You might choose Spotify as your favorite audio streaming platform or YouTube Music because of the subscription included with YouTube Premium. But I'm loyal to Apple Music because Dolby Atmos spatial audio support is offered on this streaming platform at no extra cost.
According to a Bloomberg report citing internal sources, Apple Music will pay higher royalties to artists who offer audio using the Dolby Atmos spatial audio format. Two reasons are given as to why Apple did this.
The first is to improve Dolby Atmos adaptation and content on Apple Music. The second is to encourage the purchase of Apple equipment that supports Dolby Atmos.
Interestingly the additional royalty payments to these artists will not depend on the Dolby Atmos music the user streams but will depend on whether this format is offered by the artist. Dolby Atmos support on Apple Music can also be enjoyed by Android users if the device supports this audio format. This additional payment will reportedly start as early as 2024.
Other news related to audio streaming and royalty payments is Spotify. They will overhaul the royalty payment system to prevent streaming scams, such as artists offering white noise playlists with many tracks but short durations to be played in rotation and over and over again.