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Apple Music Launching Spatial Audio With Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio in June at No Extra Cost
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If the Apple One sub wasn’t value enough they go and pull this out.
Well done Apple.
Well done Apple.
Really? Not a single person? I don't know a single person who doesn't.
FLAC was supported by HomePod at launch so it would be astonishing if it wasn't supported directly in Apple Music.
What history are you thinking of specifically? New apple music features? Or iOS features in general?
Well I guess this brings some clarity...
Apple says that Dolby Atmos will automatically be enabled for songs that support it with all AirPods and BeatsX, Beats Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3, Powerbeats3 Wireless, Beats Flex, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Solo Pro headphones. Users using other branded headphones will need to enable it manually.
I assume that HomePod mini isn't included in this, but I guess the language could use HomePod as a product category rather than the specific product...although it would make sense to me that minis aren't included due to the same technical limitations that prevented atmos for video from being implemented in minis.
Apple says that Dolby Atmos will automatically be enabled for songs that support it with all AirPods and BeatsX, Beats Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3, Powerbeats3 Wireless, Beats Flex, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Solo Pro headphones. Users using other branded headphones will need to enable it manually.
I assume that HomePod mini isn't included in this, but I guess the language could use HomePod as a product category rather than the specific product...although it would make sense to me that minis aren't included due to the same technical limitations that prevented atmos for video from being implemented in minis.
Some info from the Apple website.
You can listen to lossless audio using the latest Apple Music app on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV.
Available in iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, macOS 11.4, or tvOS 14.6 or later.
Works with AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, BeatsX, Beats Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3, Powerbeats3 Wireless, Beats Flex, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Solo Pro.
Features that are subscription-based. I don't remember iOS beta users having access to Apple TV+ or Apple News or Apple Music, Apple One or etc. prior to the official release dates of each of the services.
Interested however in whether there will be a quality toggle in the HomePods settings, too. In principle, with its own connection and no data cap, there would be no reason in not selecting the highest possible quality for direct Apple Music listening via HomePod. Regarding broadcasting from iPhone to HomePod I suppose quality will depend on what you select as the chosen quality when in WiFi connection?
(I'm referring to the different tiers of lossless audio, not atmos)
"You can choose between Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless for mobile data or Wi‑Fi connections. Note that Hi-Res Lossless requires external equipment such as a USB digital to analog converter."
Oh, well...
Oh, well...
HomePod can already play Lossless. It’s just a matter of Apple updating the tracks on their servers.
Bluetooth does 2 megabit. That is plenty of bandwidth for lossless.
Uhmm... I’m gonna be honest. On one hand, I’ve always loved Spotify, it’s been with me since I was very young. I still remember the girl who invited me to the service. Also, competition is good, and I wouldn’t like to see another monopoly or duopoly like the iOS/Android one. Competition benefits consumers.I honestly can’t believe that they’re doing this at the base price, without a higher tier. Add that to the fact that they’re getting it out by June, beating Spotify to the punch. I’m beyond impressed! My thoughts of leaving for Spotify are melting faster than an ice cream cone on a hot summer day in the Mojave. With this in tow, I doubt I’d want to stop using AM even if I went to an Android phone.
Sad to see Luke Miani’s date end up being wrong though.
But on the other hand, leaving the nostalgia out of the equation, I have to admit that, being an Apple user, nowadays I’d prefer Apple Music over Spotify. Aesthetically for me is much nicer than Spotify, it’s better integrated, it has lyrics... my heart is split between the two services but on the long run, I think if I had to pay for one of those services, I would stick to Apple Music.
However, Spotify still offers a free tier supported by ads, and with that and iTunes Match syncing all my music to the cloud, I have enough (for now). At some point I guess I will migrate my Spotify playlists to Apple Music, even if I lose the matching function of iTunes Match.
I wonder if this new Dolby Atmos feature is only available for Apple Music subscribers or it applies to iTunes Match or iTunes purchased music as well...
Yeah that’s what I want to know. But I suspect we’ll need AirPlay 3 to stream hi-res. As you know AirPlay 2 caps out at 16/44.1 (upsampled to 48). So CD / redbook only.
There seems to be a lot of misconceptions and questions going around.
For now, Atmos is specifically mentioned for HomePod as well. They don't specifically mention the HomePod for lossless.
Additionally, even with wireless headphones you can enjoy "lossless", i.e. an improvement in quality. Only what they call "Hi-Res Lossless" requires a DAC (like the dongle) and wired headphones to enjoy, which for the average audiophile is not some shocking news, and they were probably already exclusively using wired headphones anyways.
Atmos will automatically be selected when you use compatible Apple or Beats headphones, but as you can read in the "How can I listen to Dolby Atmos music?" quote, you can also enable this for other headphones if you happen to have a headphone that supports it.
Which Apple or Beats headphones are considered compatible?
These:
These are the devices (plus HomePod) that are listed as compatible with Dolby Atmos:
And both Atmos and Lossless will become available with:
Hope this answers some recurring questions.
That said…
Can we stop badgering people that don't use Apple Music and instead are using their own library in iTunes?
I'm a happy AM user and don't use the iTunes library, but how ridiculous is it that people have to justify why they'd rather use their own catalogue of music or that they are being attacked for expressing their disappointment that the press release doesn't mention anything about an option to upgrade their music quality?
Let's keep it civil and respect everyone's choices.
For now, Atmos is specifically mentioned for HomePod as well. They don't specifically mention the HomePod for lossless.
Additionally, even with wireless headphones you can enjoy "lossless", i.e. an improvement in quality. Only what they call "Hi-Res Lossless" requires a DAC (like the dongle) and wired headphones to enjoy, which for the average audiophile is not some shocking news, and they were probably already exclusively using wired headphones anyways.
Atmos will automatically be selected when you use compatible Apple or Beats headphones, but as you can read in the "How can I listen to Dolby Atmos music?" quote, you can also enable this for other headphones if you happen to have a headphone that supports it.
Which Apple or Beats headphones are considered compatible?
These:
These are the devices (plus HomePod) that are listed as compatible with Dolby Atmos:
And both Atmos and Lossless will become available with:
Hope this answers some recurring questions.
That said…
Can we stop badgering people that don't use Apple Music and instead are using their own library in iTunes?
I'm a happy AM user and don't use the iTunes library, but how ridiculous is it that people have to justify why they'd rather use their own catalogue of music or that they are being attacked for expressing their disappointment that the press release doesn't mention anything about an option to upgrade their music quality?
Let's keep it civil and respect everyone's choices.
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And just like that, Amazon Music HD is dropping its price. Thanks Apple 👍
