In its WWDC 2021 presentation, Apple announced that aside from lossless audio, it will be bringing spatial audio with Dolby Atmos to Apple Music.

Whether in movie theaters, video games, or music tracks, spatial audio delivers an immersive, surround sound listening experience, bringing you to the center of the action.

Want to know how to enable Dolby Atmos and spatial audio on your device? Read on.

What Is Spatial Audio With Dolby Atmos?

Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology that gives individuals a more realistic experience by playing sounds from anywhere in the three-dimensional space around you.

Dolby Atmos music is basically music tracks recorded and produced using the Dolby Atmos audio format, allowing artists to give their users a unique, multidimensional listening experience, transporting their listeners to the middle of the music scene.

You’ll hear the artist’s voice as if they’re just in front of you. You’ll also be able to listen to the instruments distinctly.

What’s great is that it’s included for all Apple Music subscribers. As well as Dolby Atmos music tracks, Apple will soon add dynamic head tracking features for supported audio devices this fall.

Related: Most Common Audio Formats: Which One Should You Choose?

What You Need

Currently, not everybody can stream Dolby Atmos music, and it's only available through Apple Music, Amazon Music HD, and the Tide app.

Likewise, this format is only available with Dolby Atmos-enabled devices, like Atmos-enabled AV receivers or soundbars and modern smartphones.

The most common products to enjoy Dolby Atmos and spatial audio with for iPhone users are AirPods or compatible Beats headphones.

How to Enable Dolby Atmos on Your Apple Device

If you own an Apple device, you need to update it to iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, tvOS 14.6, macOS 11.4, or later. After doing the update, do the following:

On your iPhone or iPad:

  1. Go to Settings > Music.
  2. Under Audio, choose Dolby Atmos.
  3. Choose Automatic or Always On.

On your Mac:

  1. Open Apple Music.
  2. Click Music on the menu bar, then go to Preferences.
  3. Click Playback.
  4. Next to Dolby Atmos, choose Automatic or Always On.
Mac Dolby Atmos Options

If you choose Automatic, songs in Dolby Atmos will automatically play when you’re listening through the latest models of iPhones, iPads, or Mac, and AirPods and Beats headphones with W1 or H1 chips.

Otherwise, choose On if you’re using other headphones that do not support automatic playback.

Related: New Apple Music Features to Try

If you’re using AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, you need to turn Spatial Audio on. There are two ways to do this:

  1. Access Control Center by swiping down from the right upper corner of your screen.
  2. Touch and hold the volume button.
  3. Tap Spatial Audio to turn it on.

Alternatively:

  1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth.
  2. Tap the information icon (i) on the right side of your AirPods.
  3. Scroll down and toggle the switch for Spatial Audio

If you’re used to hearing stereo tracks, you may find Dolby Atmos tracks to be quieter. You can turn on Sound Check to counter this.

If you’re using an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Music and toggle Sound Check on. On your Mac, go to the menu bar and click Music > Preferences, choose Playback, then select Sound Check.

Good Music Made Accessible

With Apple Music, audiophiles can now listen to some immersive soundtracks from their favorite artists. What’s more, Apple said it would continue adding more Dolby Atmos music to the platform. So prepare your ears for some really good music coming up!