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What is Dolby Atmos? Here's how to enable Apple Music's 'sick' spatial audio feature

Even though the technology was announced in 2017, it is only now that Apple Music subscribers can truly enjoy Dolby Atmos

Apple is always innovating cutting-edge technology and thanks to their brilliant minds, the tech giant has now rolled out a new spatial audio feature for Apple Music subscribers that allows listeners to experience a richer sound while surfing through the brand’s catalog. That’s like enjoying your personal concert with a rich surround sound. The brand new concept introduced by Apple Music is called Dolby Atmos and even though the technology was announced in 2017, it is only now that Apple Music subscribers can truly enjoy the immersive soundstage.

Apple Music took to its Twitter account to announce the big news. “#SpatialAudio with #DolbyAtmos lets you hear sound all around you, and plays automatically for Apple Music subscribers when you listen with supported headphones and speakers. To hear every detail, you can also turn on lossless audio in the Settings app. http://apple.co/SpatialAudio." Apple Music’s competitor Spotify also keeps introducing new features in order to allure the audience. If not with the sound, Spotify tries to seek attention with their playlists and collaborations with new artists.  
 
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What is Dolby Atmos?

The official YouTube Channel shed light on the Dolby Atmos saying, “Dolby’s mission has always been to create the strongest bond possible between artists, their stories, and the world. As the driving force in sound innovation, Dolby Atmos Music pushes the boundaries and frees music to be expressed and experienced as intended. The next era of music has arrived.” It also said, “Dolby Atmos for mobile devices adapts the premier cinema sound experience that automatically adapts to your smartphone’s speakers or headphones to create powerful, moving audio that flows above and around you.”

In laymen’s terms, Dolby Atmos lets you listen to music in high-resolution lossless quality bringing more depth and immersive 3D sound. Lossless music is exclusive to Apple Music. It simply means one can stream and download it after changing the audio quality.

How to enable Apple Music’s new feature?

It is actually quite simple to activate Apple Music’s new feature. First of all Apple Music subscribers have to update their phone or iPad to iOS or iPadOS 14.6. Then they can simply go to the settings, tap music, tap Dolby Atmos under audio. Then one has to click on ‘Automatic, Always On’ or ‘turn Dolby Atmos off’. The spatial audio lossless quality is available on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV 4K. Speaking of lossless music, Apple is offering both CD quality and high-resolution lossless quality standards to customers but for the latter one, they would require an external DAC for compatibility with headphones and earphones.

‘Something I didn’t know I needed’

As soon as Apple introduced their brand new feature, many subscribers quickly plugged into their playlist using Dolby Atmos and rushed to Twitter to share their experience. One user said, “This Dolby Atmos update to Apple Music was something I didn’t know I needed.” One added, “Ok i just heard shut up with airpods in dolby atmos… MORE SHIVERS.” Another shared, “If you have @AppleMusic you need to try the new Dolby Atmos feature. i don’t think i have had an audio experience like this outside of a concert. pretty surreal.”
 
The next one posted, “Apple music shuffle is trash which is why i went back to Spotify. but this new Dolby Atmos is giving.” One added, “I will not lie I am violently jealous of Dolby Atmos on A**le M*sic.” One said, “Apple Music adding 3% reverb to songs and slapping a “Dolby Atmos” logo on them” while the other concluded, “Yo this dolby atmos shit is so sick.”