Apple Music adds Spatial and Lossless Audio with no price increase [OFFICIAL]
Apple today announced major upgrades to thw quality of sound delivered by Apple Music with no increase in price.
As rumored, starting in June, Apple Music will add thousands of tracks in Spatial Audio including support for Dolby Atmos. Spatial Audio enables artists to create immersive audio experiences with multidimensional sound and clarity.
Apple Music subscribers will also be able to stream more than 75 million songs in CD quality Lossless Audio.
Both new features come with no extra cost to subscribers.
“Apple Music as we know it is about to change forever.”
“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.”
Apple, Dolby to encourage more Dolby Atmos recordings
Apple Music and Dolby also say they are working to make it easier for musicians, producers, and mix engineers to create songs in Dolby Atmos. Initiatives include doubling the number of Dolby-enabled studios in major markets, offering educational programs, and providing resources to independent artists.
Apple Music will automatically play Dolby Atmos tracks on AirPods and Beats headphones equipped with an H1 or W1 chip, as well as the built-in speakers in the latest versions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Tracks available in Dolby Atmos will also have a badge on the detail page.
Lossless Audio [ALAC]
Apple Music will also make its catalog of 75 million songs available in Lossless Audio at no extra cost using ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) to preserve the original audio file.
To start listening to Lossless Audio, turn it on in Settings > Music > Audio Quality. Here, 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. Apple Music also offers Hi-Resolution Lossless all the way up to 24 bit at 192 kHz.
