Apple Music - Lossless Atmos Playback?

[Guy Robinson]

So I hear a lot on various threads here that Apple music is not lossless. Practically everything I play says lossless on it including Dolbt Atmos. Whats up?

 

[johnbs]

So I hear a lot on various threads here that Apple music is not lossless. Practically everything I play says lossless on it including Dolbt Atmos. Whats up?

You are confused between lossless stereo and lossy Atmos

 

[Guy Robinson]

You are confused between lossless stereo and lossy Atmos

Okay but on Apple Music they both say Lossless.

 

[himey]

Okay but on Apple Music they both say Lossless.

Apple Atmos is lossy but contained in a Dolby MAT format output, which shows up as lossless. I think it was said that they do it so they can incorporate system sounds.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Apple Atmos is lossy but contained in a Dolby MAT format output, which shows up as lossless. I think it was said that they do it so they can incorporate system sounds.

Thanks for the info. It still generally sounds pretty damn good to my 70 year old ears.

 

[johnbs]

Thanks for the info. It still generally sounds pretty damn good to my 70 year old ears.

It sounds good if done well, but comparison with lossless Atmos (e.g. Bluray) can show a significant difference in some cases.

 

[himey]

It sounds good if done well, but comparison with lossless Atmos (e.g. Bluray) can show a significant difference in some cases.

This is an Apple tips and tricks thread. What's your trick for getting lossless Atmos to play on an Apple TV?

 

[Guy Robinson]

This is an Apple tips and tricks thread. What's your trick for getting lossless Atmos to play on an Apple TV?

Best not to compare them then.

 

[himey]

Best not to compare them then.

The problem with Blu-ray Atmos music is the limited selection. Lossy Atmos sounds great on my setup, and I listen to both varieties. Compared to the stereo releases these days that are dynamically crushed, lossy Atmos sound like a revelation.

 

[LB-V]

Nothing is being converted - well, at least by the extractor. Atmos is output from an ATV4K as 7.1 24/48 PCM. 5.1 and quad mixes are output as 5.1 24/48 PCM. Simply put, the atmos metadata are embedded in the 6&7 channels of the 7.1 - which are then decoded by your AVR if it's Atmos capable (and the internal AVR settings are set to decode as Atmos) OR ignored if you don't have an Atmos capable AVR (or have the internal setting set not to decode Atmos on an Atmos AVR). Either way, your receiver will simply see it as 7.1 24/48 PCM.

I just recently started with an Apple TV and just as recently with an Anthem pre/pro and have really been enjoying the 7.1 and 5 1. Okay, I currently downmix to my 4.1 set up...but still, so much good stuff out there with the Atmos and more limited, Dolby Audio 5.1 from Apple. It's very tempting to think about adding the surrounds....get to 6.1, then what.....height speakers...OMG. But the 4.1 sounds great....so curious what the added speakers bring to the presentation. I've never really enjoyed the center channel, but will probably give it another try also. Why not? Anyway, appreciate the clear description of the Atmos stream / file.

 

[stereoptic]

Okay but on Apple Music they both say Lossless.

Are you referring to what is displayed on the album selected? For instance on The Police Greatest Hits displays "Dolby ATMOS, Lossless, and Apple Digital Master. I may be wrong, but the "Lossless" and the "Apple DIgital Master" refer to the stereo playback.

 

[JediJoker]

Are you referring to what is displayed on the album selected? For instance on The Police Greatest Hits displays "Dolby ATMOS, Lossless, and Apple Digital Master. I may be wrong, but the "Lossless" and the "Apple DIgital Master" refer to the stereo playback.View attachment 88246

You are correct.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Are you referring to what is displayed on the album selected? For instance on The Police Greatest Hits displays "Dolby ATMOS, Lossless, and Apple Digital Master. I may be wrong, but the "Lossless" and the "Apple DIgital Master" refer to the stereo playback.

Thanks. This makes sense now.

 

[marcb]

This is an Apple tips and tricks thread. What's your trick for getting lossless Atmos to play on an Apple TV?

There is no trick as of yet (and god only knows how long, if ever). The atmos via Apple Music is downsampled’ to lossy DD+ then being “upconverted” to 7.1 24/48 PCM for transmission from the ATV4K via HDMI to your AVR.

 

[marcb]

Thanks for the info. It still generally sounds pretty damn good to my 70 year old ears.

it doesn’t sound bad, but the improvement when compared to lossless sources is quite apparent.

 

[perzon57]

it doesn’t sound bad, but the improvement when compared to lossless sources is quite apparent.

I've compared some that I have on BD with the Apple Music counterpart, and I hear the difference. But what I love with Apple Music is all the fantastic Atmos mixes that are not and will not be on disc.

 

[marcb]

I've compared some that I have on BD with the Apple Music counterpart, and I hear the difference. But what I love with Apple Music is all the fantastic Atmos mixes that are not and will not be on disc.

Abosolutely. And, yes, the vast majority will never be on a physical disc.

What’s a shame is we can’t get lossless streaming of atmos mixes. Maybe one day…

 

[FooBarFoo]

Thanks. This makes sense now.

Abosolutely. And, yes, the vast majority will never be on a physical disc.

What’s a shame is we can’t get lossless streaming of atmos mixes. Maybe one day…

Keep asking.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/apple-music.html
Hope is not a strategy.

But everyone being a very polite and persistent pain in the ass and submitting feedback seems to be working for a lot of the issues we have come across.

 

[marcb]

Keep asking.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/apple-music.html
Hope is not a strategy.

But everyone being a very polite and persistent pain in the ass and submitting feedback seems to be working for a lot of the issues we have come across.

More power to you, but Apple will do it when they’re good and ready to it.

 

[FooBarFoo]

More power to you, but Apple will do it when they’re good and ready to it.

It has nothing to do with me or my power (huge thanks for more power, lol), but it does have everything to do with everyone wanting higher bitrate/lossless Atmos needing to ask for it.

Simply put, it's a numbers game. The more people ask, the higher the visibility of the request, and the better our chances. If no one asks, then how do they know customers actually want something more?

I'll politely agree to disagree- they will actually do it when enough customers demand it. Meeting needs and delivering features are the basics to growing any business.

So I stand by my original comment- If you want a feature, ask for it. The feedback site or support are great mechanisms. Otherwise it's practically useless to complain here at QQ about not having what you want if you are never willing to ask.