossfade feature if you have it on.
Conclusion
Although Apple has gradually expanded playback speed controls across some of its audio services, regular Apple Music songs still don't support universal speed adjustment inside the official app. This can be frustrating if you're learning an instrument, transcribing music, studying lyrics, or simply prefer listening faster or slower.
If you only need adjust playback speed for supported content such as podcasts or audiobooks, Apple's built-in controls may be sufficient. However, if you want complete freedom to adjust the speed of Apple Music tracks on any device, converting them into DRM-free local files offers a much more flexible solution.
With AudFree Apple Music Converter, you can download your Apple Music library as MP3, FLAC, WAV, M4A, or other common audio formats while preserving the original audio quality and ID3 metadata. Once converted, your songs can be played in virtually any media player that supports playback speed controls, giving you complete control over how you listen - whether at 0.5× for detailed practice or 2× for faster learning.
Staff Editor
