Dolby Atmos Music is now available to Tidal HiFi subscribers

Tidal, our favourite music streaming service, is dishing up some Christmas cheer by granting top tier members a sleigh-load of Dolby Atmos Music. 

Much like the surround sound Dolby Atmos format for films, Dolby's latest audio experience involves height channels to make music sound more immersive.

From today, subscribers to Tidal's HiFi tier will be able to enjoy Dolby Atmos recordings from the likes of Blondie, The Weeknd and Jay-Z (who purchased the streaming service for $56m back in 2015).

Tidal's premium plan is typically £20 per month, but from now until the 30th December new subscribers can get five months of it (or any other Tidal plan) for just £5 / $5.

Aside from a HiFi subscription, to enjoy Dolby Atmos Music you'll need an Atmos-compatible Android phone such as a Samsung Galaxy S10+, or an Android tablet. Atmos tracks are badged with a Dolby logo, and Tidal will automatically default to the Dolby Atmos experience where available.

Tidal says it plans to rapidly expand its fairly humble Atmos catalogue in 2020 by helping artists mix their recordings in the codec.

“Dolby Atmos is redefining how music is created, allowing artists and fans to experience it like never before,” says  John Couling of Dolby Laboratories. “Together with Tidal, we are expanding the reach of Dolby Atmos Music by enabling a more immersive way for people around the world to enjoy their favourite songs and albums.”

With Sony's new 360 Reality Audio immersive format also supported by Tidal, as well as Amazon Music HD, it seems a next-gen audio format war is well and truly hotting up.

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