Where Can You Publish Spatial Audio and Immersive Music? A Global Guide to Streaming Platforms
Spatial9 Team ·
You have an immersive mix of your song. Now you need to get it in front of listeners. This is where many artists get stuck, because every streaming service accepts different files, has its own rules about how the mix was made, and plays immersive music only on certain devices and plans.
This guide goes through the services that matter, worldwide, not just in the US. For each one it covers the format, how to deliver, what listeners hear and how to check that the immersive version is live. If you still need to make the mix, start with how to create spatial audio from stereo.
Three things to understand first
1. Accepted is not the same as played in 3D
A release can go live and still play only in stereo. For the immersive version to reach a listener, four things have to be true:
- The service accepts the immersive file.
- The service keeps and streams the immersive version, not just the stereo copy.
- The listener's plan, app and device support it.
- You can confirm it, usually with a badge or a playback setting.
Every platform section below ends with a way to check.
2. Native immersive versus binaural stereo
- Native immersive delivery sends the full sound scene. The listener's device decides how to play it: over real speakers around and above them, or over headphones, sometimes following their head movements.
- A binaural mix is the immersive scene "printed" into two channels for headphones. It is a normal stereo file, so every service accepts it, but the effect is fixed. It does not follow head movements, it cannot use extra speakers, and it can sound thin on speakers.
A binaural mix uploaded as stereo will not get a Dolby Atmos badge on any service. For the full difference, read 8D vs binaural vs spatial audio.
3. Most stores need a distributor
Apart from YouTube and SoundCloud, independent artists cannot upload to streaming services directly. A distributor delivers your release for you. Only some distributors offer immersive delivery, and they may cover only some destinations. Distributors' own help pages, checked in July 2026, list these Dolby Atmos destinations:
| Distributor | Dolby Atmos destinations listed | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | Apple Music, TIDAL, Amazon Music | Paid add-on at first upload, listed at $26.99 per track |
| TuneCore | Apple Music | Paid add-on for new releases, priced per track in your local currency |
| LANDR | Apple Music, Amazon Music, TIDAL | Release in stereo first, then send the Atmos file to support |
| Symphonic | Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TIDAL | Available on certain plans |
| LabelGrid | Amazon Music and other stores | Included on its distribution plans |
Apple's partner directory also lists preferred distributors offering Atmos, including Believe, FUGA, IDOL and Stem. Prices, destinations and rules change often, so check inside your own account before you pay for a mix.
The usual technical spec, based on Apple's documentation and distributors that follow it:
- An ADM BWF master at 24-bit, 48 kHz. Our ADM BWF explainer shows what is inside one.
- Loudness of no more than -18 LKFS and a true peak of no more than -1 dBTP.
- A stereo master that matches the Atmos version in length and timing.
- A separate ISRC (the code that identifies a recording) for the immersive version.
Platform by platform
YouTube (worldwide)
YouTube is the only major platform where you publish immersive audio yourself, with no distributor and no extra fee. It offers two separate workflows. Do not mix them up.
Eclipsa Audio for regular videos. Eclipsa Audio is 3D audio built on IAMF, an open, royalty-free format. YouTube has accepted it since January 2025. You upload an MP4 file with an IAMF audio track, and the mix inside can be based on speaker channels (such as 7.1.4) or on Ambisonics. On supported devices, such as Samsung's 2025 TVs and soundbars, viewers hear the immersive version. Everyone else hears the normal version, so nobody loses the sound.
Spatial audio for 360 and VR videos. This older workflow uses 4-channel first-order Ambisonics (AmbiX) inside a 360 or VR180 video. The sound turns as the viewer looks around, in the YouTube app and VR headsets.
How to check: upload as Private or Unlisted first. On a supported device, look for an Eclipsa Audio option in the player's Settings menu, then open "Stats for nerds" and check that the audio codec reads iamf. Our Eclipsa Audio upload guide covers every step.
A note on YouTube Music: songs reach YouTube Music through distributors, and YouTube has not documented immersive playback for those tracks. Treat YouTube videos as your immersive outlet.
Apple Music (worldwide)
Format: Dolby Atmos, which Apple calls Spatial Audio.
How to deliver: through Apple's Transporter tool, which in practice means an Atmos-approved distributor or encoding house. You can add Atmos to new releases or, through some routes, to music already on Apple Music.
The rule that matters most: Apple says an Atmos track must be made from multitracks, or stems created from multitracks. It does not allow upmixes of a stereo release, stems extracted from a stereo release ("de-mixing", including AI separation), or a stereo mix placed in the sound field with added reverb. If your immersive version started from a finished stereo master, it cannot go to Apple Music as Atmos.
What listeners hear: Atmos in Apple Music on supported headphones, speakers and devices. Apple says Spatial Audio content earns up to a 10% higher share of royalties.
How to check: a Dolby Atmos badge on the track, or on the album when every track has Atmos.
Amazon Music (worldwide)
Formats: Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio. Amazon is the only major service that still offers both.
How to deliver: Dolby Atmos through distributors that list Amazon as an Atmos destination, such as DistroKid, LANDR, Symphonic and LabelGrid. The file spec is the same ADM BWF master with a stereo version and its own ISRC. Few self-service distributors offer 360 Reality Audio. It is usually delivered by labels and specialist partners, so ask your distributor directly.
Rules on how the mix was made: Amazon does not publish its rules openly the way Apple does. Many distributors apply the same checks to every Atmos destination, so plan on a mix made from original multitracks.
What listeners hear: immersive playback is part of Amazon Music Unlimited. The Single Device plan does not include it. It plays on supported phones and headphones, and on smart speakers such as the Echo Studio.
How to check: look for the Atmos/360 badge on the track in the Amazon Music app. The same badge shows on the Now Playing screen when the immersive version is playing.
TIDAL (60+ countries)
Format: Dolby Atmos only. TIDAL removed Sony 360 Reality Audio on July 24, 2024 and chose Atmos as its single immersive format.
How to deliver: through distributors that list TIDAL as an Atmos destination, such as DistroKid, LANDR and Symphonic. The spec matches the Apple and Amazon delivery above. Do not deliver 360 Reality Audio to TIDAL, because it is no longer played.
How to check: search for your track in the TIDAL app and look for the Dolby Atmos label on a supported device.
Tencent Music: QQ Music, Kugou, Kuwo and JOOX (China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia)
Format: Dolby Atmos. QQ Music became the first Chinese streaming service to support Dolby Atmos in 2022. It started with its top subscription tier (SVIP) on compatible Android phones, then expanded to cars. Tencent Music has since added Atmos to Kugou and Kuwo, and to JOOX, its service for Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Dolby and QQ Music announced an upgraded Atmos experience in 2026.
How to deliver: many global distributors deliver stereo releases to Tencent Music, but few say publicly whether they deliver Atmos there. Ask your distributor, or a label or distributor that works with Tencent Music, before you assume the immersive version will appear.
How to check: look for the Dolby Atmos label on your track in the app.
NetEase Cloud Music (China)
Format: Dolby Atmos, announced in May 2023 across its library and listening features.
How to deliver: as with Tencent Music, confirm Atmos delivery with your distributor first. Stereo delivery to NetEase is common; immersive delivery is not always offered.
Anghami (Middle East and North Africa)
Format: Dolby Atmos. Anghami is the leading streaming service in the Arab world, and its help center covers Dolby Atmos playback.
How to deliver: through a distributor that delivers to Anghami. Confirm that its Anghami route includes the Atmos file and not only the stereo version.
Deezer (worldwide)
Format: unclear for new releases. Deezer once offered Sony 360 Reality Audio, including live "360 Sessions", through a separate "360 by Deezer" app, but that app closed on October 31, 2022. Symphonic lists Deezer as a Dolby Atmos destination, but we could not find public Deezer documentation of Atmos playback for listeners.
What to do: deliver your normal stereo release, and ask your distributor what Deezer does with an Atmos file before you pay extra for it.
Spotify (worldwide)
Format: none for music. In 2025 Spotify added lossless streaming up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz for Premium listeners. That is higher-quality stereo, not spatial audio. Spotify has no documented way to deliver or play Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Reality Audio or Eclipsa Audio music.
What to do: release a binaural mix through your distributor as a normal stereo track if you want Spotify listeners to hear a spatial effect on headphones. There is no badge and no head tracking.
SoundCloud (worldwide)
Format: none. SoundCloud plays stereo only.
What to do: SoundCloud is one of the few places where you upload yourself, which makes it an easy way to share a binaural "headphone mix" with fans. Label it clearly, because it will sound different on speakers.
Other regional services
Some services have large audiences in their regions, including JioSaavn and Gaana in India, Melon in South Korea, KKBOX in Taiwan and Hong Kong, Line Music in Japan, Boomplay in Africa and Yandex Music in Russia. We could not find official documentation of immersive music delivery for any of them as of this writing. Some JioSaavn listings use "Dolby Atmos" in their titles, but that is not proof that Atmos playback is available. Distribute in stereo, or as a labelled binaural mix, and ask your distributor about any immersive option before you rely on it.
Quick comparison
| Platform | Region | Immersive format | How to deliver | How to check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | Worldwide | Eclipsa Audio; AmbiX for 360 video | Upload it yourself | Settings menu and "Stats for nerds" |
| Apple Music | Worldwide | Dolby Atmos (no upmixes) | Atmos-approved distributor | Dolby Atmos badge |
| Amazon Music | Worldwide | Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Reality Audio | Distributor with Atmos; 360 through specialists | Atmos/360 badge |
| TIDAL | 60+ countries | Dolby Atmos | Distributor with Atmos | Dolby Atmos label |
| QQ Music, Kugou, Kuwo, JOOX | China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia | Dolby Atmos | Ask your distributor or label | Dolby Atmos label |
| NetEase Cloud Music | China | Dolby Atmos | Ask your distributor or label | Dolby Atmos label |
| Anghami | Middle East and North Africa | Dolby Atmos | Ask your distributor | Dolby Atmos label |
| Deezer | Worldwide | Unclear for new releases | Confirm with your distributor | None documented |
| Spotify | Worldwide | None (binaural stereo only) | Any distributor, as stereo | Listen on headphones |
| SoundCloud | Worldwide | None (binaural stereo only) | Upload it yourself, as stereo | Listen on headphones |
Which version should you make?
| If your goal is... | Make this | Where it can go |
|---|---|---|
| Atmos on the major streaming services | Dolby Atmos ADM BWF made from your original multitracks, plus a matching stereo master | Apple Music, Amazon Music, TIDAL, and Atmos services in China and the Middle East where your distributor delivers |
| Immersive sound on TVs and soundbars | Eclipsa Audio MP4 | YouTube |
| A 360 or VR music video | First-order AmbiX with the video | YouTube |
| Spatial sound for headphone listeners everywhere | Binaural stereo mix | Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube and every other store, as a labelled stereo version |
| Immersive sound from a finished stereo master | Eclipsa Audio for YouTube, or a binaural mix | YouTube, or any store as stereo; not Apple Music Atmos |
AI-generated music: what the platforms say
If your song was made with an AI music tool, check two things separately: whether the tool's license allows commercial release, and what each platform requires. Making an immersive version does not give you new rights to the underlying music. See our AI music to spatial audio guide for what each generator allows.
- Spotify announced on September 25, 2025 that it allows AI-generated music, bans unauthorized voice copies and filters spam uploads. It also supports AI disclosure in song credits, which distributors send along with the release.
- Apple Music introduced optional AI transparency tags in 2026, which distributors send with the release.
- YouTube asks creators to disclose realistic altered or synthetic content when they upload.
- Distributors increasingly ask for an AI declaration at upload, and apply it to every store they deliver to.
Before you release: a checklist
- Rights. You own or have licensed the music, including any AI-generated parts.
- Origin of the mix. For Apple Music Atmos, and to be safe for every Atmos store, the mix was made from original multitracks or stems, not from a stereo master.
- Distributor coverage. Your distributor lists every target service as an Atmos destination, not just a stereo one.
- Spec. ADM BWF at 24-bit/48 kHz, within loudness and peak limits, with a matching stereo master and its own ISRC.
- Timing. Some distributors only accept Atmos at first upload. Add it at the start.
- YouTube test. Upload Eclipsa Audio as Private or Unlisted and check playback on a supported device.
- Confirmation. After release, look for the badge or label on each service.
- Labelling. Binaural versions are titled as headphone mixes, so speaker listeners are not confused.
- No duplicates. Do not flood stores with near-identical versions. Release alternate mixes deliberately.
Common questions
Which streaming services support Dolby Atmos music?
Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL worldwide; QQ Music, Kugou, Kuwo and JOOX from Tencent Music; NetEase Cloud Music in China; and Anghami in the Middle East and North Africa. Spotify, SoundCloud and Qobuz do not. Deezer's current status for new releases is unclear.
Which services support Sony 360 Reality Audio?
Of the major streaming services, only Amazon Music still plays it. TIDAL removed it in July 2024, and Deezer closed its 360 app in 2022.
Can I upload Dolby Atmos to YouTube?
YouTube does not document Dolby Atmos uploads for creators. Its immersive routes are Eclipsa Audio for regular videos and Ambisonics for 360 and VR videos. An existing Atmos master can be converted to Eclipsa Audio for YouTube.
Does Spotify support spatial audio?
Not for music, as of October 2026. A binaural mix uploaded as stereo is the only way to give Spotify listeners a spatial effect, and they need headphones to hear it.
Can I release an AI-upmixed song in Dolby Atmos?
Not on Apple Music, which bans Atmos made from a stereo release or from stems extracted from one. Other stores may be less explicit, but many distributors apply the same rule everywhere. YouTube, through Eclipsa Audio, is the open route for that kind of immersive version.
How much does it cost to distribute Dolby Atmos?
It depends on the distributor. As of July 2026, DistroKid listed $26.99 per track, TuneCore charged a per-track fee in local currency, and some services, such as LabelGrid, include it in their plans. YouTube uploads are free.
Sources
- Delivering Dolby Atmos audio, Apple Music Provider Support. Delivery routes, rules on how the mix is made, badges and royalty share.
- How do I find Spatial Audio music?, Amazon Music Help. Atmos/360 badge and supported speakers.
- Amazon Music distribution, LabelGrid, September 2026. Formats, plan limits and the Atmos delivery spec.
- Audio format updates, TIDAL Support. Removal of 360 Reality Audio on July 24, 2024.
- Music distributors that deliver Dolby Atmos, Velveteen, July 2026. Distributor routes, destinations and fees.
- How do I upload Dolby Atmos audio to Apple Music?, TuneCore Help Center.
- 360 by Deezer, Deezer Support. App closed on October 31, 2022.
- Dolby and QQ Music advance streaming music, Dolby. Tencent Music services, including JOOX.
- NetEase Cloud Music launches Dolby Atmos, PR Newswire, May 2023.
- Is Dolby Atmos supported on Anghami?, Anghami Help Center.
- Use spatial audio in 360-degree and VR videos, YouTube Help.
- Introducing Eclipsa Audio and the open-source DAW plugin for Eclipsa Audio, Google Open Source Blog, 2025.
- Lossless audio quality, Spotify Support.
- Spotify's AI protections, announced September 25, 2025, as reported by Music Week.
- Apple Music AI transparency tags, introduced in 2026, as reported by music industry press. Confirm details with your distributor.
Dolby and Dolby Atmos are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. 360 Reality Audio is a trademark of Sony. All other platform names are trademarks of their respective owners. Spatial9 is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. This article is published by Spatial9.
Make the right version for every destination
Start with the platform your fans use most. For YouTube, Spatial9 can turn your song, your stems or your video into an Eclipsa Audio MP4. If you already have a Dolby Atmos master, you can convert it for YouTube without a plugin, and keep your Atmos version for the music stores.