Amazon Music Brings Spatial Audio to More Customers Than Ever Before

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Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can now enjoy spatial audio streaming on various devices, including existing headphones, without needing special equipment. The new feature includes music mixed in Sony's 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos, featuring artists like Alicia Keys and Coldplay. This development enhances the audio experience for all subscribers, who can access HD and Ultra HD music at no additional cost. Subscribers can stream over 75 million songs, with many albums in high-quality formats available, further expanding the audio library since its initial launch in 2019.

Positive

Spatial audio streaming now available on existing headphones, enhancing user experience.
Access to HD and Ultra HD music at no additional cost to existing Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers.
New music catalog significantly expanded with popular artists and albums available in spatial audio formats.
Trial offer for new customers allows three months of premium service free, potentially increasing subscriber base.

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10/19/2021 - 09:10 AM

Starting today, Amazon Music Unlimited customers can listen to spatial audio on more devices than ever before—including their existing headphones—with no special equipment required

New music mixed in Sony’s 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos is streaming now, from artists including Alicia Keys, Coldplay, FINNEAS, Lil Nas X, and Remi Wolf

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ: AMZN) Today, Amazon Music announced that subscribers to its Unlimited tier can now stream music mixed in spatial audio on more devices than ever before, including iOS and Android devices with their existing headphones—no special equipment required—and on select devices that support Alexa Cast. Originally introduced to Amazon Music customers in 2019, spatial audio puts the listener inside of the music, with an immersive, multidimensional audio experience. Beginning today, customers can hear new releases from artists including FINNEAS, Lil Nas X, and Remi Wolf with unparalleled space, clarity, and depth to the music—no upgrade required. Learn more at amazon.com/unlimited.

“We’ve always believed that the highest-quality audio possible should be the norm for streaming music, and that’s why today, we’re making spatial audio available to our customers without any special equipment needed, and no upgrade required,” said Steve Boom, vice president of Amazon Music. “We can’t wait for even more fans around the world to be able to hear the vibrancy and nuance of music in spatial audio with just their favorite headphones, and discover new details in the albums they love for the very first time.”

Amazon Music subscribers can hear brand-new albums in spatial audio, including Remi Wolf’s debut album Juno, FINNEAS’ recently released album Optimist, and Rüfüs Du Sol’s fourth album Surrender, out this Friday. Starting today, fans can also hear Alicia Keys’ full catalog in 360 Reality Audio, including classic albums like Songs in A Minor and Girl on Fire. In November, Amazon Music will exclusively release Mercury – Act 1 (Amazon Music Live), a brand-new EP from Imagine Dragons, mixed in Dolby Atmos. The five-track EP features music from the band’s album release livestream, which was recorded from the rooftop of the Amazon Music office in Brooklyn.

"We recorded our new album Mercury - Act I with Rick Rubin at Shangri-La studios in Malibu, and it's great to have a new avenue for people to experience the space and depth in those rooms through these new Dolby Atmos mixes,” said Imagine Dragons. “We're excited to share our first acoustic live EP of some of these tracks, that we recorded with Amazon Music.”

“Over the last year, my engineer Ann Mincieli and I worked passionately to reimagine my catalog in 360 Reality Audio, a process that found us poring through music we love endlessly!” said Alicia Keys. “Making these spatial audio mixes revealed unforgettable moments—little details that define a song but tend to hide in the mix. I’m so proud of the results, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love all over again with my music in 360 Reality Audio on Amazon Music.”

In addition to listening with their existing headphones, customers can stream spatial audio with Alexa Cast on select devices, including the Echo Studio, Amazon’s best-sounding Echo ever. Additional devices that support 360 Reality Audio with Alexa Cast include Sony’s SRS-RA5000 or SRS-RA3000 wireless speakers, and home theater systems such as HT-A9, HT-A7000, or HT-A5000. And later this year, customers will also be able to hear music mixed in Dolby Atmos on the Sonos Arc and Beam (Gen 2) soundbars when streaming Amazon Music from the Sonos app. Music available in Dolby Atmos brings listeners closer to their favorite artists and songs, and allows them to experience music the way that artists intended.

Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers with an Individual, Family, or Student Plan will now automatically have access to spatial audio and to HD and Ultra HD music at no extra cost to their subscription—no upgrade required. While this access was previously only available as a separate tier of streaming, now all subscribers can stream music in the highest-quality streaming audio, including albums from Coldplay, Lil Nas X, Pink Floyd, Alicia Keys, and P!NK. For a limited time, new customers can also now experience premium-quality streaming audio free for three months when they subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited.

With Amazon Music Unlimited, customers can stream more than 75 million lossless, High Definition (HD) songs, with a bit depth of 16 bits and a sample rate of at least 44.1 kHz (CD quality). Customers can also stream more than 7 million songs in Ultra HD (better than CD quality), with a bit depth of 24 bits and a sample rate up to 192 kHz, which reveals even more nuances that were once lost in files compressed for digital streaming.

The selection of Ultra HD songs on Amazon Music has tripled since the format was introduced in 2019, providing customers with a wide selection of music in Ultra HD. Customers also have access to a rapidly growing catalog of songs mixed in Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio, a catalog that has grown by more than 20 times since spatial audio was originally introduced to Amazon Music customers.

Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plans are available for $7.99/month for Prime members and $9.99/month for Amazon customers. Family Plan customers can stream Amazon Music Unlimited on up to six devices for $14.99/month.

About Amazon Music
Amazon Music reimagines music listening by enabling customers to unlock millions of songs and thousands of curated playlists and stations with their voice. Amazon Music provides unlimited access to new releases and classic hits across iOS and Android mobile devices, PC, Mac, Echo, and Alexa-enabled devices including Fire TV and more. With Amazon Music, Prime members have access to ad-free listening of 2 million songs at no additional cost to their membership. Listeners can also enjoy the premium subscription service, Amazon Music Unlimited, which provides access to more than 75 million songs and the latest new releases. Amazon Music Unlimited customers also now have access to the highest-quality listening experience available, with more than 75 million songs available in High Definition (HD), more than 7 million songs in Ultra HD, and a growing catalog of spatial audio. Customers also have free access to an ad-supported selection of top playlists and stations on Amazon Music. All Amazon Music tiers now offer a wide selection of podcasts at no additional cost, and live streaming in partnership with Twitch. Engaging with music and culture has never been more natural, simple, and fun. For more information, visit amazonmusic.com or download the Amazon Music app.