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TIDAL now also delivers Dolby Atmos on Apple iOS

Dolby Atmo Music content has been available on the music streaming service TIDAL for some time, but its playback was and is limited to a few systems. In addition to various systems such as Sonos ARC, Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV or Amazon Fire TV Cube and Nvidia Shield TV and Nvidia Shield TV Pro as well as selected Smart TV systems with Google Android TV, it is interesting to note that albums in Dolby Atmos can also be played on smartphones and tablets with the Google Android operating system for quite some time, whereas users with Apple iOS have been left empty-handed until now. This is now a thing of the past: content can now also be played in Dolby Atmos on Apple iPhone and Apple iPad via the TIDAL app.

No special hardware required

Dolby Atmos is supposed to reproduce music in a completely new quality; the listener can immerse himself completely in the recording, because he is enveloped in a three-dimensional sound experience, which is why it is also called immersive 3D surround sound.

Nevertheless, TIDAL states that no special hardware is required for the playback of content in Dolby Atmos via Apple iOS devices, so content encoded in this way can be played with any headphones. The question is, however, whether the desired spatial sound is actually achieved… At least a Dolby Atmos logo appears on the screen when the corresponding content is played.

At least for the headphones from the Apple Corporation, such as Apple AirPods and Apple AirPods Max, a corresponding three-dimensional sound experience is promised through special algorithms for the playback of 3D audio.

Only available with TIDAL HiFI Plus

Content encoded in immersive 3D Surround is only available on TIDAL to subscribers of the TIDAL HiFi Plus service, namely in Sony 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos. This offer also includes content in hi-res audio, whereby TIDAL relies on MQA.

In addition, and this is probably an attractive argument for many, TIDAL offers artists direct remuneration with TIDAL HiFi Plus and refers to this as fair streaming.

Foto © TIDAL | TIDAL now also delivers Dolby Atmos on Apple iOS
Foto © TIDAL | TIDAL now also delivers Dolby Atmos on Apple iOS

Clear offer

Since content in Dolby Atmos naturally requires a corresponding recording, the production of which, from the actual recording to the mixing to the mastering, is much more complex than conventionally designed productions in stereo, the range of albums in Dolby Atmos is still clear, to put it that way.

This is particularly noticeable with a provider like TIDAL, which advertises a catalogue of millions and millions of music titles.

However, since content in immersive 3D surround sound, be it Sony 360 Reality Audio or Dolby Atmos, is an important argument for TIDAL in attracting customers to the corresponding TIDAL HiFi Plus offer, it is made very easy for them to find the corresponding recordings directly in the catalogue via their own selection.

Getting to the point

Music in Dolby Atmos can be a very exciting experience, especially when artists, sound engineers and producers know how to use the possibilities of this technology for their recordings. However, in order to be able to enjoy this in the best possible way, appropriate equipment is required. Is it really of great relevance that TIDAL now offers Dolby Atmos content not only on smartphones and tablets with Google Android, but also with the Apple iOS operating system?

PRODUCTTIDAL HIFI UND TIDAL HIFI PLUS
PriceTIDAL HiFi € 9.99 per month
TIDAL HiFi Plus € 19.99 per month
BrandTIDAL
ManufacturerSquare Inc.
DistributionTIDAL
More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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