Cant stream Atmos to Denon receiver with Airplay

Hi asopfpjsoaopijsdgjopi,

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities. We understand you want to stream Dolby Atmos to your Denon receiver. You won't be able to do this over AirPlay. This article explains the different methods you can use: About Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos in Apple Music.

"If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can listen to select songs in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. Learn which devices support Dolby Atmos, how to change settings for Dolby Atmos, and find answers to common questions so you can start listening.

Choose how to listen to Dolby Atmos on your iPhone or iPad

1. Update your iPhone or iPad to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Tap Music.
4. Under Audio, tap Dolby Atmos.
5. Choose Automatic, Always On, or Off.

If you choose Automatic, here’s what you need

Supported songs automatically play in Dolby Atmos when you're listening with:

• Any Apple or Beats Bluetooth headphones
• If you’re using headphones that support Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, you need to turn on Spatial Audio in Control Center.
• The built-in speakers on an iPhone XS or later (except iPhone SE), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation or later), iPad Pro 11-inch, or iPad Air (4th generation or later)

If you choose Always On, here’s what you need

If you want to use wired headphones, choose Always On.

Choose how to listen to Dolby Atmos on your Mac

1. Update your Mac to the latest version of macOS.
2. Open the Apple Music app.
3. In the menu bar, choose Music > Preferences or Music > Settings.
4. Click the Playback tab. 
5. Choose Automatic, Always On, or Off.

If you choose Automatic, here’s what you need

Supported songs automatically play in Dolby Atmos when you're listening with:

• Any Apple or Beats Bluetooth headphones
• If you’re using headphones that support Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, you need to turn on Spatial Audio in Control Center.
• The built-in speakers on a MacBook Pro (2018 model or later), MacBook Air (2018 model or later), or iMac (2021 model)

If you choose Always On, here’s what you need

If you want to use other headphones that don’t support automatic playback, choose Always On.

How to listen to Dolby Atmos on your HomePod

• Update your HomePod to the latest software version.
• You need the Home app on the iPhone or iPad that you used to set up your HomePod.

Turn Dolby Atmos on or off

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Home app.
2. Tap the Home button .
3. Tap Home Settings.
4. Under People, tap your name.
5. Tap Apple Music.
6. Turn Dolby Atmos on or off.

How to listen to Dolby Atmos on your Apple TV 4K

Update your Apple TV 4K to the latest version of tvOS. Then make sure that you have one of the following connections:

• HomePod speakers set up as the default speakers
• A Dolby Atmos compatible sound bar, Dolby Atmos enabled AV Receiver, or television that supports Dolby Atmos audio
• Any Apple or Beats Bluetooth headphones

Turn Dolby Atmos on or off

1. On your Apple TV, go to Settings > Apps.
2. Select Music.
3. Select Dolby Atmos to change it to Automatic or Off.

How to listen to Dolby Atmos on your Android device

• You need an Android device that supports Dolby Atmos. To see if your Android device is supported, check with your device's manufacturer.
• Update the Apple Music app to the latest version.

Turn Dolby Atmos on or off

1. Open the Apple Music app.
2. Tap the More button .
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Dolby Atmos to turn it on or off.

Frequently asked questions

Is Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking available for music?

Yes. You can listen to Dolby Atmos music in Spatial Audio on headphones that support dynamic head tracking with a compatible iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

What should I do if Dolby Atmos tracks sound quieter than stereo tracks?

Turn on Sound Check. Here's how:

• On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Music, and turn on Sound Check.
• On your Mac, open the Apple Music app. In the menu bar, choose Music > Preferences or Music > Settings. Click the Playback tab, then select Sound Check to turn it on.
• On your Apple TV, go to Settings > Apps > Music, and turn on Sound Check.

How can I see if a song is available in Dolby Atmos?

Play the song, then check for the Dolby Atmos badge in Now Playing. If every song on an album is available in Dolby Atmos, you’ll see the Dolby Atmos badge on the album’s detail page. Some songs are available in Dolby Atmos only on a particular version of an album.

How can I get a Dolby Atmos version of a song that I already downloaded to my library?

To get a Dolby Atmos version of a song that you already downloaded from Apple Music, just delete the song and redownload it from the Apple Music catalog.

Make sure that you turn on "Download in Dolby Atmos" in Settings on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Android device. Here’s how:

• On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Music, and turn on Download in Dolby Atmos.
• On your Mac, open the Apple Music app. In the menu bar, choose Music > Preferences. Click the General tab, then select Download in Dolby Atmos.
• On your Android device, open the Apple Music app. Tap the More button , tap Settings, then turn on Download Dolby Atmos.

How can I listen to the stereo version of a song that’s downloaded in Dolby Atmos?

When you download a Dolby Atmos version of a song, a stereo version of the song is downloaded too. To listen to the stereo version of a song, just turn off Dolby Atmos in Settings, then play the song."

Take care.

You can play multi-channel audio with Atmos over HDMI cable. You'd need the HDMI cable and a Lightning-HDMI or USB-C-HDMI dongle depending on your model of the iPhone. Also you'd need to activate Atmos in Music-Audio Settings if not done yet. I have a Denon AVR receiver myself and it works. However I'm getting 5.1PCM signal, not sure if it's just a current bug or by design. Nevertheless its really 5.1 surround sound and not just 2.0 Stereo.