Netflix has two announcements for those users who subscribe to its highest-end Premium tier (looking to distract from its controversial crackdown on password sharing). The company is dramatically expanding its catalog of spatial audio content, while also removing one of the limitations on download devices.
Spatial audio
Netflix first launched spatial audio support in July last year, with a small collection of movies and TV shows from its catalog of originals. With today’s announcement, however, spatial audio is now available on over 700 TV shows and movies.
The Verge highlights a few of the notable additions: The Watcher, Wednesday, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and a few more coming soon: You, Your Place or Mine, Luther: The Fallen Sun, and Tour de France. Spatial audio will also be added to “new titles as they’re released.” You can find the full list of TV shows and movies available in spatial audio in your Netflix app just by searching for “spatial audio.”
Netflix’s implementation of spatial audio works across Apple devices and AirPods, using Apple’s own spatial audio feature. Compatible devices include:
- 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
And compatible Apple headphones:
- Compatible Apple headphones
- AirPods 3rd generation
- AirPods Pro
- AirPods Max
- Beats Fit Pro
It also works on non-Apple devices, designed for any stereo device, speakers, or headphones. Netflix, however, restricts spatial audio to its highest-end Premium tier, which costs $19.99 per month. The company also has a change in store for subscribers that might make that Premium tier a bit more enticing…
Downloading to more devices
For Premium subscribers, Netflix has also increased the number of devices to which you can download content for offline viewing. Previously, the company only allowed you to download content to four devices, but with today’s change, that number has increased to six.
“With people more connected than ever through multiple devices, we’ve learned through research that members would like the option to download Netflix series and films to watch offline on more devices, particularly as they travel and switch between devices,” the company explained.
These updates to Netflix come as the company is testing a controversial way to limit password sharing. This change is likely to be a frustrating one for many users, so Netflix will need to find other ways to make its service as enticing as possible to prevent subscribers from simply canceling.
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