Apple Music spatial audio is launching natively in a car for the first time, starting with some Mercedes-Benz vehicles such as the S-Class.
- What is happening? German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz has announced a partnership with Universal Music Group and Apple Music to enable Apple Music to bring in-car surround sound support for the first time.
- Why care? This integration does not require Apple CarPlay on the iPhone, as the vehicle’s infotainment system itself decodes multi-channel audio content through any number of available speakers.
- What to do? Buy a compatible Mercedes vehicle or wait until this feature becomes more available for other car makes and models. It is so simple.
Mercedes-Benz integrates Apple Music spatial audio
Apple Music spatial audio integration with the MBUX infotainment system is available in these five vehicles for customers with an Apple Music subscription:
- Mercedes‑Maybach S‑Class
- EQS and SUV EQS
- EQE and SUV EQE
- S‑Class.
It is important to note that this feature is only available if you order a car with a Burmester 3D or 4D audio system with Dolby-Atmos and 31 speakers. This upgrade will set you back $4,550 for a Burmester 3D system or $6,730 for a 4D system.
Here are the highlights from the Mercedes-Benz press release:
- Mercedes says artists are now taking into account factors such as how a new track sounds when played in a car.
- Mercedes and Universal have created an “Approved in Mercedes-Benz”seal, though it’s not clear if the label will appear on Apple Music songs or elsewhere.
- Mercedes-Benz even provides Universal with a few vehicles to test how the final Mercedes-Benz spatial audio mix sounds.
- To help with this, Universal will set up a studio in Sindelfingen, Germany for Dolby Atmos mixing.
The press release quoted Oliver Schusser, head of Apple Music and Beats, as saying spatial audio is an experience that “can’t be explained”in words. “You have to hear it for yourself to appreciate it.”
More information about the partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Universal Music Group can be found in a press release on Universal’s website.
What exactly do you mean by native support?
Markus Schaefer, Mercedes’ Chief Technology Officer, said in a press release published in Apple Newsroom that this is the first time the company’s vehicles support Apple Music spatial audio without the need for an Apple device or Apple CarPlay feature.
Spatial Sound plays the sounds of a Dolby Atmos multi-channel audio source through your speakers. Dolby Atmos does not separate audio between channels. Instead, it determines how various sound objects are arranged in a virtual 3D space and then calculates the best way to use any number of speakers you may have to create an artificial 3D soundscape.
“Dolby Atmos allows creators to place discrete audio elements or objects in a three-dimensional sound field that is beyond the capabilities of standard stereo products,”the company writes. “The system adapts to any playback environment, which means fans can listen to music with unparalleled clarity that matches the artist’s original vision in the studio.”Read: How to use mono sound on iPhone
Some of the supported Mercedes vehicles have multiple speakers, which should make listening to Apple Music in surround sound a great experience.
For example, the new Mercedes-Maybach limited edition by Virgil Abloh features a 31-speaker Burmester audio system, including six top-firing speakers, four front-seat near-ear speakers, an 18.5-liter subwoofer, and eight sound converters (two each). on the seat).
Will this feature be extended to other vehicles in the future?
It’s probably safe to assume that other automakers will follow suit and integrate Apple Music with spatial audio into their own infotainment systems.
Apple provides spatial audio support for Dolby Atmos Apple Music songs and other multi-channel audio on devices such as iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, HomePod. This feature is also available on select Android devices through the official Apple Music app for Android.