Samsung confirms that its next Dolby Atmos competitor will be released this year – Samsung

The company has now confirmed that the new audio format will be released later this year for TVs, speakers and other audio-related product categories.

At CES 2024, Samsung spoke with industry professionals about its plans for IAMF. According to Insight Media's Chris Chenock, the company has confirmed that the 3D audio format will debut later this year. Additionally, YouTube will also reportedly begin featuring IAMF-backed content later this year.

Unlike Dolby Atmos, you won't need to spend money on new Atmos equipment. This format will work on previous-generation TVs and older sound systems after a firmware update, but it's unknown how far back-end support will go. It is also unknown whether the IAMF branding will remain constant or whether the tech giant will come up with a more attractive name at launch.

When YouTube releases IAMF support, the new 3D audio format may not work on the web. Since browsers like Chrome only support stereo output, the use of IAMF will likely be limited to smartphones and TVs. IAMF, or whatever it will eventually be called, will be royalty-free and open source, unlike Dolby Atmos, which is royalty-free, which is expected to play a major role in its widespread adoption.