Netflix partners with Sennheiser to bring spatial audio support to even more customers

It has been a bit of a rollercoaster when it comes to spatial audio support for Netflix. But, for fans of the audio feature, the good news is that the ride has finally come to a stop. And now there’s even better audio quality on Netflix.

An image showing a red Netflix Logo set agains an all-black background

Announced today via a blog post, Netflix has announced that it is teaming up with Sennheiser to bring spatial audio support to its members across a range of devices and content. Unfortunately, Netflix isn’t going out of its way, not through its initial announcement at least, to announce which titles support spatial audio at launch. We do know that The Adam Project and (at least) the fourth season of Stranger Things does support the feature, though.

It’s a safe bet that Netflix is leaning on its first-party content to support spatial audio through the streaming service, at least to start. Users can find which content Netflix offers with spatial audio by searching for “Spatial Audio” in the Netflix app on supported devices, though.

If you do that, you’ll find shows and films like:

  • Red Notice
  • The Witcher
  • Raising Dion
  • Castlevania
  • Interceptor
  • Lock & Key
  • The Haunting of Bly Manor

And others.

Tutorial: How to listen with spatial audio on AirPods Pro

From today’s announcement:

Often, the subtlety of sound goes unnoticed, but it can have a profound impact on the atmosphere of a scene and fundamentally change the audience’s response. Some of the most iconic moments in TV and film are defined by the immersive moments they create through sound. Without its excellent sound design, would the final fight scene in The Adam Project be as electric? Would Eddie Munson’s epic guitar scene in Stranger Things 4 bring the ǝpᴉsdn uʍop to life the same way?

Now, we already know Netflix has been rolling out support for spatial audio for quite some time now. And the company’s official help page on the matter confirms that a range of different Apple products support the audio feature:

  • A compatible Apple device
    • iPhone 7 and later using iOS 15.1 or above
    • iPad Air 3rd generation and later using iPadOS 15.1 or above
    • iPad mini 5th generation and later using iPadOS 15.1 or above
    • iPad Pro 3rd generation and later using iPadOS 15.1 or above
    • Apple TV 4K and later using tvOS 15 or above
  • Compatible Apple headphones
    • Airpods 3rd generation
    • Airpods Pro
    • Airpods Max
    • Beats Fit Pro

In addition to the hardware support, Netflix says to get the full spatial audio experience customers will need to set their streaming quality to High or Auto.

Meanwhile, for folks without Apple products that support spatial audio:

Netflix uses Sennheiser AMBEO technology to enhance stereo audio with an immersive surround sound experience that is compatible with all devices, all streaming plans, and does not require surround sound speakers or home theater equipment.

  • If you do not have surround sound speakers, spatial audio is enabled automatically when watching a compatible TV show or movie using stereo audio.
  • If you have surround sound speakers, watching TV shows and movies in 5.1 surround sound or Dolby Atmos is recommended.

So, this is good news all around for the Netflix subscribers who can take advantage of spatial audio and actually enjoy the feature.