After being the hot news in the rumor mill for a week, Apple has finally taken wraps off its new update for Apple Music. The company is introducing Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos to its Music app. With its multidimensional sound and clarity, Spatial Audio will allow artists to create immersive audio experiences for their fans. Moreover, it is rolling out Lossless Audio for the entire catalog of 75 million songs. And guess what? Apple doesn’t want you to pay anything extra. These new features will be available for Apple Music subscribers starting next month at no additional cost.

Apple is bringing Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos to Apple Music. By default, Apple will automatically play Dolby Atmos tracks on all AirPods and Beats headphones with an H1 or W1 chip, and the built-in speakers in the latest versions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple will be adding more Dolby Atmos tracks constantly. Apple Music is working with artists and labels to add new releases and the best catalog tracks.

Apple will also make its catalog of more than 75 million songs available in Lossless Audio. For the unaware, Apple uses ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) to preserve every single bit of the original audio file. Hence, Apple Music subscribers will be able to hear the exact same thing that the artists created in the studio. To start listening to Lossless Audio, subscribers using the latest version of Apple Music can turn it on in Settings > Music > Audio Quality.
Apple Music’s Lossless tier starts at CD quality, which is 16 bit at 44.1 kHz (kilohertz), and goes up to 24 bit at 48 kHz, and is playable natively on Apple devices. For the true audiophile, Apple Music also offers Hi-Resolution Lossless all the way up to 24 bit at 192 kHz.
However, as my colleague, Anton, pointed out, 256kbps currently in use is more than enough for most people. Hence, you might be okay not boarding the hype train.
“Apple Music is making its biggest advancement ever in sound quality,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “Listening to a song in Dolby Atmos is like magic. The music comes from all around you and sounds incredible. Now we are bringing this truly innovative and immersive experience to our listeners with music from their favorite artists like J Balvin, Gustavo Dudamel, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, Kacey Musgraves, The Weeknd, and so many more. Subscribers will also be able to listen to their music in the highest audio quality with Lossless Audio. Apple Music as we know it is about to change forever.”