Apple Music takes lossless audio to Mercedes-Benz

The deal announced on Sunday will make Mercedes the first non-Apple device to offer spatial audio with Dolby Atmos from Apple Music in a vehicle. Spatial audio delivers a surround sound experience.

Mercedes-Benz owners can now access the tool for $9.99 a month.

“Sound quality is incredibly important to Apple Music, which is music available natively in the car for the first time,” Apple Music chief Oliver Schusser said.

Apple Music added lossless audio and spatial audio formats with support from Dolby Atmos for free about a year ago. Apple devices that support Dolby Atmos include the iPhone, iPad, Mac models, AirPods and Beats headphones with an H1 or W1 chip. Spatial audio on Apple Music later expanded to Android devices.

The feature will be rolled out in phases, starting with the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, followed by the EQE sedan, EQE SUV, EQS sedan and EQS SUV.

The companies believe the new move will set a new benchmark for music. As part of the agreement, Universal will let recording artists approve their final song based on how it sounds in a Mercedes-Benz. It will also introduce a seal as “a gold standard of sound,” the companies said.

Earlier this year, Apple said its next-generation CarPlay system will power the vehicle’s entire instrument cluster, putting it, once again, directly in competition with Google’s in-vehicle operation system Android Automotive OS.

According to a survey by Mercedes, more than 70% of music consumers listen to music mostly in a car. Another study conducted by the company in cooperation with Appinio found that nearly 72% of car drivers said that they are unable to imagine driving a car without music. Two out of three of the respondents said in-car sound quality is important for them.