Two brand-new perks are only available to premium subscribers of Netflix: introducing spatial audio support to the top 700 titles on the streaming platform and increasing the number of download devices from four to six. Both new features, which were made public via a press release, are currently available worldwide and are free to premium Netflix subscribers who pay $19.99 per month for 4K HDR and other perks.
In July of last year, a limited number of Netflix original titles received the feature for the first time. 700 titles, including The Watcher, Wednesday, and Glass Onion, will now feature spatial audio: A Knives Out Mystery, and it will be included in upcoming titles like You, Your Place or Mine, Luther: Tour de France and the Fallen Sun. Simply type “spatial audio” into the Netflix search bar to view the complete list of titles with spatial audio.
Spatial audio is a feature that can simulate immersive surround sound using stereo speakers or headphones on a variety of devices, such as televisions, computers, tablets, and smartphones, without the need for specialized audio equipment. Users who do use multichannel surround sound systems probably won’t benefit from spatial audio, but people who don’t have professional audio equipment should noticeably benefit from it.
Netflix has provided the following instruction regarding the best method for listening to spatial audio content:
Spatial audio is intended for built-in stereo speakers on any device receiving a stereo stream. It also provides a more immersive experience on headphones. Spatial audio is primarily optimized for laptops and tablets. It’s also noticeable on TVs (up close) and phones with stereo speakers (usually when in landscape mode).
Additionally, subscribers to the premium tier are now able to download Netflix content to two additional devices, bringing the total number of download devices up to six. Netflix stated, “We’ve learned through research that members would like the option to download Netflix series and films to watch offline on more devices, especially as they travel and switch between devices,” as people are more connected than ever through multiple devices.