Apple Music bumps up royalty rate for Spatial Audio tracks،
Apple launched Spatial Audio in June 2018, and it seems the format has been happily embraced by artists and listeners alike. According to Apple, more than 90% of Apple Music listeners decided to opt for the Spatial Audio track instead of the standard format.
Most importantly, the number of Spatial Audio tracks has increased by 5,000% since launch and has almost doubled over the last year. However, that doesn't seem like enough for Apple to be happy with the amount of Spatial Audio content it now offers to Apple Music subscribers.
As such, the Cupertino-based company has decided to increase the royalty rate on Spatial Audio tracks by up to 10%. In a letter sent to its partners earlier this week, it confirmed that from January, music available in Spatial Audio will receive a royalty rate of up to 10% higher than standard content, Billboard reports.
Prorated shares for available spatial plays will be calculated using a factor of 1.1 while available non-spatial plays will continue to use a factor of 1. This change is not only intended to reward higher quality content, but also to ensure that artists are compensated for the time and investment they put into mixing in Spatial.
Furthermore, Apple warns that its music streaming service has a “quality control process that includes reporting content not delivered in accordance with Spatial Audio specifications and Apple Music quality standards.”
So if there are artists out there who think they'll make a quick buck by taking music files and processing them through a software application to list them as Spatial Audio tracks, here's Apple saying that's not going to happen .
