In an interview with Billboard, Apple’s Apple Music and Beats VP Oliver Schusser detailed the use of spatial audio and lossless audio on streaming media platforms.
Apple Music received spatial audio and lossless audio support in June 2021, and Apple promised that its entire 75 million-song catalog would be available in a lossless format, and according to Schusser, the company has delivered on its promise.
While the entire Apple Music catalogue supports higher-quality formats, the limitations of Bluetooth and the inability of headphones like AirPods to play lossless audio remains a challenge, Schusser said.
In terms of spatial audio, Apple has partnered with music studios to continuously introduce new songs that support spatial audio, while still focusing on ensuring the quality of the song’s mix. According to Schusser, more than 50 percent of Apple Music subscribers are using spatial audio.
It was previously reported that Apple is solving the limitations of Bluetooth by creating a new wireless protocol, and the next-generation high-end AirPods Pro, which is expected to be launched this year, supports lossless audio playback.