Apple Music offering 10% higher royalties to select artists
Apple Music is now giving artists a chance to earn up to 10% more in royalties if their songs are available in spatial audio. As reported by 9to5Mac, this is starting with January's payouts. The latest move is designed to encourage musicians to create music in spatial audio that offers an amazing surround sound experience when using compatible headphones such as AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max.
Royalty bonus applies even in this condition
What's cool is that the 10% bonus payout applies to all Apple Music tracks with spatial audio, even if listeners don't choose that version. The bonus is calculated based on the ratio of 'Spatial Available to Non-Spatial Available' plays. So, if an artist has all their music in spatial format (using Dolby Atmos mastering), they'll get the 10% royalty boost even if no one listens to the spatial version.
Rapid growth of spatial audio catalog and user adoption
Apple reveals that over 90% of subscribers have tried listening to songs in spatial audio, and the total number of spatial audio plays has more than tripled in the past two years. Since its introduction in 2021, the amount of tracks available in spatial audio has skyrocketed by nearly 5,000%, with that number more than doubling in just the last year. The new financial incentives could help speed up the adoption of spatial audio in Apple Music's catalog even more.
Rewarding artists for higher quality content and effort
Apple sees this 10% bonus as both a reward for artists creating higher quality content and as compensation for the extra time and effort needed to mix in Dolby Atmos. With most new smartphones, wireless earbuds, and tablets promoting spatial audio as a key feature, this move by Apple Music could lead to more money for artists and further expansion of the spatial audio market.
