Apple Music is set to launch a new initiative aimed at promoting the use of spatial audio technology, particularly Dolby Atmos. The company plans to assign greater importance to streams of songs mixed with Dolby’s technology. Insiders report this move could result in increased royalty payments for artists and record labels that adopt this technology early. The details of this initiative are yet to be officially announced.
Under this new policy, it’s not required for listeners to play the Atmos version of a song for artists to benefit. The mere availability of a track in Dolby Atmos format is sufficient. This approach is expected to motivate artists and labels to record and mix music, both new and old tracks, using Atmos technology.
The move comes in a promotion of Apple’s range of audio hardware, including AirPods and the HomePod speaker, which supports spatial audio playback. Amazon Music already offers spatial audio supported by Dolby Atmos to its subscribers at no additional cost. However, Spotify has not yet adopted the format, though it too is offering royalty changes in the coming year.
