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Apple has a strange relationship with capital letters. Most of its products start with a lower case letter I, but then throw in a capital letter later in in the name, such as iPhones, iMacs, and iPads. For some reason, theHomePod minihas a capital P in the middle of homepod, but a lower case M for mini, just like the iPad mini. The Apple Watch, however, is firmly in the ‘start every word with a capital letter camp’.
Aside from branding, to capitalize or not to capitalize made very little difference for consumers, but when it comes to Apple’s Spatial Audio, those capital letters really count. That’s because ‘Spatial Audio’ is not the same as ‘spatial audio’. The phrase spatial audio is a generic term for audio that creates a feeling of 3D space. Dolby Atmos andSony’s 360 Reality Audio, are examples of spatial audio that can create a virtual 3D surround sound effect in a stereo pair of headphones.
Apple uses the capitalization ‘Spatial Audio’ when referring to its own proprietary spatial audio, which is a frankly confusing name, but the caps do help to tell the two apart.
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What sets Apple’s Spatial Audio apart from other types of spatial audio is that it uses tracking hardware in Apple devices, including theAirPods (3rd Generation),AirPods Pro 2andAirPods Max headphones, to track the position of your head in real-time, as well as the position of your iPad oriPhone. This means the Spatial Audio mix can change depending on where you look or turn, so if a character is talking on screen, their voice will sound like it’s coming from the same place even if you turn your head.
Here’s how Spatial Audio works, what devices it is available on, how you turn it on and off, and everything else you need to know.
How does Spatial Audio work?
Spatial Audio enables you to hear three-dimensional audio from supported videos that follow the movement of your iPhone oriPador track the movement of your head if you’re wearing compatible headphones.
It effectively recreates a cinema-style experience, where sounds appear to be coming from all around you; from the front, behind, from the side, or even above your head. to do this, Spatial Audio uses the 5.1, 7.1 andDolby Atmosmixes from a compatible film or video, applies directional audio filters and adjusts the frequencies of the various sounds relayed to each ear to give them a place in a 3D soundscape.
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Where Apple’s Spatial Audio differs from other similar technologies, like Dolby Atmos for Headphones, is in its tracking. The accelerometers and gyroscopes within AirPods Max, AirPods Pro/AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods (3rd generation) are used to track your head position and adjust the sound accordingly. It also tracks your iPhone or iPad, so the sound you hear is also relative to the screen you are watching on.
As a result, when Apple’s Spatial Audio is turned on, and you’re watching a supported film or video, when you turn your head or move your device, the sound you hear remains with the action on the screen.
How about Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos?
As well as Spatial Audio for movies and TV shows, Apple offers Spatial Audio withDolby Atmosmusic tracks onApple Music. These tracks have been remixed to be object-based, with different sounds and elements of the track positioned around and above you. This is to give the impression that you are sitting in the middle of a recording studio or live concert.
As with movies, it gives the impression of this 3D soundscape through regular stereo headphones, but it requires a dedicated Dolby Atmos music mix to make it work. There are currently thousands of songs available in Spatial Audio, and when played through headphones, listeners hear music coming from all around them.
What Apple devices can I use with Spatial Audio?
There are a wide range of Apple (or Apple owned) devices that support Apple’s Spatial Audio, to a greater or lesser extent. You can use Spatial Audio with the following:
You can experience Spatial Audio through the internal speakers of an iPhone or iPad running iOS 15.1 or above, although it’s not the best way to experience it. A HomePod or Apple Silicon Mac will give you a better experience, but the best way to experience the full effect is through headphones.
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An Apple TV 4K will also play Dolby Atmos tracks through a compatible TV or AV receiver (as with supported movies).
SomeAndroid devices also support Spatial Audiowith Dolby Atmos through the Apple Music app. This is manufacturer specific though, so do check if your phone is compatible first.
Can I listen to Spatial Audio with third-party headphones?
The answer is that yes, you can use third-party headphones to listen to Spatial Audio, but you’ll need to tweak some settings first.
This ensures that the audio from your iPhone is always transmitted in Dolby Atmos, so you can enjoy the experience on supported third-party headphones. This only works with Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, though, regular movie and TV Spatial Audio is still an Apple device exclusive.
How to get Spatial Audio in movies and shows
There are a couple of things you’ll need to experience Apple’s Spatial Audio on movies and TV shows:
The benefit of using AirPods when watching content with Spatial Audio is that this allows you to use head tracking. Accelerometers in your AirPods track your head movements, and adjust the Spatial Audio accordingly. It means if you look away from your screen, the audio changes to sound like it’s still coming from the direction of the screen rather than directly in front of you.
How do you turn Apple Spatial Audio on or off?
To turn Spatial Audio on, follow the steps below.
How do you control Spatial Audio?
When you’re watching a compatible video or film on your iPhone or iPad with your AirPods (3rd Generation), AirPods Pro/AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Max, here is how to control Spatial Audio and check if it is on:
