A music collection that fits comfortably on a Mac may be too large for an iPhone or iPad. High-resolution FLAC, WAV, AIFF and DSD albums can consume far more storage than everyday listening needs, while a phone may only need a smaller lossless or lossy selection. PhaseShift 1.3 lets every paired sub device choose which audio quality it keeps when syncing from your primary library.

The new Song Quality control offers five choices: All Qualities, Lossy, Lossless, Hi-Res Lossless and DSD. PhaseShift compares the sub device with the primary, downloads original files in the selected tier and removes local songs that are outside that selection or no longer on the primary. It does not transcode, recompress or create alternate versions of your music.

Sync a Personal Music Library Without a Cloud Account

PhaseShift Library Sync is designed for devices you own. One device holds the primary collection, and a paired iPhone, iPad or Mac joins it as a sub device. Pairing uses a QR code or pairing code, and transfers run over your local network. You do not need a PhaseShift account, a streaming subscription or cloud storage for the library.

The primary remains the source of truth for song files. A Force Sync downloads matching songs that the sub device is missing and removes files that no longer belong in that mirrored selection. Playlists, ratings, play history and supported tag changes also move between paired devices, and version 1.3 now includes album artwork in Force Sync.

Because the quality preference belongs to the sub device, different devices can serve different purposes. A Mac with ample storage can keep All Qualities, an iPad can keep standard Lossless albums, and an iPhone can keep Lossy files for a smaller travel library. The original collection on the primary does not need to change.

Choose Lossy, Lossless, Hi-Res Lossless, or DSD

Lossy includes compressed formats such as MP3 and AAC. This tier is useful when storage capacity matters most and your primary library already contains those versions.

Lossless includes lossless PCM files up to 48 kHz and 16-bit. It covers CD-quality music and other standard-resolution lossless files while leaving larger high-resolution files on the primary.

Hi-Res Lossless includes lossless PCM above 48 kHz or 16-bit. This is the tier for higher-resolution FLAC, ALAC, WAV and AIFF files when the sub device has enough space and is connected to playback hardware that can benefit from them.

DSD includes DSF and DFF files. Keeping DSD as a separate choice makes it possible to reserve those especially large files for a dedicated listening device while using PCM or lossy music elsewhere.

All Qualities mirrors every original song reported by the primary. It is the closest option to a complete copy of the primary music collection.

PhaseShift Syncs Original Files Instead of Transcoding

The quality setting is a filter, not a conversion preset. If the primary has a FLAC file classified as Hi-Res Lossless, choosing standard Lossless does not create a smaller ALAC or FLAC copy. The file is simply excluded from that sync. Choosing Hi-Res Lossless downloads the original file as stored on the primary.

This behavior keeps the boundary clear: PhaseShift never silently changes the encoding, sample rate or bit depth of your music during sync. It also means a quality tier can only sync files that already exist in that form. If you want both a compact AAC library and a hi-res archive, both versions need to be present in the primary collection as distinct files.

Changing the preference changes what the sub device mirrors. Before Force Sync begins, PhaseShift explains that songs outside the new tier will be removed from that sub device. Nothing is deleted from or uploaded back to the primary as part of the song-file mirror.

How PhaseShift Identifies Audio Quality

PhaseShift classifies each original from its codec, sample rate and bit depth. Known compressed codecs belong to Lossy; lossless PCM at up to 48 kHz and 16-bit belongs to Lossless; higher sample rates or bit depths belong to Hi-Res Lossless; and DSF or DFF files belong to DSD.

Version 1.3 also handles the M4A container more accurately. An M4A file may contain lossy AAC or lossless Apple Lossless audio, so the filename extension alone is not enough. PhaseShift inspects the codec and labels the file as M4A (Lossy) or M4A (Lossless) instead of treating every M4A file the same.

The Songs view can now sort or filter the entire library by audio quality. That makes it easier to estimate what belongs in a tier, find the hi-res part of a collection or confirm whether an M4A album is AAC or Apple Lossless before choosing a sync preference.

More Reliable Local-Network Sync

Home network addresses can change when a router assigns a new local IP address. PhaseShift 1.3 can rediscover a paired primary device by its stable local-network identity, replace the stale address and continue using the existing secure pairing. Certificate pinning still authenticates the primary during that connection.

Force Sync now compares album artwork as well as song files. Missing or changed covers can be transferred without re-encoding them, while the progress view reports the current stage and file. The primary transfer screen stays open during the sync so the local server remains available.

Rescan Referenced Music and Follow Library Progress

PhaseShift can use a Mac music folder in place instead of copying a large collection into the app. Version 1.3 adds a full rescan for those referenced folders, making it easier to pick up changes made outside PhaseShift. Referenced tracks also open more reliably when you navigate to them from elsewhere in the app.

Large-library tasks now communicate more clearly. Music imports and startup scans show better progress, and an on-demand metadata recheck reports live status in Settings. The release also improves batch metadata updates, album grouping, external artwork repair, track and disc recovery, album sorting and Mac audio output selection.

Add the Current Song to a Playlist from Now Playing

Library management is also faster during playback. The Now Playing screen can add the current track directly to an existing or new regular playlist, so a song can be organized without leaving the player and finding it again in the library.

PhaseShift 1.3 is built for a personal music collection that spans devices with different storage limits and listening roles. Quality-aware sync keeps each sub device intentional, original-file transfer preserves the music you chose, and local pairing keeps the library under your control.