diff --git a/libmei/addons/att.cpp b/libmei/addons/att.cpp
index 8d7e6a47b0..c76024f407 100644
--- a/libmei/addons/att.cpp
+++ b/libmei/addons/att.cpp
@@ -158,6 +158,21 @@ data_BULGE Att::StrToBulge(const std::string &value, bool logWarning) const
     return bulge;
 }
 
+std::string Att::DegreesToStr(data_DEGREES data) const
+{
+    return StringFormat("%f", data);
+}
+
+data_DEGREES Att::StrToDegrees(const std::string &value, bool logWarning) const
+{
+    double degrees = atof(value.c_str());
+    if ((degrees > 360.0) || (degrees < -360.0)) {
+        if (logWarning) LogWarning("Unsupported data.DEGREES '%s'", value.c_str());
+        return 0;
+    }
+    return degrees;
+}
+
 std::string Att::DurationToStr(data_DURATION data) const
 {
     std::string value;
diff --git a/libmei/addons/att.h b/libmei/addons/att.h
index 5b4c696080..bcf7a75ca4 100644
--- a/libmei/addons/att.h
+++ b/libmei/addons/att.h
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ class Att : public AttConverterBase {
     std::string BulgeToStr(const data_BULGE &data) const;
     data_BULGE StrToBulge(const std::string &value, bool logWarning = true) const;
 
+    std::string DegreesToStr(data_DEGREES data) const;
+    data_DEGREES StrToDegrees(const std::string &value, bool logWarning = true) const;
+
     std::string DurationToStr(data_DURATION data) const;
     data_DURATION StrToDuration(const std::string &value, bool = true) const;
 
diff --git a/libmei/addons/attdef.h b/libmei/addons/attdef.h
index 04ee0b3c3e..01494ea2bc 100644
--- a/libmei/addons/attdef.h
+++ b/libmei/addons/attdef.h
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ enum data_BEATRPT_REND {
  */
 typedef std::vector<std::pair<double, double>> data_BULGE;
 
+/**
+ * MEI data.DEGREES
+ */
+typedef double data_DEGREES;
+
 /**
  * MEI data.DURATION
  */
diff --git a/libmei/datatypes.yml b/libmei/datatypes.yml
index 165866c920..796033cb75 100644
--- a/libmei/datatypes.yml
+++ b/libmei/datatypes.yml
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ mapped:
         std::string
     data.CONFIDENCE:
         double
-    data.DEGREES:
-        double
     data.CLEFLINE:
         char
     data.COURSENUMBER:
@@ -135,6 +133,8 @@ defaults:
         std::vector<std::pair<double, double>>()
     data_COMPASSDIRECTION:
         data_COMPASSDIRECTION()
+    data_DEGREES:
+        MEI_UNSET
     data_EVENTREL:
         data_EVENTREL()
     data_HEXNUM:
diff --git a/libmei/dist/attmodule.cpp b/libmei/dist/attmodule.cpp
index e0c35c7635..b4dd982efb 100644
--- a/libmei/dist/attmodule.cpp
+++ b/libmei/dist/attmodule.cpp
@@ -1756,11 +1756,11 @@ bool AttModule::SetGestural(Object *element, const std::string &attrType, const
         AttSoundLocation *att = dynamic_cast<AttSoundLocation *>(element);
         assert(att);
         if (attrType == "azimuth") {
-            att->SetAzimuth(att->StrToDbl(attrValue));
+            att->SetAzimuth(att->StrToDegrees(attrValue));
             return true;
         }
         if (attrType == "elevation") {
-            att->SetElevation(att->StrToDbl(attrValue));
+            att->SetElevation(att->StrToDegrees(attrValue));
             return true;
         }
     }
@@ -1878,10 +1878,10 @@ void AttModule::GetGestural(const Object *element, ArrayOfStrAttr *attributes)
         const AttSoundLocation *att = dynamic_cast<const AttSoundLocation *>(element);
         assert(att);
         if (att->HasAzimuth()) {
-            attributes->push_back({ "azimuth", att->DblToStr(att->GetAzimuth()) });
+            attributes->push_back({ "azimuth", att->DegreesToStr(att->GetAzimuth()) });
         }
         if (att->HasElevation()) {
-            attributes->push_back({ "elevation", att->DblToStr(att->GetElevation()) });
+            attributes->push_back({ "elevation", att->DegreesToStr(att->GetElevation()) });
         }
     }
     if (element->HasAttClass(ATT_TIMESTAMPGES)) {
@@ -3252,7 +3252,7 @@ bool AttModule::SetShared(Object *element, const std::string &attrType, const st
             return true;
         }
         if (attrType == "rotate") {
-            att->SetRotate(att->StrToDbl(attrValue));
+            att->SetRotate(att->StrToDegrees(attrValue));
             return true;
         }
     }
@@ -4856,7 +4856,7 @@ void AttModule::GetShared(const Object *element, ArrayOfStrAttr *attributes)
             attributes->push_back({ "lry", att->IntToStr(att->GetLry()) });
         }
         if (att->HasRotate()) {
-            attributes->push_back({ "rotate", att->DblToStr(att->GetRotate()) });
+            attributes->push_back({ "rotate", att->DegreesToStr(att->GetRotate()) });
         }
     }
     if (element->HasAttClass(ATT_COORDINATEDUL)) {
diff --git a/libmei/dist/atts_gestural.cpp b/libmei/dist/atts_gestural.cpp
index 28917cfcbf..b45d22c563 100644
--- a/libmei/dist/atts_gestural.cpp
+++ b/libmei/dist/atts_gestural.cpp
@@ -473,20 +473,20 @@ AttSoundLocation::AttSoundLocation() : Att()
 
 void AttSoundLocation::ResetSoundLocation()
 {
-    m_azimuth = 0.0;
-    m_elevation = 0.0;
+    m_azimuth = MEI_UNSET;
+    m_elevation = MEI_UNSET;
 }
 
 bool AttSoundLocation::ReadSoundLocation(pugi::xml_node element, bool removeAttr)
 {
     bool hasAttribute = false;
     if (element.attribute("azimuth")) {
-        this->SetAzimuth(StrToDbl(element.attribute("azimuth").value()));
+        this->SetAzimuth(StrToDegrees(element.attribute("azimuth").value()));
         if (removeAttr) element.remove_attribute("azimuth");
         hasAttribute = true;
     }
     if (element.attribute("elevation")) {
-        this->SetElevation(StrToDbl(element.attribute("elevation").value()));
+        this->SetElevation(StrToDegrees(element.attribute("elevation").value()));
         if (removeAttr) element.remove_attribute("elevation");
         hasAttribute = true;
     }
@@ -497,11 +497,11 @@ bool AttSoundLocation::WriteSoundLocation(pugi::xml_node element)
 {
     bool wroteAttribute = false;
     if (this->HasAzimuth()) {
-        element.append_attribute("azimuth") = DblToStr(this->GetAzimuth()).c_str();
+        element.append_attribute("azimuth") = DegreesToStr(this->GetAzimuth()).c_str();
         wroteAttribute = true;
     }
     if (this->HasElevation()) {
-        element.append_attribute("elevation") = DblToStr(this->GetElevation()).c_str();
+        element.append_attribute("elevation") = DegreesToStr(this->GetElevation()).c_str();
         wroteAttribute = true;
     }
     return wroteAttribute;
@@ -509,12 +509,12 @@ bool AttSoundLocation::WriteSoundLocation(pugi::xml_node element)
 
 bool AttSoundLocation::HasAzimuth() const
 {
-    return (m_azimuth != 0.0);
+    return (m_azimuth != MEI_UNSET);
 }
 
 bool AttSoundLocation::HasElevation() const
 {
-    return (m_elevation != 0.0);
+    return (m_elevation != MEI_UNSET);
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/libmei/dist/atts_gestural.h b/libmei/dist/atts_gestural.h
index 9400a9d9bf..ebd750a372 100644
--- a/libmei/dist/atts_gestural.h
+++ b/libmei/dist/atts_gestural.h
@@ -503,20 +503,20 @@ class AttSoundLocation : public Att {
      * to the default value)
      **/
     ///@{
-    void SetAzimuth(double azimuth_) { m_azimuth = azimuth_; }
-    double GetAzimuth() const { return m_azimuth; }
+    void SetAzimuth(data_DEGREES azimuth_) { m_azimuth = azimuth_; }
+    data_DEGREES GetAzimuth() const { return m_azimuth; }
     bool HasAzimuth() const;
     //
-    void SetElevation(double elevation_) { m_elevation = elevation_; }
-    double GetElevation() const { return m_elevation; }
+    void SetElevation(data_DEGREES elevation_) { m_elevation = elevation_; }
+    data_DEGREES GetElevation() const { return m_elevation; }
     bool HasElevation() const;
     ///@}
 
 private:
     /** The lateral or left-to-right plane. **/
-    double m_azimuth;
+    data_DEGREES m_azimuth;
     /** The above-to-below axis. **/
-    double m_elevation;
+    data_DEGREES m_elevation;
 };
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/libmei/dist/atts_shared.cpp b/libmei/dist/atts_shared.cpp
index d65dd28bf2..3636cd2dfc 100644
--- a/libmei/dist/atts_shared.cpp
+++ b/libmei/dist/atts_shared.cpp
@@ -1005,7 +1005,7 @@ void AttCoordinated::ResetCoordinated()
 {
     m_lrx = MEI_UNSET;
     m_lry = MEI_UNSET;
-    m_rotate = 0.0;
+    m_rotate = MEI_UNSET;
 }
 
 bool AttCoordinated::ReadCoordinated(pugi::xml_node element, bool removeAttr)
@@ -1022,7 +1022,7 @@ bool AttCoordinated::ReadCoordinated(pugi::xml_node element, bool removeAttr)
         hasAttribute = true;
     }
     if (element.attribute("rotate")) {
-        this->SetRotate(StrToDbl(element.attribute("rotate").value()));
+        this->SetRotate(StrToDegrees(element.attribute("rotate").value()));
         if (removeAttr) element.remove_attribute("rotate");
         hasAttribute = true;
     }
@@ -1041,7 +1041,7 @@ bool AttCoordinated::WriteCoordinated(pugi::xml_node element)
         wroteAttribute = true;
     }
     if (this->HasRotate()) {
-        element.append_attribute("rotate") = DblToStr(this->GetRotate()).c_str();
+        element.append_attribute("rotate") = DegreesToStr(this->GetRotate()).c_str();
         wroteAttribute = true;
     }
     return wroteAttribute;
@@ -1059,7 +1059,7 @@ bool AttCoordinated::HasLry() const
 
 bool AttCoordinated::HasRotate() const
 {
-    return (m_rotate != 0.0);
+    return (m_rotate != MEI_UNSET);
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/libmei/dist/atts_shared.h b/libmei/dist/atts_shared.h
index b86e2877ba..69f913a1ed 100644
--- a/libmei/dist/atts_shared.h
+++ b/libmei/dist/atts_shared.h
@@ -1223,8 +1223,8 @@ class AttCoordinated : public Att {
     int GetLry() const { return m_lry; }
     bool HasLry() const;
     //
-    void SetRotate(double rotate_) { m_rotate = rotate_; }
-    double GetRotate() const { return m_rotate; }
+    void SetRotate(data_DEGREES rotate_) { m_rotate = rotate_; }
+    data_DEGREES GetRotate() const { return m_rotate; }
     bool HasRotate() const;
     ///@}
 
@@ -1239,7 +1239,7 @@ class AttCoordinated : public Att {
      * interpreted, with respect to the normal orientation of the parent surface.
      * The orientation is expressed in arc degrees.
      **/
-    double m_rotate;
+    data_DEGREES m_rotate;
 };
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------