Spatial Audio is one of the main listening features of Apple Music. It simulates audio coming from different directions, just like Dolby Atmos. The feature can even track your head movements so the sound moves with . Great, right?
It was first incorporated as a feature for videos on Apple devices and was introduced to Apple Music in XNUMX. With Spatial Audio enabled, you can listen to your favorite albums in a more immersive format, making it feel like elements of a piece of music are coming at you from each and every angle.
Use of the feature requires a pair of AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirPods (3rd generation), or Beats Fit Pro, and a newer iPad, iPhone, or Mac. Interestingly, certain MacBooks, iPhones, and iPads accept the feature through their built-in speakers, as does the new Studio Display. You can find a full list of supported devices on Apple's support pages.
That's really cool, but what can you actually hear on Spatial Audio (besides the Beatles' Abbey Road album, of course)? With select albums mastered particularly for the feature and an extensive range of playlists to browse on Apple's streaming platform, here are ten albums we think you should listen to on Apple Music's Spatial Audio.
1. Sour - Olivia Rodrigo
Sour is the debut studio album by Olivia Rodrigo. Perhaps best known for her Disney roles, Rodrigo became an international pop star in XNUMX. The young artist has already won awards for the most views of her album, and it has been a long time since it was released.
This album was mixed uniquely for Spatial Audio, and Apple used the album in most of its marketing for the feature (recognize the purple album cover?). And it is appreciated, because this album exemplifies all the advantages of technology.
When you listen to the tracks, your ears are truly enveloped by the sound, and certain of the acoustic songs feel like you're in the room with Rodrigo. The bass is clear and conclusive, while his soft, sweet voice cuts through the soundstage with terrific presence and clarity.
Hear non-musical sounds like footsteps on tracks 1 step forward, XNUMX steps back, and enough for you; these should have a clear focus within the larger mix. The guitar harmonies also stand out on this album, highlighting Rodrigo's voice in the mix.
2. WHEN WE'RE ALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? -Billie Eilish
WHEN WE'RE ALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? is Billie Eilish's debut studio album (we promise not everyone is like that). From producing her debut album in a bedroom investigation to international fame as the latest James Bond theme artist, the album that started it all remains one of Eilish's most popular.
Eilish is well known for her soft, raspy voice, and Spatial Audio makes it sound like she's whispering directly into your ear. This contrasts with the proper bass that marks most of the tracks on this album and creates a sense of texture in the 3D soundscape.
Where Spatial Audio really improves this album is in the panning. In particular, at the beginning of Villain and throughout My Weird Addiction, the traditional technique of shifting the audio between left and right channels is amplified to the point where the music truly sounds like it's coming forcefully from anywhere. of the head.
3. 1 - The Beatles
1 is one of the Beatles' most identifiable compilation albums. Home to some of the band's most beloved tracks, this XNUMX remaster features dedicated stereo mixes and was lately shaped for Spatial Audio.
Spatial Audio on this album is great for helping you pick out the different layers of the soundstage, rather than identifying individual instruments. You can hear vocals, drums, and strings stacked on top of each other as if your ears were biting into a well-made sandwich.
Tracks like Eleanor Rigby with different and tapered strings take full advantage of the sonic space that Spatial Audio offers. Listening to this album is like being in the room with John, Paul, Ringo and George.
4. Gossip - Fleetwood Mac
The gossip is clearly somewhat retrospective. The album dominated the airwaves in the XNUMXs when it was released, and it's still a beloved album today. Spatial Audio simply takes this traditional album and gives you a new way to experience it.
When we listened to the tracks with Spatial Audio, the bass sounded really good, with plenty of room for those low frequencies to rumble without muddying the rest of the soundstage. You should be able to clearly identify the instruments and sound effects as they move through your head, especially with the voice spinning around in Dreams.
Hear the drums on many tracks, which have remarkable direction behind the vocals, just as they would in person. With this album, it's like being in the recording booth with Fleetwood Mac, not to mention being in the room.
5. The Dream - alt J
The Dream contains some of alt-J's most popular tracks; and now that it's Spatial Audio compatible, alternative trio enthusiasts are in for a treat.
On most tracks, you will feel that the sound completely surrounds you. You can link this to different sounds like a cymbal and snare, and deep bass beats move through the mix.
Once again, the elements of each track are seamlessly layered, giving the effect of the music completely enveloping you: less natural sounding than Rumors' spatial audio mix, but more immersive.
6. The Immersive Experience - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ben Gernon
The Immersive Experience is an album that takes some of the most popular performances by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (you've got everything from Debussy to Berlioz) and optimizes them for Spatial Audio. It's a must for traditional music enthusiasts who want to reproduce the sound of a concert hall without leaving their living room.
Dolby Atmos mixing means you can seamlessly choose individual sections of the orchestra, and each instrument has the space it needs to shine, even in complex arrangements. Not only can you identify these sections, but rather they also have a clear direction. Listen over there, the string section is ahead to the left!
This virtual surround sound effect emulates a concert hall quite realistically, so you can get an idea of what it's like to see the orchestra perform in real life.
7. Starboy - The Weekend
(*two*)
(Image credit: XO/Republic)XNUMX Starboy is one of The Weeknd's most popular albums. It's back before the popularity of TikTok's Blinding Lights and the XNUMX Superbowl halftime show.
Listening to this album, you can go back to choosing individual sounds more neatly than in stereo (it's almost as if Spatial Audio was made for it), with the piano on the album's title track showing up in particular detail. On other tracks, he listens singularly to the softer rhythms, which seem to have an unknown depth. The voices also have a strong sense of directionality, making for a truly immersive experience.
8. A Night at the Opera - Queen
A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by Queen. It contains some of the best songs of the band, as well as some that you may not have heard before. It's not just an album, it's an experience.
This album also excels at panning between the left and right sides of your head. In Bohemian Rhapsody, there is a real sense of fluid structure as the instrumental section of the track not only bounces between your ears, but also around the simulated soundscape. The weeping of the guitar and violin strings shines singularly here, in a kind of ordered chaos. These are accompanied by deep, ripping bass, which seem to come from above (just like thunder and lightning).
It's a very, very different way of listening to the album. On tracks with complex vocal harmonies, Spatial Audio makes it very simple to pick them out and give them direction; practically as if you could tell who was standing where. Listening to this album, it's as if you were inside each one of the songs.
9. The Blues and Abstract Truth - Oliver Nelson
The Blues And The Abstract Truth is a jazz album you may not have heard before, but Oliver Nelson was an incredible artist, and this album showcases his talent. Ted Lasso fans may recognize a track or two from certain episodes of the show.
When listening to the album we clearly identify each one of the instruments played. Not only that, but rather Spatial Audio helps highlight the primary instrument by making it sound closer, even before the next instrument takes over. It's a great way to highlight the conversational (and sometimes problematic) interactions between different instruments. Keep an eye out (virtually) for some of the sweeter drum beats, increasing the volume as the chatter gets livelier.
10. Sometimes I can be withdrawn - Little Simz
Sometimes I Might Be Retracted is the fourth studio album by British rapper Little Simz. It is a rhythmic and soulful work, which combines confessional lyrics and scandalous rhythms with fast orchestral movements and disturbing choral harmonies.
You can hear the directionality of Simz's voice as it moves through the virtual environment, accompanied by jerky, fucked-up beats from the eighties and heyday strings. Even in the most popular arrangements, you can clearly distinguish each instrument, and this is only enhanced by the auxiliary space provided by the spatial audio mix.