What Dolby Atmos means to music
Dolby Atmos is an innovative audio technology that artists use to make new music and remaster old classics for an immersive sound experience that hits deep. It creates music that can be heard and felt all around you, so you’ll feel like you’re inside the song. This goes a step beyond surround sound, allowing artists to place sounds anywhere, so you can be inside a multidimensional soundscape designed by pioneers in audio technology. Whether you want to listen to today’s pop hits or dive back into decades long gone, there’s something for everyone.
For artists, Dolby Atmos means new possibilities to produce music the way the creators intended for it to be heard, with unprecedented fidelity. And for music lovers, it offers sound with more detail, clarity, and depth, taking your listening experience to the next level. Music is the soundtrack to life’s biggest moments – one which inspires all kinds of emotions. Dolby Atmos draws you deeper into your feelings and memories brought by your favourite tracks, unlocking new levels of connection with your music and artists. To hear music with layers of sound placed all around, head to Apple Music, choose your album or track, sit back, and enjoy.
With millions of compatible devices on the market, artists can deliver their music in the best possible quality, whether to a pair of headphones or your very own home theatre setup.
The good news is not only can new music be created in Dolby Atmos, but old classics can also be remixed to take advantage of this new format. Technological innovations make it possible for legendary artists to deliver their best, truest version of their classic albums without limitations.
How do I know if a song is available in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music?
While you’re listening to the song, look for the Dolby Atmos badge in Now Playing. If you’re listening to an album that has been mixed in Dolby Atmos, the badge will appear on the album’s detail page. If a device doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, or if a customer has chosen to not enable Dolby Atmos, Apple Music delivers the stereo version of the track, as it does today.
The best way to find music available in Dolby Atmos is via Apple Music's editorial playlists. Playlists won’t be badged, but the cover art will display the Dolby Atmos logo.
What devices can I use to listen to Dolby Atmos on Apple Music?
Apple Music subscribers can experience tracks in Dolby Atmos on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac using the latest version of iOS, iPadOS, or MacOS with any Air Pods Pro or Air Pods Max headphones, some Beats headphones, or using built-in speakers. You can also use an Android mobile device that supports Dolby Atmos to enjoy the immersive music on Apple Music using any headphones.
Apple Music also has a cool feature it calls ‘spatial audio with dynamic head tracking’ available for Dolby Atmos Music on a selection of its devices, as well as AirPods and Beats. When you turn on spatial audio with head tracking, audio adjusts based on your head movement. It brings cinema-like sound from the film or video you’re watching, so that sound feels like it’s coming from all around you. Check out more information here.
You can also listen in your home with Apple TV 4K using the latest version of tvOS connected to a Dolby Atmos capable home theatre speaker system, sound bar, television, or HomePod speakers.
For more details about device compatibility, and how to ensure you have configured your device for Dolby Atmos playback please visit Apple Support.