Spatial Audio On Mac: Here's How It Works
Apple'sSpatial Audio feature first rolled out to the AirPods Pro in 2020, and now works on select Mac devices with Apple Silicon and macOS Monterey. Since its introduction, Spatial Audio has received significant updates to make the technology more accessible for users. It was initially designed for watching movies and TV shows that were encoded with 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, or Dolby Atmos. On supported content and devices, the surround sound feature revolutionized the listening experience. With just a pair of AirPods, users could experience 360-degree sound that moved with them, creating immersive audio that would otherwise require a pricey speaker array.
The company's leap in expanding Spatial Audio compatibility came with the announcement of high-fidelity Apple Music tracks ahead of its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in 2021. After the release, new levels of audio quality and features were introduced for users with both an Apple Music subscription and select AirPods. Lossless audio, which preserves the full studio-quality sound of a given song, was accessible on any of the company's 75 million tracks offered on Apple Music. Though through AirPods, the sound quality is limited by the Bluetooth standard, as is any wireless headset. More importantly, the move brought Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos certification to many of the service's albums, making the feature mainstream and accessible to many Apple Music and AirPods users.
Related: This Smart Speaker Shoots Sound Right At You
The latest PC software version from Apple, macOS 12 Monterey, was revealed in the summer of 2021 and released a few months later. With it came promises of new features for Apple Silicon MacBooks and desktops, including Universal Control
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