The next generation of sound is here, and with it Apple Music will provide it to all their subscribers for no extra cost. Coming in June 2021, Apple recently made the announcement of bringing industry-leading sound quality for everyone subscribed to their Apple Music platform, via the addition of Spatial Audio supported by Dolby Atmos, as well as Lossless Audio.
This innovative way of listening to your favourite music is made possible via the Lossless Audio feature for subscribers, whilst the Spatial Audio feature is the one that enables artists in the first place to create “immersive audio experiences for their fans with true multidimensional sound clarity.” With more than 75 million songs in Lossless Audio, subscribes will have the unique opportunity of listening to a song in the same way their favourite artists created them in their respective studios. The excitement and anticipation of this latest project is sky high within the Apple headquarters, with the vice president of Apple Music and Beats, Oliver Schusser, stating;
“Apple Music is making its biggest advancement ever in sound and quality… 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.”
Working on this type of project allows mastering engineer Piper Payne “to convey the music to the listener at is highest quality,” with subscribers having the ability to do so by turning on Lossless Audio in Settings > Music > Audio Quality. Moreover, subscribers will have the option of choosing different resolutions for different connections such as cellular, Wi-Fi, or for download, with the support of Lossless Audio files reaching all the way up to 24 bits.
Saved in FLAC format rather than the usual MP3 or .WAV file, Lossless Audio does have its fair share of limitations, as iTunes music cannot be purchased in this type of format, as well as tracks that have already been purchased via iTunes cannot be upgraded to the quality offered by Lossless Audio. Nevertheless, this innovative project can be deemed as a step forward in streaming, with doors to be opened for other leading streaming services in order to follow similar approaches. Below, you can see how it will look when it arrives. The excitement is high on our part also, and we would like to know how you guys feel about this new wave of immersive listening.
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