Apple Music Spatial Audio to Get Dynamic Head Tracking in the Fall

[MacRumors]

Apple is currently rolling out spatial audio and lossless audio for Apple Music, offering subscribers a more immersive and higher-quality audio experience. Later this year, however, Apple will also bring dynamic head tracking to songs in the Apple Music catalog.

From the FAQ section of a newly updated Apple support document:

Is spatial audio with dynamic head tracking available for music?

We are excited to announce that spatial audio with dynamic head tracking is coming to Apple Music in the fall. Dynamic head tracking creates an even more immersive experience for spatial audio. It brings music to life by delivering sound that dynamically adjusts as you turn your head. And you can experience spatial audio with dynamic head tracking on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max with a compatible iPhone or iPad.

When you consider Apple's current implementation of dynamic head tracking, it's not entirely clear how it will apply to music. In its existing form, dynamic head tracking can be experienced when watching video on iPhone and iPad with headphones that support spatial audio, but it's the video element that's key.

Spatial audio uses the gyroscope and accelerometer in the ‌headphones‌ and the iOS device to track the motion of your head and your ‌device's position, comparing the motion data, and then remapping the sound field so that it stays anchored to your device even as your head moves.

Apple Music videos with spatial audio enabled already support dynamic head tracking in this way, but given that there's no visual element involved when listening to audio tracks, Apple presumably has a different implementation in mind that will create more depth to the listening experience. Individual instruments and effects may remain locked in place in a virtual soundstage when you turn your head, evoking the experience of being in the audience at a live gig, for example.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1394984034871222275

https://twitter.com/x/status/1402175589809897474

At any rate, Apple says that Apple Music subscribers will be able to experience it for themselves "in the fall," which is also when iOS 15 will be released to the public, so the two could well drop together.

Article Link: Apple Music Spatial Audio to Get Dynamic Head Tracking in the Fall

 

[Polaroid]

Maybe it will detect when in pocket and not enable head tracking? Or they will just have the track with instruments set in a certain location so it wont use phone to tell where head is and rely on headphones solely

 

[Gee4orce]

It's working already in the iOS15 Beta, as far as I can tell. I move my head and the music sound field stays fixed in the same position. eg. the vocals appear to be anchored to a certain place in the room around me.

Honestly, I think this is a total game changer. It's like stereo on steroids.

 

[-BigMac-]

Do you need the 15 beta to run spacial audio/lossless on Apple Music.

Or can you run it on 14.6?

 

[mystery hill]

Or can you run it on 14.6?

You can run it on 14.6

 

[mariusignorello]

It's working already in the iOS15 Beta, as far as I can tell. I move my head and the music sound field stays fixed in the same position. eg. the vocals appear to be anchored to a certain place in the room around me.

Honestly, I think this is a total game changer. It's like stereo on steroids.

The haters can hate but Spatial Audio is in a class of its own. There's a few tracks where it's abysmal but that comes down to the engineer. Other tracks, like many of Ariana Grande's, a few of the Weeknd's and especially that Marvin Gaye remaster are masterpieces.

 

[chabig]

You don’t need visuals for head tracking. Dolby Atmos encodes the position of the sound in space. When you turn your head, tracking will keep those positions static.

 

[Canubis]

Honestly I thought that’s what yesterday’s launch of spatial audio was all about? instead we just got music in a different audio format, slightly differently mixed? At least to my understanding Spatial Audio was all about interactivity, if I move my head the sound mix would adapt to feel as if I am directly in the sound scene, adding an extra level of immersion.
But in reality it’s still output just like stereo material, just with a fixed fake sound stage…? Maybe I am over critical but what’s the point?
Plus fun fact: the promo videos for Spatial Audio in Apple Music actually Support The head tracking.
Super confusing marketing/rollout for this product…

 

[mazz0]

Maybe it will detect when in pocket and not enable head tracking? Or they will just have the track with instruments set in a certain location so it wont use phone to tell where head is and rely on headphones solely

I'd think you do want head tracking when your phone's in your pocket, but it should be tracked relative to your phone. So you walk along looking forward and the sound stays the same (even if you go round a corner), but look to your side and it changes.

 

[lk400]

Embedding your own tweets in the article! Stay classy Tim!

I jest, I jest. But really, you should also quote yourself.

"MacRumors expert, and all round nice guy, Tim Hardwick posited during May that it "makes no sense for Apple Music tracks to support Spatial Audio with head tracking enabled" and went on to imagine a scenario of "walking down the street wearing your AirPods Pro – it'd sound like all the instruments were emanating from your coat pocket."

Just Jokes Tim. Keep up the good work.

 

[Polaroid]

I'd think you do want head tracking when your phone's in your pocket, but it should be tracked relative to your phone. So you walk along looking forward and the sound stays the same (even if you go round a corner), but look to your side and it changes.

I didn’t explain well

What I mean is it won‘t use the phone to place where your head is at, it will use the AirPods - so when your head tilts you do hear instruments in different locations (but in same place) - so the headphones and phone will create a virtual space and place those instruments… I can’t explain lol

 

[dannys1]

Can't say i'm a big fan of the spatial audio mixes so far.

The drums lose all punch and weight - they sound pushed back in the mix on the drum heavy things i've tried out - the vocals are too much of the focus for me and everything is swimming in too much reverb. It's like giving someone a new tool for the first time and they go a bit nuts with it.

The other irony of course is that whilst it's mixed in a multi-channel setup we're only hearing it in stereo anyway - you can't defy physics, Airpods have two speakers one on the left and one on the right - you're not hearing Dolby Atmos - you're hearing Dolby Atmos mixed down to Stereo.

It's an interesting concept but generally I think i'll have it turned off. I certainly wouldn't want head tracking enabled for the centre channel either - so if they ever do mixes I prefer hopefully there's an option to enable or disable that.

 

[mazz0]

Wait - I'm confused. I'm listening to it now and it clearly has head tracking already. What are they talking about?

 

[dannys1]

I didn’t explain well

What I mean is it won‘t use the phone to place where your head is at, it will use the AirPods - so when your head tilts you do hear instruments in different locations (but in same place) - so the headphones and phone will create a virtual space and place those instruments… I can’t explain lol

Very unlikely - that's not how it works with movies. You only hear stereo on movie mixes in your headphones anyway (as explained above) all spatial audio does with head tracking is panning of the centre channel left/right as you turn your head and the rest of the mix stays in stereo and doesn't move. It only affects stuff mixed in the centre channel.

 

[dannys1]

Wait - I'm confused. I'm listening to it now and it clearly has head tracking already. What are they talking about?

It clearly doesn't - i've no idea what you guys think you're hearing who are saying this. (Unless you're running iOS15 beta in which apparently it does work)

 

[Polaroid]

Very unlikely - that's not how it works with movies. You only hear stereo on movie mixes in your headphones anyway (as explained above) all spatial audio does with head tracking is panning of the centre channel left/right as you turn your head and the rest of the mix stays in stereo and doesn't move. It only affects stuff mixed in the centre channel.

Well movies is different to music as with films you are seeing the source from where audio should come from. Music doesn’t need you to face a certain way, it can place instruments in a virtual space around you and then as you move head it adjusts to make it sound spatial.

 

[B/D]

Can't say i'm a big fan of the spatial audio mixes so far.

The drums lose all punch and weight - they sound pushed back in the mix on the drum heavy things i've tried out - the vocals are too much of the focus for me and everything is swimming in too much reverb. It's like giving someone a new tool for the first time and they go a bit nuts with it.

The other irony of course is that whilst it's mixed in a multi-channel setup we're only hearing it in stereo out - you can't defy physics, Airpods have two speakers one on the left and one on the right - you're not hearing Dolby Atmos - you're hearing Dolby atmos mixed down to Stereo.

It's an interest concept but generally I think i'll have it turned off. I certainly wouldn't want head tracking enabled for the centre channel either - so if they ever do mixes I prefer hopefully there's an option to enable or disable that.

I agree. I wish you could turn off spatial audio in the homepods. Seems to playback the Atmos version by default if available.

 

[dannys1]

Well movies is different to music as with films you are seeing the source from where audio should come from. Music doesn’t need you to face a certain way, it can place instruments in a virtual space around you and then as you move head it adjusts to make it sound spatial.

It doesn't matter about how different music and movies are - it's based on how Apple have built the technology and currently all spatial audio head tracking does it keep the centre channel anchored to the location of the phone and everything else in stereo. I doubt they'll change that for music and track multiple elements. If they did anchor the entire track to one point and you turned your hear - all that would be happening is it'd apply dynamic panning to the entire track in stereo - it wouldn't exactly be interesting.

Hearing these tracks on an actual Dolby Atmos sound system could be interesting.

 

[dannys1]

I agree. I wish you could turn off spatial audio in the homepods. Seems to playback the Atmos version by default if available.

Damn I didn't know this was the case with HomePods, bah. I guess we can Airplay to them the stereo version though.

 

[Snollygoster]

Honestly I thought that’s what yesterday’s launch of spatial audio was all about? instead we just got music in a different audio format, slightly differently mixed? At least to my understanding Spatial Audio was all about interactivity, if I move my head the sound mix would adapt to feel as if I am directly in the sound scene, adding an extra level of immersion.
But in reality it’s still output just like stereo material, just with a fixed fake sound stage…? Maybe I am over critical but what’s the point?
Plus fun fact: the promo videos for Spatial Audio in Apple Music actually Support The head tracking.
Super confusing marketing/rollout for this product…

I 100% agree. Plus I can hear no difference between spatial audio on or off now. With videos the difference is more than obvious.

Can't say i'm a big fan of the spatial audio mixes so far.

The drums lose all punch and weight - they sound pushed back in the mix on the drum heavy things i've tried out - the vocals are too much of the focus for me and everything is swimming in too much reverb. It's like giving someone a new tool for the first time and they go a bit nuts with it.

The other irony of course is that whilst it's mixed in a multi-channel setup we're only hearing it in stereo anyway - you can't defy physics, Airpods have two speakers one on the left and one on the right - you're not hearing Dolby Atmos - you're hearing Dolby Atmos mixed down to Stereo.

It's an interesting concept but generally I think i'll have it turned off. I certainly wouldn't want head tracking enabled for the centre channel either - so if they ever do mixes I prefer hopefully there's an option to enable or disable that.

I can hear no difference turning spatial audio on or off in music.

 

[tripleh3lix]

I 100% agree. Plus I can hear no difference between spatial audio on or off now. With videos the difference is more than obvious.

I can hear no difference turning spatial audio on or off in music.

I can. Bass is noticeably less pronounced, and things are a bit more amped up in the higher ends. But I don't hear much separation or anything "spatial".

 

[mariusignorello]

I 100% agree. Plus I can hear no difference between spatial audio on or off now. With videos the difference is more than obvious.

I can hear no difference turning spatial audio on or off in music.

Ignore the artist and content, just listen for the sound itself. Have the settings app open to the Atmos settings. Switch it on and off as you listen.

You don’t notice a single difference, not even in the chorus or at the outro (2:06 time marker)?

It’s the difference between a kiddie pool and an olympic diving pool in terms of depth.

 

[raab]

Can't say i'm a big fan of the spatial audio mixes so far.

The drums lose all punch and weight - they sound pushed back in the mix on the drum heavy things i've tried out - the vocals are too much of the focus for me and everything is swimming in too much reverb. It's like giving someone a new tool for the first time and they go a bit nuts with it.

Likewise. I find the bass gets drowned out too to the point it’s almost non existent, turning spatial audio off and on during a supported song I actually prefer it off (at least to my ears anyway)

 

[dannys1]

I 100% agree. Plus I can hear no difference between spatial audio on or off now. With videos the difference is more than obvious.

I can hear no difference turning spatial audio on or off in music.

I mean there's a big difference but you're not hearing surround sound, you're still hearing stereo but you're hearing the track mixed in a multi-channel environment - so they've basically just mixed it differently and treated the sounds differently.

 

[bollman]

-"Please ignore that none of our audio-stuff can handle lossless. Instead, enjoy this gimmick"
Honestly, this is about as useful as "Dolby Pro Logic II Music" which was a fad about 20 years ago.