Apple Music Lossless and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos tracks available now

By
published

Lossless and Dolby Atmos-powered immersive tracks have arrived on Apple's music streaming service

Apple Music Spatial Audio and Lossless
(Image credit: Apple)

Spatial audio is coming to Apple Music today, Apple has confirmed at its WWDC (Apple Worldwide Developers Conference) event. 

Last month, Apple announced that Dolby Atmos-powered spatial audio tracks would soon be coming to its music streaming service alongside CD-quality and hi-res lossless audio for no additional cost and, after a staggered rollout over the course of the day, both features are now live (at least they are for us).

Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos is designed to deliver surround sound and 3D audio via your headphones – to put "multidimensional sound and clarity" between your ears. This experience works with Apple's AirPods, as well as any headphones. That's right, Apple Music's spatial audio tracks will play on all headphones (and here's how to enable it).

Unlike the spatial audio feature that initially launched as part of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, the new Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos for Apple Music doesn't require the sensors in Apple's own headphones to enable head-tracking (which helps position the sound accurately). The implementation for Apple Music of spatial audio is sound-only, and this opens it up to more devices.

For example, while the Apple TV can't output spatial audio to a pair of headphones (although Apple has announced that it will be getting that ability later this year), it will support Dolby Atmos tracks from Apple Music when connected to an Atmos-capable sound system.

MORE:

With Apple and Amazon offering lossless streaming for no extra charge, what now for their rivals?

Apple Music lossless: which devices will play lossless and Spatial Audio

Apple spatial audio: what is it? How do you get it?

Becky Roberts
Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.