Apple has announced that it will be paying additional royalties to artists who have a spatial audio version of their music on Apple Music. This move is set to take effect starting this month and is aimed at incentivizing artists to embrace spatial audio technology.
Key Takeaway
Apple will pay increased royalties to artists for having a spatial audio version of their music on Apple Music, regardless of the actual number of plays. This move reflects a broader industry trend towards embracing spatial audio technology.
Increased Royalties for Spatial Audio
According to reports, Apple will pay up to 10% additional royalty to artists who have all their songs available in spatial audio. Importantly, the extra royalties will not be dependent on users actually playing the spatial audio version of the songs.
The additional royalties will be calculated based on a ratio of the spatial-available version and the non-spatial available version of the music. This change is designed to reward higher quality content and ensure that artists are fairly compensated for the effort they put into mixing in spatial audio.
Industry Context
Apple’s decision to increase royalties for spatial audio comes at a time when other music streaming platforms are also exploring similar technologies. Amazon Prime Music, Tidal, and Deezer already offer spatial audio, while Spotify has been discussing the release of a Hi-Fi tier for some time.
Regulatory Environment
It’s worth noting that Apple’s announcement coincides with the European Union’s efforts to establish rules that would lead to better revenue distribution for artists from music streaming services. This move by Apple could be seen as a proactive step in response to the evolving regulatory landscape.
