Apple Joining the Atmos streaming game!

[J. PUPSTER]

Unfortunately you have to hear these songs sung by Jennifer Hudson. Horrible.

Anything out in the last few weeks you really like Bob?

 

[Ephi82]

Apple can’t just put them on their Apple Music. They need to negotiate licensing for each one. That’s literally hundreds, perhaps thousands, of negotiations. That means lawyers, egos, money, labels, estates, locating the surround masters, determining current ownership rights, streaming exclusivity, etc. Some will be easy, some will be difficult, some impossible.

For newer releases/acts, it’s probably built into the process. But for older legacy acts/albums, it could take longer...much longer. I’m actually surprised they’ve been able to roll out as many older albums as they have (as relatively few there are).

I wonder what a deal like that would mean to the artist(s)? The surround masters are just sitting there, and it’s not like they’re selling any hard media anymore, seems like it would be found money?

 

[Cheezmo]

I wonder what a deal like that would mean to the artist(s)? The surround masters are just sitting there, and it’s not like they’re selling any hard media anymore, seems like it would be found money?

Just ask any artist how much money they are raking in from streaming services. A couple of hundred surround fanatics checking out their old quad mix would yield pennies.

 

[marcb]

I wonder what a deal like that would mean to the artist(s)? The surround masters are just sitting there, and it’s not like they’re selling any hard media anymore, seems like it would be found money?

As I wrote, it’s not necessarily the artist - or even how much (or little) money can be made.

There can be multiple parties involved and logic doesn’t always rule the day. Sometimes, for example, there could simply be a long-standing pissing contest between the two of the parties which results in a stalemate.

Some artists don’t care, some leave it to their management (who may not care). The list of possible roadblocks is lengthy.

As I said, some negotiations will be simple, many won’t, and some will be impossible.

There’s a reason why you see certain artists and titles re-issued in various formats over and over while others languish.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I'm seeing numbers online that - Apple Music pays the artists around $0.00783 per stream in 2021.

 

[marcb]

I'm seeing numbers online that - Apple Music pays the artists around $0.00783 per stream in 2021.

I’ll bet that the number for, say, getting exclusive rights to the Tattoo You Atmos mix is considerably higher than that. Maybe even a guarantee is involved.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I’ll bet that the number for, say, getting exclusive rights to the Tattoo You Atmos mix is considerably higher than that. Maybe even a guarantee is involved.

could be sure; looks like even different genres may have different standard pay rates.

 

[marcb]

could be sure; looks like even different genres may have different standard pay rates.

Regardless of pay rates, Apple can’t just put up old quad masters willy-nilly. They have to have streaming rights.

I imagine the reasons why some old surround mixes haven’t been released previously are still in play with streaming.

 

[fredblue]

Just ask any artist how much money they are raking in from streaming services. A couple of hundred surround fanatics checking out their old quad mix would yield pennies.

so true! while Quaddies bemoan the lack of availability of surround music, the hard truth is that surround music just doesn't sell in significant numbers, it never has.. and yet the labels, the artists, the engineers, the tech manufacturers, the whole music industry and beyond really, all keep their hand in in some shape or form, resurrecting it under some new name and delivery method every few years.. Atmos and Spatial Audio are the latest incarnation and a great new Surround initiative it is! lets see how long it sticks around for, a long time we all hope, of course.. but we shall see!

 

[marcb]

so true! while Quaddies bemoan the lack of availability of surround music, the hard truth is that surround music just doesn't sell in significant numbers, it never has.. and yet the labels, the artists, the engineers, the tech manufacturers, the whole music industry and beyond really, all keep their hand in in some shape or form, resurrecting it under some new name and delivery method every few years.. Atmos and Spatial Audio are the latest incarnation and a great new Surround initiative it is! lets see how long it sticks around for, a long time we all hope, of course.. but we shall see!

I hope it does, but I have a feeling the streaming of actual surround stuff is just an early adapter carrot for the headphone fake atmos wave.

 

[LennonCobain]

I'm seeing numbers online that - Apple Music pays the artists around $0.00783 per stream in 2021.

Any idea how that compares to royalties from traditional AM/FM broadcasts?

 

[popshop]

Streaming is even more complicated (and much worse) for lesser known acts because it's paid based on algorithms and not actual streams.
Traditional radio is $0.12 per play I believe.
Oddly, iTunes used to play pretty well when they sold mp3s. That was $0.63 per song purchase.
Bandcamp is still the best at $0.85.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Any idea how that compares to royalties from traditional AM/FM broadcasts?

Really no clue LC; the little bit I’ve read on the subject from places like BMI etc.; makes me believe it’s a real imprecise and tangled mess of a system, where the songwriter splits the payouts with their publishing company. Looks like it may be far simpler system for streamers.

Definitely a subject that needs its own thread, looks like a real rabbit hole of complexity.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Sound & Vision's Griffin & Mettler talk a little about expensive titles/box sets and Apple Spatial

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/spatial-place

 

[salsdali]

https://music.apple.com/us/album/hybrid-theory/528436018
very nice

this album was made for surround IMO and the atmos just enhances it even more

 

[Albert Dagger]

https://music.apple.com/us/album/hybrid-theory/528436018
very nice

this album was made for surround IMO and the atmos just enhances it even more

IMO, one of the best Atmos releases so far. Drums are much more punchy on this mix.

 

[woody]

I hope it does, but I have a feeling the streaming of actual surround stuff is just an early adapter carrot for the headphone fake atmos wave.

I get frustrated when QQ members go out of there way to criticize Atmos/Apple/Tidal with little/no actual experience of listening to the new format.

It’s a sure fire way of destroying the future of surround ( which in its current physical media form is nostalgia/niche related- rather than representing a form of media that has a sustainable future.)
Usual justification is hating Dolby/Apple or just large corporations in general, and the other bemoaning is attacking anthing that is perceived as “low rez’.

A case of ‘ a horse biting the hand that feeds it’.

 

[Strilo]

IMO, one of the best Atmos releases so far. Drums are much more punchy on this mix.

I really wish I could get into this band and this album more. I LOVE In The End, but that's about it for me. Too much angry screaming male.

 

[Ephi82]

Slightly off topic, but I finally figured out how to get Apple Music surround sound to play into my Audi‘s Bang and Olufsens audio system. The key was NOT to use the wonderful wireless Airplay interface, but to run a USB cable out of the phone into the cars USB port that feeds the multi media system. just drove home from work listening to Becks Sea Change. Ear candy!

 

[sjcorne]

just drove home from work listening to Becks Sea Change

Sea Change 5.1 is streaming on Apple Music? First I've heard of it.