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Apple Music: How to Enable Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio

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Apple has rolled out a new spatial audio feature for Apple Music subscribers that uses Dolby Atmos to create a richer, more immersive soundstage when listening to songs in the Apple Music catalog.

iPhone Hi Fi Apple Music Feature
With Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos enabled, the subjective experience is that musical notes are coming from all around you. The steps below show you how to control the new audio feature on any iOS device with an Apple Music subscription.

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap Music.
  3. Under "Audio," tap Dolby Atmos.
  4. Select from Automatic, Always On, and Off.

settings
Now that you've enabled Dolby Atmos, you'll be able to enjoy a more immersive audio experience. Apple Music will play Dolby Atmos tracks on all AirPods and Beats headphones with an H1 or W1 chip, as will the built-in speakers of the newest iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Just make sure that you have Spatial Audio enabled on capable headphones.

You can check which tracks in Apple Music support the audio effect by looking for the logo in the app interface. Apple plans to add new Dolby Atmos tracks on a regular basis, and will offer up a curated selection of Dolby Atmos playlists. At launch, there are thousands of Dolby Atmos-enabled songs that are available to listen to.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Max 2, AirPods Pro 3
Tag: Apple Music Guide
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution), AirPods Max (Buy Now), AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Top Rated Comments

residentgalah Avatar
residentgalah
66 months ago

Apparently I’m the only one who thinks this sounds like complete garbage. Listening on AirPods Max. IMHO, vocals sound overly processed and percussion sounds really flat. Listened to many of the tracks on the Spacial Audio playlist and none sounded like an improvement or even good.
You’re far from the only one.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisMoBro Avatar
ChrisMoBro
66 months ago
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.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
johnyslats Avatar
johnyslats
66 months ago

Hello. There is no such function in my iOS 15 iPhone 12 mini :( What can I do?
That screen suggests you’re not subscribed to Apple Music
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5
5097842
66 months ago
Apparently I’m the only one who thinks this sounds like complete garbage. Listening on AirPods Max. IMHO, vocals sound overly processed and percussion sounds really flat. Listened to many of the tracks on the Spacial Audio playlist and none sounded like an improvement or even good.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P
pcd213
66 months ago
I need to say it… Apple has done a terrible job at marketing these features and doing so in a clear, easy to understand capacity. What a mess!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
antiprotest
66 months ago

Apparently I’m the only one who thinks this sounds like complete garbage. Listening on AirPods Max. IMHO, vocals sound overly processed and percussion sounds really flat. Listened to many of the tracks on the Spacial Audio playlist and none sounded like an improvement or even good.
No from what I'm seeing it seems you're in the majority.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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