Pearl Jam are streaming their newest album Gigaton in Dolby Atmos format for free for the next week, exclusively for users of Apple TV and iOS devices.
If you're a Pearl Jam fan, the full-length album is available on Apple TV 4K or compatible iPhones, iPads or MacBooks. While you will need an Atmos-compatible receiver and speakers (or Atmos soundbar) to hear it at its best, you don't need a 4K TV for it to work. If you do have a Dolby Vision TV, then you'll get the full visual effect.
Apple TV and iOS users can use this link to hear Pearl Jam's Gigaton in Dolby Atmos.
Mobile users will only be able to hear the record in simulated Atmos mode via the Apple TV app. It is available for purchase on iTunes in AAC format for $10.99, though.
The band released its 11th album Gigaton on March 27, its first record in seven years.
I listened to the record on my Dolby Atmos home system and it's a fairly subtle Atmos treatment. The ambient start of the album is the most Atmos-heavy, leading in to the hard-charging Who Ever Said, which had my 7-year-old dancing.
Surround-sound music made a splash in 2019 with the release of Sony's 360 Reality Audio, Atmos Music and the Amazon Echo Studio. It's yet to be seen if Atmos surround music can gain a foothold, especially given that previous formats such as quad and DVD-Audio failed to catch on.
