Mercedes-Benz, Apple Team Up for In-Car Spatial Audio
Mercedes-Benz is incorporating Apple's spatial audio technology in select model vehicles.
Available natively for the first time in a car, spatial audio with support for Dolby Atmos promises a "seamless, immersive in-car audio experience," Mercedes-Benz says.
Apple Music subscribers gain immediate access to tunes and albums available in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. Everyone else, meanwhile, can look for the "Approved in a Mercedes-Benz" label, which will be granted to artists based on "how the final mix sounds" inside the vehicle via a partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG).
"We are giving our customers the extraordinary in-car audio experience they expect from Mercedes-Benz," chairman of the board Ola Källenius said in a statement. "Both Apple and UMG share our vision and values and, together with Dolby, we will create a seamless and unique experience for our customers."
The collaboration, of course, doesn't come cheap: Customers can expect to pay upward of $185,000 for a compatible vehicle—which, at launch, includes Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, EQS, and EQS SUV. Add to that a 31-speaker 3D or 4D Burmester sound system for $4,550 or $6,730, respectively, plus $9.99 per month for Apple Music, and you're driving in style.
Apple Music introduced Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos last year, inviting subscribers to check out its lossless audio library of more than 75 million. It's compatible with AirPods and Beats headphones with an H1 or W1 chip, as well as built-in speakers in the latest versions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The 3D-listening experience uses built-in accelerometers to track your head movements and change the direction of sound for an immersive effect. In
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