Photo Credit: Amazon
Through a partnership with Dolby Atmos, music from Warner Music Group is now available on Amazon Music HD.
WMG teamed up with Dolby to bring Dolby Atmos support to its entire catalog of albums. Dolby says it is working closely with artists, record labels, and streaming services to make its services widely available.
John Couling, Senior Vice President of Commercial Partnerships at Dolby — says WMG was a crucial partner.
“Artists are excited to work in Dolby Atmos because it enables them to produce their music in a more personal, authentic, and immersive way. Warner Music Group is an important partner helping us push the industry forward by bringing Dolby Atmos to its legendary catalog.”
Warner Music Group tracks are now available in Dolby Atmos on Echo Studio. You’ll need an Amazon Music HD subscription to listen to the music. Dolby claims that its Atmos Music technology allows music fans to “discover hidden details and subtleties with unparalleled clarity.”
Dolby Atmos technology has existed for a while on smartphones. It does make a difference in listening quality, but whether music fans will pay more for that is the true question. Amazon Music is the first major streaming service to embrace the HD format with gusto.
Spotify tested offering lossless quality audio but found the general public didn’t much care for hi-def audio. Meanwhile, Amazon is doing what they can to push hi-def listening to those who want it.
The company recently recruited Neil Young to extol the virtues of hi-def listening. Young tried to pioneer hi-def mp3 players about five years ago, so the partnership made sense.
It will be interesting to see if Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Spotify start offering HD tracks in 2020. For now, the Amazon Music HD catalog is continually growing through partnerships like this one.