Apple has introduced Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos on Apple Music. The company was rumoured to unveil a new Hi-Fi tier on its Music service. Apple claims that the new Spatial Audio feature gives artists the opportunity to create immersive audio experiences with “true multidimensional sound and clarity.” Customers who have subscribed to Apple’s Music services can listen to more than 75 million songs in Lossless Audio. Interestingly, Apple is not charging anything extra for the lossless audio quality. Subscribers can take advantage of the new feature at no additional cost. Let’s take a look at more details on the Apple Music Spatial Audio feature.
Apple Music gets new Spatial Audio feature with support for Dolby Atmos
Apple has announced a new Spatial Audio feature for its music service. The new feature will roll out in June to subscribers at no additional cost.
Customers who have subscribed to the music streaming service can listen to more than 75 million songs in Lossless Audio. By default, Apple Music will automatically play Dolby Atmos tracks on all AirPods and Beats headphones with an H1 or W1 chip. The same is possible on the built-in speakers in the latest versions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio will be available on iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, macOS 11.4, and tvOS 14.6 or later.
Apple said that it will make its catalogue of more than 75 million songs available in Lossless Audio. It uses ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) to preserve every single bit of the original audio file. This means subscribers can hear the exact same thing that the artists created in the studio. Albums supporting Dolby Atmos will have a badge on their details page for easy discovery.
To start listening to Lossless Audio, subscribers using the latest version of Apple Music can turn it on in Settings > Music > Audio Quality. They can choose different resolutions for different connections such as cellular, Wi-Fi, or for download.
Apple Music’s Lossless tier starts at CD quality, which is 16 bit at 44.1 kHz (kilohertz), and goes up to 24 bit at 48 kHz and is playable natively on Apple devices. For the true audiophile, it also offers Hi-Resolution Lossless all the way up to 24 bit at 192 kHz.
Apple is not charging anything extra for the lossless audio feature. Customers in India can subscribe to Apple Music, which starts at Rs 99 for the individual account.
