Amazon Casts Wider Net With Spatial Audio Offering

Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can now stream music mixed in 3D spatial audio on iOS and Android devices with their existing headphones, along with devices that support Alexa Cast, said Amazon Music Tuesday. That playback capability was previously available only on the Amazon Echo Studio smart speaker and select Sony speakers. The service is also making its 75 million lossless, HD songs (16-bit, 44.1 kHz), and over 7 million Ultra HD (24-bit, up to 192 kHz) available to all Unlimited subscribers, at no extra cost to their subscription, starting at $7.99 monthly for an individual plan for Prime members. Amazon cited new releases from Finneas, Lil Nas X and Remi Wolf as titles mixed in spatial audio that are now available to subscribers. Also beginning Tuesday, subscribers can hear Alicia Keys’ full catalog in Sony’s immersive 360 Reality Audio. In November, Amazon Music will exclusively release Mercury–Act 1, an extended play from Imagine Dragons, mixed in Dolby Atmos, it said. The five-track recording has music from the band’s album release livestream. Consumers can stream spatial audio with Alexa Cast on Sony devices that support 360 Reality Audio with Alexa Cast including the SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 wireless speakers and HT-A9, HT-A7000, and HT-A5000 home theater systems. Later this year, customers will be able to listen to music mixed in Dolby Atmos on the Sonos Arc and second-generation Beam sound bars when streaming Amazon Music Unlimited from the Sonos app, Amazon said.