- ASAF provides dolby atomos-style spatial audio with more effects
- All apple platform is available for bar watches
- Focused on mainly vision Pro
Apple has introduced a new format for head-tracking spatial audio: ASAF. The Apple spatial audio format promises “actually immersive audio experience” and was quietly unveiled at the WWDC 2025 event of the last week – not in Keenot, but in a session for app developers.
As Flatpanelshd It is said that there are two components: ASAF, which is used for the position of audio elements in a three -dimensional place in audio and video production, and APAC (Apple Positional Audio Codec), which is codec used to distribute it.
If you are thinking “no Another Audio format “You are not alone: Samsung and Google are also promoting Eclipsa audio as a dolby atomos rival.
However, Apple has both and a dolby atomos rival – Flattenshad is not reported that Dolby Atomos can be distributed to the new format of Apple, which is then able to add some additional spatial audio tricks on top of it. So it appears to be less than the expansion of the place of ATMOS … although providing an option can be a large part of the apple plan.
What does Asaf mean for the future of the audio?
This is a very good question, because currently ASAF is for apple devices: TVOS, iOS, iPados, Macos and Visionos. The use of the iPhone 16 is capable of capturing ASAF audio, and the ease of capture is probably something to pay attention.
Initially, according to Apple’s presentation, it looks like a focus – a lot of intention – on the visionos headset. Apple has made APAC use mandatory with all immersive video titles, although Codec can be used as a container for dolby atomos data instead of Asaf if the manufacturer is already using that format.
The idea with 3D skills in addition to ASAF is that they can change the spatial sound not only on the basis of their own head tracking and positioning, but on the basis of any virtual environment you are in, to create a sound changing elements such as volume and rivers, it seems that it matches seating in the world.
However, another appeal here may not be technical; It can be financial. Dolby Atomos requires royalty payments from producers, and Samsung told us that one of the goals of Eclips Audio was to ensure that small -scale material manufacturers could easily make and distribute spatial audio videos.
Apple may be able to offer a similar approach: where it was earlier owned its formats, it has become more open in recent years and its Apple defective audio codec returned its royalty plan in 2011. ASAF can be clearly made using industry-standard software and plugins.
The APAC Codec reportedly works on low bitrates as 64kbps and maximizes 768kbps, which may seem less, the same is the maximum bitrate that apple, Netflix and others at this time use to stream the dolby atmos, so it will match the current quality standards.
