Immersive audio experiences in vehicles are not new, but experiencing original Dolby Atmos content, released and certified by Universal Music Group to be reproduced in a Burmester 4D sound system with delivery via Apple Music's Spatial Audio to a Mercedes or Maybach vehicle, is a whole other level. While the Dolby Atmos content is adapted to the specific audio playback system in the vehicle, Universal and Dolby say they are able to certify the experience as comparable to what can be experienced in Capitol Records, a recognized reference environment for mixing Dolby Atmos content.
"Sound quality is incredibly important to Apple Music which is why we are so excited to be working with Mercedes to make Spatial Audio on Apple Music available natively in the car for the first time," says Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. "Spatial Audio is revolutionizing the way artists create and fans listen to music and it’s an experience that is impossible to explain in words; you have to hear it for yourself to appreciate it. Together with Mercedes, we now have even more opportunities to bring wholly immersive music to our subscribers all over the world."
Mercedes-Benz drivers who are already subscribed to Apple Music gain immediate access to an ever-growing selection of songs and albums available in Spatial Audio from some of the world’s biggest artists spanning all genres, including hip-hop, country, Latin, pop, and classical. Apple Music also offers curated Spatial Audio playlists like Driving in Spatial Audio and Hip-Hop in Spatial Audio, where listeners can find and discover songs from their favorite artists. Additionally, subscribers can access Apple Music’s entire catalog of 100 million songs, thousands of editorially curated playlists, and daily selections from the world’s best music experts, including all of the artists and hosts broadcasting across its Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country global live-stream radio stations.
The limited edition Mercedes‑Maybach by Virgil Abloh (picture above), released to consumers recently, was one of the first cars in the world — and the first model in the Mercedes‑Benz lineup — to offer this superior, multidimensional soundscape powered by the Burmester high-end 4D sound system. The technology will be rolled out to other models soon.
The Burmester high-end 4D sound system includes 31 speakers, including six 3D speakers that emit their sound from above, 4 near-ear speakers in the front seats, an 18.5-liter subwoofer, 8 full-range speakers (two per seat), and 2 multichannel amplifiers totaling 1750 watts of power.
Universal Music Group
Mercedes-Benz also announced a new collaboration with Apple Music and Universal Music Group (UMG) that aims to revolutionize how music is played back and enjoyed in the car – and beyond. Understanding that many musicians and recording artists already base their approval of a new mix of a track on how it sounds when played in a car, Mercedes‑Benz, Apple Music and UMG established a collaboration that builds upon the integration of Dolby Atmos immersive audio in the optional Burmester high-end 4D and 3D sound systems offered in Mercedes‑Benz vehicles with the latest MBUX generation.
With this new audio standard, Universal is enabling their recording artists to base their song approval process on how the final mix sounds in a Mercedes‑Benz and introduce the seal "Approved in a Mercedes‑Benz" as a gold standard of sound. Additionally Universal plans to set up a studio environment in Sindelfingen, Germany, based on its Capitol Studios’ Studio C, considered a major global reference music studio for Dolby Atmos mixing.
According to Mercedes-Benz, while 90% of the world’s population listens to music, an average person does so for 961 hours per year. Over 70% of music consumers state they listen to music mostly in a car. Next to this, almost 72% of car drivers state that they cannot imagine a car ride without music, while for two out of three of the respondents, in-car sound quality is important or very important.
"Our collaborations with Apple Music and Universal Music Group are truly unparalleled and set a new benchmark by adding music content and platform expertise to our Dolby Atmos-capable Burmester sound system. Both Apple and UMG share our vision and values and, together with Dolby, we will create a seamless and unique experience for our customers," says Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑Benz Group AG.
"This important step in the history of recorded music is the culmination of years of working together with our partners at Dolby to develop the Dolby Atmos Music format so we can provide our artists with an even wider palette for their creative expression. With Mercedes, a company that shares our passion for quality and innovation, fans can now enjoy our artists’ music in Mercedes cars in a way that virtually transports them to the recording studio or live stage," adds Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group.
"In 2021, we launched partnerships with both Mercedes‑Benz and Apple Music to bring music in Dolby Atmos to more people around the world," explains Kevin Yeaman, President and CEO of Dolby Laboratories. "Today, backed by a robust and growing catalogue of music available in Dolby Atmos from our partners at Universal Music Group, these efforts come together to give Mercedes customers a one-of-a-kind immersive music experience in Dolby Atmos, setting a new bar for how music should be heard in the car."
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