Music streaming on Apple Music in 5.1 (Dolby Audio)

[scooob]

As we've discussed a lot, he amount of Atmos stuff flowing to Apple TV is quite something. But I really don't get it, frankly. Although many titles have surround masters already available, I can't imagine "Atmos-ing" being a trivial task...or are there just a plethora of mixing engineers that have kept all this quiet for some time?? I'm not complaining, I'm just trying to understand.

The titles listed in this thread are existing quad and 5.1 mixes created years ago, that are probably fairly trivial to package as "Dolby Audio" titles in Apple Music. As for all the new releases and newly-mixed classics that are actually Atmos and listed as such, I share your amazement that Apple has put their considerable weight behind a push for this content. They apparently have a lot of leverage with the record labels to get them to fund creation of new Atmos mixes, but as we've all observed, the quality of the mixes can vary greatly, which may be due to a lack of qualified / experienced engineers to suddenly do all this work. Maybe that's better discussed on one of the Atmos threads though.

In any case, we can only hope it continues, both the old stuff as Dolby Audio and the new Atmos mixes, and that Apple doesn't eventually give up on Spatial Audio, if it doesn't prove to be popular enough.

 

[sjcorne]

Any tips on how you manage to hunt them down? I don't usually see them listed in Apple's Spatial Audio section, or its corresponding genre playlists...

...there is no easy way to find them right now unfortunately, you have to search through all the tracks of all the artists you knew had old Quads and hope you find the Quad gold!!

I'd add that it's all Sony-controlled stuff, which covers the CBS & RCA '70s quad catalogs + all the 5.1 mixes that they issued on single-layer SACD in the early-2000s.

 

[ted_b]

The titles listed in this thread are existing quad and 5.1 mixes created years ago, that are probably fairly trivial to package as "Dolby Audio" titles in Apple Music. As for all the new releases and newly-mixed classics that are actually Atmos and listed as such, I share your amazement that Apple has put their considerable weight behind a push for this content. They apparently have a lot of leverage with the record labels to get them to fund creation of new Atmos mixes, but as we've all observed, the quality of the mixes can vary greatly, which may be due to a lack of qualified / experienced engineers to suddenly do all this work. Maybe that's better discussed on one of the Atmos threads though.

In any case, we can only hope it continues, both the old stuff as Dolby Audio and the new Atmos mixes, and that Apple doesn't eventually give up on Spatial Audio, if it doesn't prove to be popular enough.

Thanks, and yes I tried to delete or edit to "sorry, wrong thread" but by that time you had responded (nicely, thank you). I realized that I posted in wrong thread, but too late. Doh!!!

 

[scooob]

Thanks, and yes I tried to delete or edit to "sorry, wrong thread" but by that time you had responded (nicely, thank you). I realized that I posted in wrong thread, but too late. Doh!!!

It's definitely confusing that there are multiple threads covering streaming surround content, including the "Listening to Now (In Dolby Atmos)" thread that mixes in streaming with physical disc releases. Not sure I have a good suggestion on how it could all be better organized though... maybe that's a task for the new mods that are looking to revamp the threads site-wide to make things easier? (Tough job that I don't envy doing, so thanks again to them!)

 

[marcb]

wow!! stunning find!!

this marks the first time the Quad of Byrdmaniax has been officially available outside of Japan and the first time its been legitimately released anywhere in discrete Quad since the Japanese Quad LP release was SQ-encoded! Apple's really delivering the goods now, amazing!!

As sjcorne noted, it’s looking like it’s Sony who is really delivering the goods - or at least clearing the decks of the easier to license titles...

 

[LennonCobain]

I just remembered that BS&T's GH was once slated for MC-SACD release - perhaps this is the quad transfer they did for that years ago and didn't use? It'd be nice if they could also find the announced/unreleased 5.1 mixes of Ramsay Lewis' Sun Goddess and Herbie Hancock's Future Shock.

View attachment 76537View attachment 76536

I am hoping that one day I will see Dolby Audio versions of the cancelled multichannel SACDs of Oasis albums Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants and Heathen Chemistry.

 

[fredblue]

As sjcorne noted, it’s looking like it’s Sony who is really delivering the goods - or at least clearing the decks of the easier to license titles...

i wouldn't underestimate Apple Music's influence and impact, not least since Apple Music's the only place to hear all these Quad & 5.1 offerings in fully discrete Surround Sound.

the Dolby Audio Quad/5.1 offerings on Apple's service are only available in 360 Reality Audio (2-ch encoded) form on competing services such as Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, etc and at present there's barely any equipment out there to decode 360RA.

also, what's been released so far hasn't had to be licensed from anyone, Sony control it all already. there may have been some clearances needed but in the case of most of their old Quad mixes i doubt it.

 

[JCDC]

i wouldn't underestimate Apple Music's influence and impact, not least since Apple Music's the only place to hear all these Quad & 5.1 offerings in fully discrete Surround Sound.

the Dolby Audio Quad/5.1 offerings on Apple's service are only available in 360 Reality Audio (2-ch encoded) form on competing services such as Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, etc and at present there's barely any equipment out there to decode 360RA.

also, what's been released so far hasn't had to be licensed from anyone, Sony control it all already. there may have been some clearances needed but in the case of most of their old Quad mixes i doubt it.

I'm slightly repeating what I've just posted in the "Dolby/Apple, Now Listening..." thread.

The lack of fanfare over these releases is stunning to me. Especially as we're seeing unreleased mixes being uploaded by Sony.

It's obvious, at this point, that Sony have quietly committed to a programme of releases. They're paying someone, or a team, to get these mixes into the digital realm. I really feel that Apple should be making a bigger deal about this.

I'm planning to contact someone at Apple Music to suggest more could be done in the hope that it could be easier to find these mixes in the future and maybe try and persuade other companies about the gold they're sitting on right now.

 

[Bob Romano]

https://music.apple.com/us/album/aloha-from-hawaii-via-satellite-live/1051104652
https://music.apple.com/us/album/elvis-country/356448934

 

[LennonCobain]

I'm slightly repeating what I've just posted in the "Dolby/Apple, Now Listening..." thread.

The lack of fanfare over these releases is stunning to me. Especially as we're seeing unreleased mixes being uploaded by Sony.

It's obvious, at this point, that Sony have quietly committed to a programme of releases. They're paying someone, or a team, to get these mixes into the digital realm. I really feel that Apple should be making a bigger deal about this.

I'm planning to contact someone at Apple Music to suggest more could be done in the hope that it could be easier to find these mixes in the future and maybe try and persuade other companies about the gold they're sitting on right now.

I think the lack of fanfare is because these legacy surround sound mixes aren’t presented in a spatial audio format. Spatial audio is what Apple is promoting.

What Sony is doing is truly remarkable when you consider its history in various format wars. Instead of committing 100% to 360 RA exclusivity, these mixes are being released in a competing format. Imagine if Sony did this back in the early 2000s and supported DVD-Audio (both in terms of media and hardware). Maybe this time around, Sony recognizes that the momentum behind Dolby might be too much to overcome, particularly if Apple Music has a non-compete agreement with Dolby.

 

[PurpleMoustache]

With an Apple Event in 5 days, I’m wondering if the recent influx of Audio releases (especially the Elvis ones) is them gearing up to “officially” announce quad/5.1/7.1 support.

 

[marcb]

i wouldn't underestimate Apple Music's influence and impact, not least since Apple Music's the only place to hear all these Quad & 5.1 offerings in fully discrete Surround Sound.

the Dolby Audio Quad/5.1 offerings on Apple's service are only available in 360 Reality Audio (2-ch encoded) form on competing services such as Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, etc and at present there's barely any equipment out there to decode 360RA.

also, what's been released so far hasn't had to be licensed from anyone, Sony control it all already. there may have been some clearances needed but in the case of most of their old Quad mixes i doubt it.

I didn’t say it had previously been licensed. I said easier to license.

If Apple had THAT much influence though, we’d be seeing Aerosmith, Chicago, Santana and so on. Other than Elvis, we‘re seeing mostly titles by acts we’ve seen before (though not necessarily a previously released title) or pretty minor acts (at least in 2022 terms), i.e. easy or easier acts/titles to clear legally.

I think this is largely Sony driving the car and Apple happily riding along.

What we don’t know is how much energy and resources Sony is committing to working out the hurdles with the bigger dogs. Hopefully they are.

 

[GroovinGarrett]

wow!! stunning find!!

this marks the first time the Quad of Byrdmaniax has been officially available outside of Japan and the first time its been legitimately released anywhere in discrete Quad since the Japanese Quad LP release was SQ-encoded! Apple's really delivering the goods now, amazing!!

I found that one by accident! I was hoping to find the unissued 5.1 mix of Fifth Dimension

 

[fredblue]

I found that one by accident! I was hoping to find the unissued 5.1 mix of Fifth Dimension

it's coming

 

[fredblue]

I didn’t say it had previously been licensed. I said easier to license.

If Apple had THAT much influence though, we’d be seeing Aerosmith, Chicago, Santana and so on. Other than Elvis, we‘re seeing mostly titles by acts we’ve seen before (though not necessarily a previously released title) or pretty minor acts (at least in 2022 terms), i.e. easy or easier acts/titles to clear legally.

I think this is largely Sony driving the car and Apple happily riding along.

What we don’t know is how much energy and resources Sony is committing to working out the hurdles with the bigger dogs. Hopefully they are.

in this instance they don't need licencing at all, Sony control them already. there are exceptions where artists have the final say but in the case of the old CBS Quads not as many as people think.

two of the Aerosmith Quads (Rocks & Get Your Wings) are available right now in 360RA on Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited. hopefully they will be released in Dolby Audio on Apple Music before UMG take over the catalogue.

Chicago's in WEA's hands now, including all the CBS Quads, hence Rhino's Quadio box set, so i think we can forget about seeing any Chicago Quads on Apple Music or in 360RA form anywhere anytime soon.

Sony control the Santana catalogue, they just don't want to give it away, various labels have tried licencing certain titles over the years, other than MFSL, pretty much to no avail.

i don't know which 'bigger dogs' you're alluding to? even in the case of an artist such as Paul Simon, who anecdotally refused to countenance his CBS Quads being reissued (including S&G's Bridge Over Troubled Water, where the Sony Japan Quad SACD got cancelled, we don't actually know how true any of that speculation ever was but still..) well, even some of his Quads are now available in 360RA on Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited and it feels like Apple Music Dolby Audio offerings of S&G and his solo work can't be far behind.

i think Sony are as committed as we could hope for at this stage, between the Sony Japan 7" SACDs, Dutton Vocalion's SACDs of CBS & RCA Quads and the latest streaming Dolby Audio & 360RA push, Sony have been involved in the reissue of more of their old Quads in the last 5 years than at any time in the previous 40 years.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

in this instance they don't need licencing at all, Sony control them already. there are exceptions where artists have the final say but in the case of the old CBS Quads not as many as people think.

two of the Aerosmith Quads (Rocks & Get Your Wings) are available right now in 360RA on Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited. hopefully they will be released in Dolby Audio on Apple Music before UMG take over the catalogue.

Chicago's in WEA's hands now, including all the CBS Quads, hence Rhino's Quadio box set, so i think we can forget about seeing any Chicago Quads on Apple Music or in 360RA form anywhere anytime soon.

Sony control the Santana catalogue, they just don't want to give it away, various labels have tried licencing certain titles over the years, other than MFSL, pretty much to no avail.

i don't know which 'bigger dogs' you're alluding to? even in the case of an artist such as Paul Simon, who anecdotally refused to countenance his CBS Quads being reissued (including S&G's Bridge Over Troubled Water, where the Sony Japan Quad SACD got cancelled, we don't actually know how true any of that speculation ever was but still..) well, even some of his Quads are now available in 360RA on Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited and it feels like Apple Music Dolby Audio offerings of S&G and his solo work can't be far behind.

i think Sony are as committed as we could hope for at this stage, between the Sony Japan 7" SACDs, Dutton Vocalion's SACDs of CBS & RCA Quads and the latest streaming Dolby Audio & 360RA push, Sony have been involved in the reissue of more of their old Quads in the last 5 years than at any time in the previous 40 years.

What about this recent news?

https://variety.com/2021/music/news/paul-simon-catalog-sony-music-1234941863/

 

[fredblue]

oh yeah and i forgot wrt Santana, there are several Santana Quads in 360RA on Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited already, including a, Borboletta, Festival & Love Devotion Surrender. hopefully these and maybe others might be forthcoming in Dolby Audio on Apple Music at some point

 

[humprof]

What about this recent news?

https://variety.com/2021/music/news/paul-simon-catalog-sony-music-1234941863/

Publishing, not recordings.

 

[fredblue]

What about this recent news?

https://variety.com/2021/music/news/paul-simon-catalog-sony-music-1234941863/

ah yes, that maybe why they've become available, maybe just a coincidence. i suspect some of these things come about (or don't!) because they are artist-driven, others may be a push by a label or someone at a label who champions/believes in Quad.

ah who knows, what we do know is we're getting more Quad lately than ever, i'll celebrate that til it stops (and then go back to my usual whinging about the lack of new releases!

 

[fredblue]

Publishing, not recordings.

ah.. there you go Mister P!