Announced last month, Apple’s Spatial Audio technology (opens in new tab) - which is powered by Dolby Atmos - can now be experienced via Apple Music. However, the potentially bigger news for music makers is that “immersive audio” authoring tools are coming to Logic Pro later this year.
The news was confirmed in a blog post extolling the virtues of Spatial Audio written by Apple Music’s co-head of Artist Relations, Zane Lowe.
“Music in modern times has often been all about innovation,” says Lowe. “From multichannel recordings, to electric guitars, mics, and synthesizers, to tape echo and samplers, to MIDI and iPod - so many technologies have been invented to play, capture, record, mix, and share music.
“With Spatial Audio musicians, engineers, and producers have this amazing new tool to bring a new 3D experience to millions of people. It all starts from one new tool for artists to experiment with and then eventually you end up with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; you end up with Pet Sounds.”
Confirming the news of the forthcoming Logic Pro update, Lowe says: “Apple is building immersive music-authoring tools directly into Logic Pro later this year. So any musician will be able to create and mix their songs in Spatial Audio for Apple Music - whether they’re in the studio, at home, or wherever.”
It remains to be seen whether Dolby Atmos-fuelled ‘3D audio’ technologies such as Spatial Audio will become the norm - to be fair, Lowe also makes it clear that “no one is coming in and canceling stereo, just like they didn’t cancel mono” - but Apple’s support will certainly provide a big boost in profile, and possibly in uptake, too.
