Apple Music has announced a new royalty structure for music available in Spatial Audio, signaling a commitment to incentivize higher-quality content.
Starting this month, Spatial-enabled content will receive up to a 10% higher royalty rate compared to non-spatial content.
The pro-rata shares for Spatial plays will now be calculated using a factor of 1.1, while non-spatial plays will continue with a factor of 1. The platform announced this new development recently.
For context, Spatial audio is an advanced technology that enhances sound perception in 3 dimensions. It surpasses traditional stereo, providing an immersive experience where sound seems to come from specific directions, adding depth.
This tech adjusts audio based on the listener’s position, using techniques like binaural recording and object-based audio.
Widely applied in virtual and augmented reality, as well as high-quality audio systems, spatial audio replicates a lifelike auditory environment.
What you should know
This strategic move comes after reports in December indicated that Apple Music was considering giving additional weight to Dolby Atmos-mixed streams.
- The platform clarified that the change aims to reward superior content and ensure fair compensation for artists investing in Spatial mixing. Notably, Apple Music has witnessed broad adoption of Spatial, with 80% of songs reaching the Global Daily Top 100 available in this format in the past year.
- Even more, Apple Music subscribers need not actively listen to Spatial Audio for artists to receive the bonus payout; the metric is based on the proportion of Spatial to non-Spatial plays.
- Apple disclosed that over 90% of its listeners have experienced music in Spatial Audio, with plays for Spatial Audio music tripling in the last two years. Since its launch in June 2021, the number of songs available in Spatial Audio has surged by nearly 5,000%, doubling in the last year alone.
More insight
Addressing concerns about content quality, Apple Music emphasized its zero-tolerance policy for deceptive or manipulative content, implementing a quality control process to ensure compliance with Spatial Audio specifications.
While Amazon Music Unlimited also incorporates Spatial Audio, Spotify is notably absent from the Spatial Audio offerings. However, rumors suggest Spotify may introduce a ‘Supremium’ tier, featuring 24-bit Lossless music and AI-powered playlist creation, at a monthly subscription price of $19.99.