What Files to Download on Streamrip: Formats, Quality Tiers, and What Actually Matters

Streamrip is a command-line tool designed to download music from high-quality streaming services — including Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, and SoundCloud. Unlike general-purpose downloaders, it's built specifically around lossless and high-resolution audio, which means the files it can retrieve range from standard compressed audio all the way up to studio-master quality. Understanding what you're actually downloading — and why those distinctions exist — makes the difference between getting files that suit your setup and filling a hard drive with audio your system can't take advantage of.

The File Formats Streamrip Can Download

Streamrip retrieves files in the format the source platform provides. These generally fall into a few categories:

Lossy formats:

MP3 — The most universally compatible format. Available from SoundCloud and as a fallback on some services. Compressed, smaller file sizes, some audio data permanently removed.
AAC — Similar compression principle to MP3, slightly more efficient at equivalent bitrates. Less common in Streamrip's primary use cases.

Lossless formats:

FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) — The most common lossless format available through Streamrip. Audio data is compressed but nothing is discarded. Bit-for-bit identical to the source when decoded.
ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) — Functionally equivalent to FLAC in quality, but wrapped in a container format preferred by Apple software. Less commonly encountered through Streamrip.

Hi-Res and MQA:

Hi-Res FLAC — Higher sample rates (typically 96kHz or 192kHz) and/or higher bit depths (24-bit) compared to standard CD-quality FLAC (16-bit/44.1kHz). Available from Qobuz and Tidal depending on subscription tier.
MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) — A Tidal-specific encoded format. MQA files are technically FLAC containers but require either hardware or software MQA decoding to "unfold" fully. Note: MQA has been controversial among audiophiles and its future support has been uncertain — worth researching before prioritizing it.

Quality Tiers and What They Actually Represent

Streamrip assigns quality levels numerically in its configuration, roughly mapping to this spectrum:

Quality Level	Format	Bit Depth / Sample Rate	Approximate Use Case
0	MP3	128 kbps	Small file sizes, casual listening
1	MP3	320 kbps	Lossy but higher fidelity
2	FLAC	16-bit / 44.1kHz	CD-quality lossless
3	FLAC (MQA)	24-bit / 44.1–96kHz	Tidal Masters (MQA)
4	FLAC	24-bit / 96kHz+	Hi-Res lossless (Qobuz, Tidal)

Higher numbers aren't automatically "better" for every listener or setup — they produce larger files and place greater demands on playback hardware and software.

The Variables That Determine What Makes Sense for You 🎧

Several factors shape which file type actually benefits a given setup:

1. Your subscription tier Streamrip can only retrieve what your account has access to. Hi-Res FLAC from Qobuz requires a Qobuz Studio subscription. Tidal's highest-tier files require a Tidal HiFi Plus plan. Requesting quality 4 on a lower-tier account typically results in Streamrip downloading the highest tier your subscription allows — not necessarily what you specified.

2. Your playback hardware A 24-bit/192kHz FLAC file played through a laptop's built-in speakers or standard earbuds will sound indistinguishable from a 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC file to most ears. The full benefit of hi-res audio typically requires a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) capable of handling the higher sample rate, and headphones or speakers that can resolve the additional detail.

3. Your storage situation A single hi-res 24-bit album can occupy 1–2 GB. CD-quality FLAC typically runs 200–400 MB per album. 320 kbps MP3 sits around 100–150 MB. If you're building a large local library, format choice has real storage implications.

4. Your intended use case Archiving music for long-term local storage? Lossless formats make the most sense — no quality is discarded, and you can always transcode down later. Syncing to a device with limited space? A smaller, high-quality lossy file might be more practical. Using the files for audio production or mastering reference? Hi-Res lossless is typically the target.

5. Codec support on your player Not all music players handle FLAC natively — though most dedicated audio applications (Foobar2000, Roon, Audirvana, VLC, etc.) do. Some portable devices have spotty FLAC support or impose sample rate limits.

What the Configuration File Controls

Streamrip uses a config.toml file where you set your preferred quality level per source. This means you can, for example, request quality 4 from Qobuz while defaulting to quality 2 from Deezer — matching each source to what it actually offers and what your subscription covers.

The quality setting in config.toml is a ceiling, not a guarantee. If the requested quality isn't available for a specific track or album, Streamrip will fall back to the next available tier. Understanding this prevents confusion when a download arrives in a lower format than expected. 🎵

Format Compatibility Across Operating Systems

FLAC is well-supported across Linux, macOS, and Windows through third-party players. Native OS support varies — Windows added FLAC support relatively recently, and macOS defaults to its own ALAC. If you're on a platform with limited native codec support, this is worth checking before committing to a format across a large library.