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Apple Music plays 5.1 instead of Atmos

Logic, ProTools, Dolby Atmos renderer all play 7.1.4 well in my room. But Apple Music only seems to play 5.1 if “Dolby Atmos: Automatic” is selected and 2.0 if “Always On” is selected.

I’ve gone into Audio-MIDI setup and configured 7.1.4 there with all the right output, but Apple Music is maximum 5.1.

And solutions?

Posted on Apr 9, 2023 11:01 AM

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Thank you very much for your advice!! I can now play 7.1.2 by making 10ch virtual device using Loopback as you advised.


(The music app somehow start to play 5.1 again after I configure speakers on MIDI setup, so I configured them by changing routing on MOTU Audio control and it worked fine.)

Posted on Jun 12, 2023 7:55 PM

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24 replies

Aug 9, 2023 7:18 AM in response to digitalchris

Oh great to know we've got the same interface, I'll report back if I find anything out but I guess it'll have to be Loopback for now. I've got a ticket open with Lynx also to work through it with them. I was thinking basically the same thing you are in terms of it being solely an Apple problem, except that I've noticed on various tutorials online that some people have more Dolby Atmos options in the AudioMIDI app than I do. I only see 5.1.2 or 7.1.4 under the Atmos section (not 5.1.4, 7.1.2, 9.1.4 etc) whereas I've seen ppl with difference sound interfaces have many more options. This made me wonder if there is actually something more going on with the drivers, where the interface driver is reporting capabilities to CoreAudio. If that's the case, it is also possible that they are not reporting properly to enable Atmos I suppose.

Aug 9, 2023 5:26 PM in response to digitalchris

BTW I also have an Eventide H9000 that I normally only use via AES/EB, but is actually also a USB sound interface. I remembered it reports as 16/16 to the Mac so I decided to give it a try as the sound interface to see if the Mac would output Atmos properly and sure enough it seems to. I say seems to because all I did was check that when it is in 5.1.2 mode it outputs sound to all 8 channels when playing an Atmos movie in the TV app or Atmos music in the Music app. With the Lynx I only ever get the 6 channels (5.1) output no matter what the Atmos setting is.


True to the threads all over the internet, it seems like if your sound interface has more than 16 channels the Mac has a serious bug. Apple you need to fix this! It makes referencing commercial Atmos material on the same system we're mixing on (showing clients etc) super difficult.

Aug 10, 2023 1:20 PM in response to Kenny Luong1

Oh that's interesting, so on MacOS 13.5 I only see two options under the Atmos section, "5.1.2" and "7.1.4", is that the same for you Kenny? Unfortunately I don't remember what it was previously as I had previously run everything through my AV receiver but I'm changing my setup and want to reference on the same Genelec setup as I mix on.


So now I'm interested in what is in the unreleased version (14), I might have to install it on my wife's Macbook Air to check out whether the > 16 channels bug is fixed and also if the extra Atmos configs are back. Or does anyone else already have a Mac with that installed to check? I definitely don't want to go backwards in MacOS versions if possible.


Aug 20, 2023 5:23 PM in response to Kenny Luong1

I'm running Ventura 13.3.1 and I indeed have the option for 9.1.6 ... the setup works great. White noise test from AudioMIDISetup confirms that I'm all setup properly ...so half the battle is won, BUT some songs that I know use these extra channels (7.1.4 vs 9.1.6) in their mixes do NOT playback with a full 9.1.6 render of the songs through the Apple Music app. (I know this because I also have an Emotiva RMC-1 setup for 9.1.6 playback from Apple Music on via AppleTV4k... and this works GREAT!!!) It's as though the Atmos Playback Renderer in the current Apple Music app tops out at a 7.1.4 output. C'mon Apple, fix this!!!!

Aug 20, 2023 10:34 PM in response to matt.tricks

Well then I’m glad I never updated to 13.5. I’ll be sticking with 13.3.1 if thats really a 13.5 bug! My setup is a bit unconventional but here goes...


I am running GROUNDCONTROL SPHERE as my monitor controller and I have THREE 9.1.6 source inputs:


  1. Dolby Renderer 5.0.0 setup for 9.1.6 feeding SPHERE via the “SPHERE 16” virtual buss. (I work in Protools a lot so I always have Protools routed through the Dolby Renderer.)
  2. EMOTIVA RMC-1 running 9.1.6 feeding SPHERE input via an old school LYNX AURORA 16 (USB) via analog XLRs.
  3. A custom 16 channel virtual buss 9.1.6 created in Rogue Amoeba Loopback (for Apple Music as well as any other CPU originating audio.)


I run a single 9.1.6 OUTPUT from SPHERE via another custom Loopback 16 channel virtual buss mainly because I use two separate IO devices to hit my speakers. I run the LCR channels out to a MOTU 8D for my LCR speakers (JBL 708s) and the other 13 channels (all subs, surrounds, wides and tops) are routed to the analog outputs on the Lynx Aurora 16 and ultimately to amps and speakers.


I’ll often listen to Apple Music off of my AppleTV4K, which is plugged into the EMOTIVA RMC-1 (SPHERE Input 2) via HDMI and I gotta say that ATMOS music sounds **** terrific, often utilizing the full wide spatial spectrum of 9.1.6 (assuming the mix of the song used objects to hit the wide channels)


That same song I play off of my AppleTV4K (in 9.1.6) will only play in 7.1.4 off of the AppleMusic app from my MacStudio fed through the (SPHERE Input 3) virtual 9.1.6 buss…. Argh. SO CLOSE.

Apple Music plays 5.1 instead of Atmos

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