Apple Music to bring Spatial and Lossless Audio

Apple has announced to bring Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio to Apple Music.

With that said, Apple Music subscribers will also be able to listen to over 75 million songs in Lossless Audio. These new features will be available for Apple Music subscribers starting next month at no additional cost.

As per Apple, they use ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) to preserve every single bit of the original audio file. This indicates that Apple Music subscribers will hear exactly what the artists created in the studio.

“Apple Music is making its biggest advancement ever in sound quality,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “Listening to a song in Dolby Atmos is like magic. The music comes from all around you and sounds incredible. Now we are bringing this truly innovative and immersive experience to our listeners with music from their favorite artists like J Balvin, Gustavo Dudamel, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, Kacey Musgraves, The Weeknd, and so many more. Subscribers will also be able to listen to their music in the highest audio quality with Lossless Audio. Apple Music as we know it is about to change forever.”

To access 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 through this. Apple Music’s Lossless tier starts at CD quality, 16 bit at 44.1 kHz (kilohertz), and can go up to 24 bit at 48 kHz. Lastly, Apple Music also offers Hi-Resolution Lossless that goes up to 24 bit at 192 kHz.

On the other hand, Apple is bringing Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos to Apple Music. By default, Apple Music will automatically play Dolby Atmos tracks on all AirPods and Beats headphones with an H1 or W1 chip, as well as the built-in speakers in the latest versions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Apple Music will also add new Dolby Atmos tracks regularly and curate a special set of Dolby Atmos playlists. Besides, albums that are available in Dolby Atmos will have a badge on the detail page for discovery.

The company also revealed that Apple Music works with artists and labels to add new releases and the best catalog tracks as more artists begin to create music specifically for the Spatial Audio experience.

Furthermore, Apple Music and Dolby make it easier for musicians, producers, and mix engineers to create songs in Dolby Atmos. Initiatives cover doubling the number of Dolby-enabled studios in major markets, offering educational programs, as well as providing resources to independent artists.

These new features are coming to Apple Music subscribers beginning June 2021.

Source: Apple Music