Apple is bringing in serious upgrades for its music feature. The new Lossless Audio is a one-of-a-kind feature that generates a deep and immersive experience for anybody listening. Luckily, the Lossless Audio is available for most Apple AirPod and iPhones.
On Monday, Apple Insider reported that Apple Music is now using Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio through Dolby Atmos. Lossless uses high-bitrate versions of tracks, generating music from all 360 degrees for the user. The Lossless version also does a better job preserving the original music recording quality, overall featuring a next-generation experience for listeners.
Spatial Audio Support for Dolby Atmos
The technology used to generate these fantastic music experiences comes from Dolby Atmos' support in Apple Music. Dolby Atmos tracks would play on any AirPod or Beats headphones using the H1 or W1 chip. This chip is also available in the built-in speakers for the latest iPhone, iPad and Mac devices.
Unfortunately, note that this feature is only available for the Apple Music catalog and not in iTunes format. This is because it uses a format called Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) found in Apple Music. Perhaps future upgrades on the feature would include iTunes format too.
Headphones Compatible with Spatial Audio
Appleinsider listed that users with the following headphones can enjoy the new feature automatically without the need to manually enable it:
- AirPods
- AirPods Pro
- AirPods Max
- BeatsX
- Beats Flex
- Beats Solo3 Wireless
- Beats Solo Pro
- Beats Studio3
- Powerbeats 3 Wireless
- Powerbeats Pro
Using these devices, Apple Music will automatically switch to Dolby Atmos when available.
For Apple devices, the following gadgets have built-in speakers that could use the new Dolby Atmos or Lossless Audio. However, note that it must be installed with the latest iOS, iPadOS, or macOS:
- iPhone 7
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd Generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch
- iPad (6th Generation)
- iPad Air (3rd Generation)
- iPad mini (5th Generation
- MacBook Pro (2018)
Lossless features are also reported to be available in iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, macOS 11.4, or tvOS 14.6 and later. To check if the feature is active, head to "Settings," select "Music," and open "Audio Quality." The Lossless option should be visible and toggled on.
How to Activate Without the Right Headphones
As mentioned above, if the device uses an H1 or W1 chip, it might still play the new Lossless Audio from Apple Music. To check if your device is compatible, manually turn the feature on. Users can do this by:
- Going to "Settings"
- Selecting "Music"
- Selecting "Audio"
- Scrolling down until you see the new "Dolby Atmos" setting
- Toggling it to "Always On"
This command should automatically transform any of your Apple Music using the ALAC format to Lossless audio. However, if you want to stop listening to music in this format, you have to manually turn off the commands by following the same steps above.
If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, check out this feature now!
