Through collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, Apple Music, and Universal Music Group, Dolby provides the best sound experience based on Dolby Atmos in Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz establishes in-car audio experiences and sets new standards for entertainment in vehicles, leveraging Dolby Atmos immersive audio integrated into the Burmester high-end 4D and 3D sound systems offered as options in the latest generation of MBUX vehicles.
Leading global entertainment company Universal Music Group introduces new audio standards through this collaboration, enabling artists to certify their music based on the final mixing sound played in Mercedes-Benz vehicles with the implementation of the “Mercedes-Benz Certified” mark, which signifies top-level sound quality.
Universal Music Group actively encourages artists and labels to produce and mix music using Dolby Atmos immersive audio and plans to establish a studio environment capable of Dolby Atmos mixing in the Sindelfingen region of Germany in the future.
This is the first time that Apple Music’s spatial audio service is offered as a default on devices other than Apple brand ones. With this collaboration, both Mercedes-Benz and Apple Music customers can more easily access music in Dolby Atmos, allowing them to enjoy tracks that have earned the “Mercedes-Benz Certified” mark as intended by the artists.
Today, cars have become one of the most frequently used sound devices. According to a survey by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, 90% of the global population listens to music, averaging 961 hours per person annually. Over 70% of music consumers reportedly prefer listening to music primarily in their cars.
According to a survey conducted by Mercedes-Benz, about 72% of drivers responded that they find it hard to imagine not listening to music while driving, while two out of three respondents indicated that sound quality in the vehicle is “important” or “very important.” Notably, over 76% of drivers considered listening to immersive spatial audio inside the vehicle to be “important” or “quite important.”
Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group, stated, “The collaboration with Apple Music and Universal Music Group marks a groundbreaking example in the industry, enhancing the Burmester sound system supporting Dolby Atmos with music content and platform expertise to set new standards. Through this powerful partnership, we will provide the exceptional in-car audio experience that customers expect from Mercedes-Benz. Both Apple and Universal Music Group share the same vision and values, and Mercedes-Benz will work with Dolby to offer customers a perfect and differentiated experience.”
In addition to the superior listening experience provided by the Burmester premium 3D sound system, the Burmester high-end 4D sound system employs resonant devices like speakers to deliver a unique spatial audio experience that envelops the body through surround speakers embedded in the seats.
The Burmester high-end 4D sound system consists of a total of 31 speakers, including six 3D speakers that emit sound from above, four near-ear speakers for the front seats, an 18.5-liter subwoofer, eight acoustic transducers (two per seat), and two amplifiers, delivering 1750 watts of power.
Mercedes-Benz drivers subscribed to Apple Music can immediately access music tracks and albums supporting spatial audio based on Dolby Atmos. Mercedes-Benz becoming the first car manufacturer to provide Apple Music’s spatial audio is a result of the company’s continuous efforts to achieve the best sound quality within its vehicles.
The higher popularity of in-car sound systems compared to fixed sound systems supports this. While only 12% of drivers indicated that the quality of their home sound system is more important than their car system, 45% stated that the quality of the car sound system is more important, and 43% believed both are equally important.
Oliver Schusser, Vice President of Apple Music, said, “Sound quality is a crucial factor that Apple Music places great importance on, and we are very pleased to achieve the first implementation of Apple Music’s spatial audio as a default setting in vehicles through our collaboration with Mercedes-Benz. Spatial audio is dramatically changing the way artists create music and how fans listen to it. This is an experience that is hard to describe; you have to hear it for yourself to truly understand. Partnering with Mercedes-Benz allows us to offer an even broader immersive music experience to users around the world.”
Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, remarked that “This partnership signifies a critical milestone in the history of recorded music and represents our years of collaboration with Dolby to allow artists to express their inspirations more freely with Dolby Atmos music. Through our cooperation with Mercedes-Benz, which shares our passion for quality and innovation, fans can now enjoy artists’ music in the Mercedes-Benz vehicle as if they were listening to it in a recording studio or live stage.”
The immersive audio experience realized by Dolby Atmos adds spatiality, clarity, and depth to music. Creators can go beyond the limitations of standard stereo production and place individual sound elements and objects in three-dimensional space. Dolby Atmos supports fans to enjoy the musical vision artists intend with an unparalleled clarity, regardless of playback environment. The integration of Dolby Atmos into Burmester high-end 4D and 3D sound system options elevates Mercedes vehicles into cutting-edge concert halls on wheels.
Kevin Yeaman, President and CEO of Dolby Laboratories, noted, “In 2021, Dolby first partnered with Mercedes-Benz and Apple Music to help more people around the world experience music in Dolby Atmos. In addition to those efforts, we now have the robust support of Universal Music Group partners’ Dolby Atmos music catalog, enabling us to provide Mercedes-Benz customers with a truly unique immersive audio experience. This collaboration is set to establish a new benchmark for experiencing music sound within vehicles.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr