Dolby Atmos Music, the immersive music format that uses the same object-based technology as Dolby Atmos for movies, is now available on Tidal to subscribers of that service’s HiFi tier. Tidal now hosts a growing library of music available in Dolby Atmos from Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. The current library includes songs from some of the world’s biggest artists such as The Weeknd, Blondie, Ariana Grande, and others. Tidal says it is also working with its artist-owners, including Jay-Z, to mix their catalogs in Dolby Atmos, which are expected to become available in 2020.
To take advantage of Dolby Atmos Music on Tidal you’ll need a HiFi level membership which normally costs $20 per month, and a compatible device. For now, that list of devices is limited to specific Android smartphones and tablets that Tidal has authorized to receive Dolby Atmos:
If you have one of these devices, you can hear Dolby Atmos Music through the built-in speakers, or a set of connected headphones.
Dolby Labs says it’s working with Tidal and its device partners to bring Atmos Music to more devices in the future.
Prior to this announcement, the only way to experience Dolby Atmos Music was via Amazon Music HD, but only if you own Amazon’s Echo Studio, a 3D-sound smart speaker that is compatible with the immersive format. Strangely, there’s currently no way to get Atmos Music on an Atmos-equipped home theater speaker system or soundbar, even if you can access Amazon Music HD or Tidal HiFi on those setups.
The addition of Dolby Atmos Music to Tidal brings the total number of streaming services that support it to two. Hopefully, 2020 will bring further announcements about streaming and device support.
Dolby Atmos Music is expanding its reach at the same time that Sony is developing access to its own immersive music format, Sony 360 Reality Audio, which is available on Amazon Music HD, Tidal, and Deezer. It’s not clear yet whether artists will release their music in both formats, or if certain labels will be exclusively connected to one format.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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