Apple Music: How to Enable Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio

[one more]

I'm also listening with airpod max.. using a brand new m1 ipad (not that it matters..) and with spatial audio enabled and dolby atmos set to 'on'.. all my music that supports dolby atmos sounds terrible now.. very low volumes, very muddy, very over processed.. terrible.. then I set dolby atmos to off.. turned spatial audio off.. and viola.. everything sounds awesome again!! lol

For your AP Max, do you have the latest firmware? Perhaps Apple needed to tweak something there for Spatial Audio?

Apple Releases New '3E756' AirPods Max Firmware

Apple today released new 3E756 firmware designed for the AirPods Max, marking the third firmware update Apple has introduced for its high-end...

www.macrumors.com

 

[ErikGrim]

There are some albums it sounds fantastic on, but I've noticed some songs where it sounds odd, like there are elements that are buried and/or missing. Take the song False God by Taylor Swift...normally, there's a little sax intro, but in Dolby Atmos, it's totally silent. There are a few other songs I've noticed that have elements that are totally silent now.

Something weird is going on. I had to turn off lossless to get Dolby Atmos on. With lossless on the DA icon was on for a few seconds before it switched to lossless and the sax solo was there. If I turned OFF lossless and played the song again, the DA icon stayed put and the sax solo was gone.

EDIT: The bug is that "Automatic" isn't working properly. I have to turn it to Always On to make the icon show up.

Funnily the Jackson 5 I Want You Back is just the acapella. Not sure if that was intentional.

 

[one more]

AirPods Max crew - do you have the latest firmware? Perhaps it changes something:

Apple Releases New '3E756' AirPods Max Firmware

Apple today released new 3E756 firmware designed for the AirPods Max, marking the third firmware update Apple has introduced for its high-end...

www.macrumors.com

 

[teobilly]

There are some difference between AirPods and AirPods Pro ? because with AirPods Pro you can toggle spatial audio icon in the control center where you increase the volume. Can't understand if there is difference ....

 

[ErikGrim]

There are some difference between AirPods and AirPods Pro ? because with AirPods Pro you can toggle spatial audio icon in the control center where you increase the volume. Can't understand if there is difference ....

If I just turn it off there and play the same False God track the sax is still missing. Which makes me think it's missing from the DA mix altogether. If I turn on lossless and play the same track without spatial audio it returns.

 

[TH3D4RKKN1GH7]

I need everything in Lossless Atmos now. It’s a night and day difference even on these headphones. Wow.

AFTER HOURS is a completely different experience.

 

[KeithJenner]

I envy you Apple Music subs. I’m never going to rent my music. I have about 15K songs that I own, purchased. I would repurchase most of these if Apple had Atmos enabled versions For sale. I am so very picky about what I like musically, that listening to “song lists” made for me by anyone other than me is too irritating to deal with. Oh well, I have a few SACDs to enjoy.

I think that you may be misunderstanding Apple Music.

I am in a very similar position to you, but we have a family Apple Music subscription as the rest of my family like the service. I use it to replace iTunes Match (so my library is replicated across devices) and to download some albums which I want to try or listen to but don’t want to spend the money on just yet (or ever).

As an extra benefit, I now have the option of Dolby Atmos on the tracks that I have purchased from iTunes as well as some matched ones (or could stream those versions of unmatched songs).

In all this time I have never listened to any Apple Music stations or playlists. I bring stuff into my library and treat them as if I own them.

For what I get it is not clear whether it would be worth it subscribing just for me, but don’t dismiss the service as just some sort of radio station. I am completely in control of what I listen to.

 

[Ikertxo40]

It doesn't make sense because you're not understanding how it works. This isn't just a toggle switch that makes existing audio tracks magically sound different.

I am not sure of that, if this was the case then all apple music would be dolby atmos ready. It is only certain songs or albums, and thewn you need apple music to access them

 

[Ikertxo40]

Is there any way to make a smart playlist of Atmos-enabled songs? I only have one album that is Atmos-enabled, but there are individual songs... To find them all, it would be very easy to make a smart playlist, if possible.

Apple created atmos playlist, called spatial audio pop, jazz etc

 

[KeithJenner]

I am not sure of that, if this was the case then all apple music would be dolby atmos ready. It is only certain songs or albums, and thewn you need apple music to access them

The post you quoted was replying to someone who suggested that this should be available to non Apple Music subscribers. They mentioned a “music on device” option which suggests that they think that what this is doing is playing the original song in a different way.

Obviously with this requiring new files to play, which are only available via Apple Music, it can only be offered to Apple Music subscribers.

There is a question as to whether these files should be available as iTunes purchases, or as upgrades to previous purchases. This is obviously something that could be offered, but Apple is choosing not to as they want to attract Apple Music subscribers.

 

[teobilly]

If I just turn it off there and play the same False God track the sax is still missing. Which makes me think it's missing from the DA mix altogether. If I turn on lossless and play the same track without spatial audio it returns.

Hi, I don't understand you message. You mean that is better with AirPods Pro ?

 

[laszlo182]

it’s on by default

 

[laszlo182]

Does this work on the original HomePod?

it does but only trough apple tv

 

[black_knight]

So Dolby Sound activation is linked to an active Apple music account. Doesn’t make much sense imho. This should be a “music on device” option. Thanks, anyway.

Oh Apple knows why. To get more people to sign up for Apple Music!!

 

[mariusignorello]

Yea, I think grandes tracks may be the best out of the bunch I still think the vocals sound over processed and the percussion sounds flat. But they have definitely created space in the track and separated the different objects nicely

I think it will only get better. The engineers are just getting used to mixing in Atmos, relatively speaking compared to traditional stereo, so as they become more experienced the end result should improve.

 

[Nuvi]

I listened to the Marvin Gaye demo and it sounded cool but then I listened to a few other tracks and they were either almost identical or sounded pretty bad. Blink 182’s ‘What’s My Age Again’ sounded awful. The vocals were muddy and the guitars lacked the crunch. I switched Dolby Atmos off and it instantly sounded better and less like a demo.

There are some good Dolby Atmos mixes but some of them are really really bad. I mean, bad to the point of being horrible to listen when compared to new lossless stereo. Many Dolby Atmos mixes lack the clarity which is evident in normal stereo mixes. IMHO in many cases Dolby Atmos mixes are not “putting you in the middle of the music”. It’s more like doing the polar opposite. However, there are some awesome Dolby Atmos mixes but it seems that many or more like most of them are not. Mixing and mastering for Dolby Atmos takes effort and costs money when done right. IMHO some of the “Dolby Atmos” mixes found now are so bad that they must be just filtered from flat masters. Therefore, I’ve turned “Spatial” off in music (movie audio mixes are in a completely different league) and intend to listen stereo lossless music.

 

[BvizioN]

So Dolby Sound activation is linked to an active Apple music account. Doesn’t make much sense imho. This should be a “music on device” option. Thanks, anyway.

It clearly says the feature has been rolled out to Apple Music subscribers, which you do not seem to have. Does it make better sense now?

 

[Imperial926]

I have a Mac mini M1 outputting through USB C to a Focusrite Scarlett 212 (3rdGen) I can achieve any level of lossless but not Dolby Atmos - the player window in Apple Music only ever displays lossless. I'm still not clear whether the M1 Mac Mini should be able to do this. Can anyone help?

 

[Kier-XF]

I'm still not clear whether the M1 Mac Mini should be able to do this. Can anyone help?

It is capable, but Atmos on Mac is a horrible mess right now.

Playing through Apple's own Atmos playlists on Mac it's entirely hit and miss as to whether or not each track will actually play in Atmos or not, whereas it's solid and predictable on iOS, iPadOS and TVOS.

Hopefully enough people will complain about this for Apple to take note and fix it.

 

[symphony1010]

It is capable, but Atmos on Mac is a horrible mess right now.

Playing through Apple's own Atmos playlists on Mac it's entirely hit and miss as to whether or not each track will actually play in Atmos or not, whereas it's solid and predictable on iOS, iPadOS and TVOS.

Hopefully enough people will complain about this for Apple to take note and fix it.

Thanks. Some tracks play in Atmos if I go through the headphone socket with wired headphones. I then have to up the volume considerably through a headphone amp. Apple have a suggestion for this. The same track will not play in Atmos through a DAC via the USB-C/Thunderbolt output. As you say, things may get sorted with a few updates.
Ironically, so much attention is being paid to mobile devices when, surely, it should be static ones like Macs where you can engage in focussed listening at home.

 

[di1in]

I’m not getting this option in my setting>music app even though I’m subscribed to apple music. Tried restarting the phone and am on the latest iOS and music version. Located in India. Same issue on my Mac too.

 

[Raghu88]

I’m in iOS 14.7, Apple Music subscriber since 2014…

but I’m unable to see the setting under settings >> Music yet..
Have they released it only in the Nirth America at the moment ?

 

[Raghu88]

I’m not getting this option in my setting>music app even though I’m subscribed to apple music. Tried restarting the phone and am on the latest iOS and music version. Located in India. Same issue on my Mac too.

I got the same problem. Not sure if india received it yet

 

[KeithJenner]

I’m in iOS 14.7, Apple Music subscriber since 2014…

but I’m unable to see the setting under settings >> Music yet..
Have they released it only in the Nirth America at the moment ?

It’s working in the UK

 

[PeytonT123]

Something weird is going on. I had to turn off lossless to get Dolby Atmos on. With lossless on the DA icon was on for a few seconds before it switched to lossless and the sax solo was there. If I turned OFF lossless and played the song again, the DA icon stayed put and the sax solo was gone.

EDIT: The bug is that "Automatic" isn't working properly. I have to turn it to Always On to make the icon show up.

Funnily the Jackson 5 I Want You Back is just the acapella. Not sure if that was intentional.

Something weird is going on. I had to turn off lossless to get Dolby Atmos on. With lossless on the DA icon was on for a few seconds before it switched to lossless and the sax solo was there. If I turned OFF lossless and played the song again, the DA icon stayed put and the sax solo was gone.

EDIT: The bug is that "Automatic" isn't working properly. I have to turn it to Always On to make the icon show up.

Funnily the Jackson 5 I Want You Back is just the acapella. Not sure if that was intentional.

Hmmm interesting. I guess some of these songs just weren’t mixed properly for Dolby Atmos, it seems like there are some tweaks that they still need to work on. Some songs sound fantastic, others sound poorly mixed.