Spatial Audio for Apple devices has been around for more than two years at this point. Ever since it first arrived back in the fall of 2020, we have been completely enamored and blown away by how the feature transforms your media playback experience.
However, what if you’ve discovered that Spatial Audio not available on Mac? This can be rather frustrating, but all hope is not lost, as there are a few different steps you can take to try and troubleshoot any potential problems.
What is Spatial Audio?
Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio go hand-in-hand, and for Apple to bring it to its devices is incredible. But what is Spatial Audio? Well, it goes along with the new Apple Music Lossless feature that offers a great increase in playback quality, even over streaming.
Spatial Audio itself is essentially an additional layer that is created on top of Dolby Atmos. This layer is a 3D space making it feel like you’re in the room with the band, instead of just having the music evenly distributed in each ear.
That’s where the Dynamic Head Tracking comes in with select headphone models. Fire up Apple Music and find a song with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio enabled, then turn your head. Depending on where your head is positioned compared to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, the music will automatically adjust to provide that immersive experience.
Spatial Audio Not Available on Mac: Check Compatibility
If you are trying to use this feature but are finding that Spatial Audio not available on Mac, the first thing you’ll need to do is make sure your Mac is compatible. For the most part, Apple has done a pretty great job at including Spatial Audio on its latest hardware, but here’s the full list of what’s currently compatible:
iMac (2021 model only)
MacBook Air (Late 2020 or later)
MacBook Pro (Late 2020 or later)
Mac Mini (2020 or later)
Mac Studio
Provided that your Mac is compatible, the next step that you need to take is to ensure that your favorite headphones can support Spatial Audio. Much like the Mac, Apple has been releasing updates to older hardware to include support. Here are the various headphones that can be used with Spatial Audio on Mac:
AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirPods (3rd generation) or Beats Fit Pro with Spatial Audio turned on
AirPods (1st or 2nd generation)
BeatsX, Beats Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3, Powerbeats3 Wireless, Beats Flex, Powerbeats Pro, Beats Solo Pro or Beats Studio Buds
Any Bluetooth headphones that you categorize as headphones on your iPhone or iPad
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)
Spatial Audio Not Available on Mac: Restart and Check Audio Output
So you’ve gone through and verified that both your Mac and your headphones are both compatible with Spatial Audio, but it’s still not working. The next step you can take is to simply put your headphones back in their charging case and restart your Mac. Sometimes there are random bugs that appear which cause problems and render some features unusable.
After your Mac has been restarted, reconnect your headphones. Then, follow the steps below to make sure that your Output settings are correct from your Mac.
Open the System Settings app on your Mac.
In the left sidebar, click Sound.
On the right side, scroll down to the Output & Input section.
Click the Output tab.
Make sure your Output device is correct and selected.
An easy way to find out whether the correct output device is selected is to have some music or other media playing when switching through the different options. Once you’ve located the correct output device, it should start playing through without any other issues.
Spatial Audio Not Available on Mac: Check For An Update
While Apple is at the top of its class for providing regular software updates and long support for its devices, there are still plenty of bugs that can pop up. Because of that, there might be a new software update available for your Mac, which can help solve any potential issues, including if Spatial Audio not available on Mac.
Open the System Settings app on your Mac.
Click the Software Update button.
If an update is available, click the Download and Install button.
Once the update is downloaded, follow the on-screen instructions to install the update.
Spatial Audio Not Available on Mac: Subscribe to Apple Music
Image credits: Apple
Something worth pointing out is that if you want to use Spatial Audio with Apple Music, you’ll actually need to sign up and subscribe to the music streaming service. Unfortunately, it’s one of those features that’s “locked” behind a paywall, which can be rather frustrating if you already use a different streaming service.
Open the Apple Music app on your Mac.
If you don’t see a prompt to sign up, click Account in the Menu Bar.
From the drop-down menu, select Join Apple Music.
Follow the on-screen instructions to finish signing up.
Once you’ve finished signing up for Apple Music, connect your headphones and click one of the links below to check out Apple’s curated Spatial Audio playlist. Chances are that you’ll immediately notice the difference between an audio track that supports Spatial Audio, and one that doesn’t.
Spatial Audio Not Available on Mac: Enable Dolby Atmos in Apple Music
If you’ve already subscribed to Apple Music and have verified that your Mac and headphones are compatible, you might be frustrated if Spatial Audio not available on Mac. One of the simplest fixes could be that Dolby Atmos is not enabled, which would make it so Spatial Audio isn’t working. Here’s how you can enable Dolby Atmos in Apple Music:
Open the Apple Music app on your Mac.
Click Music in the Menu Bar.
Click Settings from the drop-down menu.
In the Preferences panel, click Playback at the top.
Select the drop-down next to Dolby Atmos.
Click either Always On or Automatic.
The difference between Always On and Automatic is pretty straightforward. This is in reference to devices that are compatible with Dolby Atmos.
Additionally, there are some other options you can change if you want to ensure that you are “forcing” Apple Music to use Dolby Atmos, Lossless, and Spatial Audio.
Open the Apple Music app on your Mac.
Click Music in the Menu Bar.
Click Settings from the drop-down menu.
In the Preferences panel, click Playback at the top.
Under the Audio Quality section, click the checkbox next to Lossless audio.
Click the drop-down box next to Streaming and select Lossless (ALAC up to 24-bit/48 kHz).
Click the drop-down box next to Download and select Lossless (ALAC up to 24-bit/48 kHz).
Once all the changes are made, click the OK button in the bottom right corner.
If you want to make sure that all of the settings have been properly saved, you can restart the Apple Music app on your Mac. Then, follow the steps above to check and see if the appropriate settings are still applied. From there, fire up your favorite artist, album, or playlist and enjoy Spatial Audio in all of its glory.
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
Klaus says
There is no section for dolby atmos in my music app. I have a M1 MacBook, latest software.