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Tidal now streams Dolby Atmos Music to compatible soundbars and TVs

It's the first streaming service to do so.

Tidal

After unveiling Dolby Atmos Music for Android devices last year, Tidal is bringing the tech to a more appropriate format. It’s now rolling to soundbars, TVs and AVR home theater systems equipped with Dolby Atmos tech. All you’ll need is a Tidal HiFi subscription and compatible streaming device, like an Apple TV 4K, Fire TV Stick 4K and NVIDIA Shield TV, among others.

Dolby Atmos Music tracks are remixed for 3D surround sound so that vocals and instruments come from different parts of a room. It works whether you have a 7-speaker surround sound system or a single soundbar, and lets listeners “discover hidden details and subtleties with unparalleled clarity,” according to Dolby. Tidal said that its library has expanded to include albums and songs from artists like Ariana Grande, The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes/Camila Cabelo.

Tidal’s HiFi tier will default to the Dolby Atmos Music experience if a compatible device and song are found. You can look for music in the home screen under “Available in Dolby Atmos,” or do a search for “Dolby Atmos.”

Again, you must have a $20 monthly HiFi tier subscription and compatible streaming device, along with a Dolby Atmos enabled soundbar, TV or home theater system. That’s a lot to pay for a music service, but the tier also offers high fidelity sound, Sony 360 Reality Audio, high definition music videos and “expertly curated editorial,” according to Tidal. (Folks interested in Dolby Atmos can also try it for free for two months.) It starts rolling out over the next couple of days — check here for a complete list of compatible streaming devices.

Update 5/28/2020 4:25 PM ET: The article was updated to indicate that Tidal is offering a 60-day free trial of the Dolby Atmos service.

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