Apple is set to incentivize artists and record labels to adopt Dolby Atmos, a spatial-audio technology, for their music productions. That’s according to sources speaking with Bloomberg, noting the change will start next year.
Apple plans to give additional weight to streams of songs mixed in Dolby Atmos, potentially leading to higher royalty payments for artists who adopt this technology developed by Dolby. The unnamed sources indicate that this move could significantly impact royalty earnings.
Under the new policy, artists will benefit even if listeners do not specifically play the Atmos version of a song; it is sufficient that the track is available in that format. This strategy is expected to encourage both artists and labels to record and mix music with Atmos, including reworking older tracks.
The cost of mixing music in Atmos is reportedly affordable, making it an attractive option for both established artists and labels. They anticipate a potential increase in royalties as a result of this shift. Apple’s audio hardware, such as AirPods and the HomePod, already supports Atmos playback. With an increase in spatial audio tracks, there might be a corresponding rise in consumer interest in Apple’s audio hardware.
Apple introduced spatial audio to Apple Music in 2021, leveraging Dolby Atmos technology to create a more immersive listening experience that mimics in-person sound dynamics. This format allows music to envelop the listener from various directions, enhancing the overall audio experience.
Below are Apple devices that you can use with Spatial Audio, according to the company:
Amazon’s Music app also offers Dolby Atmos-supported spatial audio to its subscribers at no additional cost (the company’s Echo Studio speaker supports the technology and is on sale right now), while Spotify has yet to support the format.
