Whether we get our music via streaming services, satellite radio, CDs or vinyl, most of it was recorded using the famous two-channel stereo technique. But over the last few years, there has been a growing movement in the recording industry towards so-called spatial audio formats. The most popular of these formats is Dolby Atmos Music and can create good old stereo sound like mono AM radio.
But what exactly is Dolby Atmos Music? How is it different from stereo? And what kind of equipment do you need to listen to it at home and on the go? We’ve got everything you need to know to get on the Dolby Atmos Music train.
What is Dolby Atmos Music?
Tides and low tides
If you’ve seen a blockbuster action movie in theaters, you’ve probably already heard what Dolby Atmos can do for movies, with its immersive, three-dimensional sound field. Dolby Atmos Music puts that same technology in the hands of musicians and producers, allowing them to create songs and other recordings that have a greater sense of space and depth than the traditional stereo recordings we’re used to.
More about Dolby Atmos:
Keep the channels open
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It all starts in the studio. In the world of stereo recordings, engineers use multiple tracks to record different parts of the same song. Drums go on one track, lead guitar on another, and so on. When it’s all done, the producer and engineer may decide to “shift” some of those tracks to the left or right to create an immersive stereo mix, but the result is always two-channel sound—one channel for each speaker in the stereo pair.
Dolby Atmos Music works differently. Instead of being limited to just two channels, Dolby Atmos Music can take advantage of up to 34 channels, which means up to 34 individual speakers. What’s even more remarkable is that the recording engineer can split the song into 128 different tracks and move each of those tracks independently within that 34-speaker layout.
In other words, instead of having one drum track and then deciding how far left or right the drums are placed in the stereo mix, the producer can just take a snare drum and move it around the room, or have it come from just one overhead speaker in the back rooms or have it come from all 34 speakers at once.
If you’ve ever been to a Dolby Atmos theater and heard a helicopter fly overhead, from one corner of the room to another, you’ve already experienced how this technology can be used to create more immersive movies. Dolby Atmos Music uses the same concept, but with the goal of immersing you in a song instead of a movie.
It’s an unprecedented degree of control for the producers, and like the 3D effect in movies, it can be jarring or even cheesy if done ham-fistedly. But it can also feel sublime when spatial options are manipulated by a deft and experienced hand.
Since most people won’t have anywhere near 34 speakers at home, the software engineers use to create Dolby Atmos soundtracks is smart enough to downsize the recording to fit whatever equipment you’re using — even if it’s just two speakers — while still that “everywhere in the room” effect is preserved.
How can I listen to Dolby Atmos Music?
Apple
Listening to Dolby Atmos music is possible if you have a Dolby Atmos music source and an audio device that can play this format.
Atmos Music sources
For most people, the easiest way to access Dolby Atmos Music tracks will be to use a music streaming service. As of March 2023, your options are Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music. Apple Music and Amazon Music include Dolby Atmos Music tracks in their standard tiers, while Tidal requires a more expensive HiFi Plus subscription.
Unfortunately for Spotify fans, the service has not announced any plans to offer Dolby Atmos Music tracks. That could change if Spotify ever launches its promised lossless Hi-Fi music tier.
For audiophiles, the best Dolby Atmos Music source is Blu-ray discs. Blu-ray discs can be used to play Atmos Music, and several albums have been released in this format. Beatles fans will be happy Abbey Road He happens to be one of them.
The biggest advantage of Dolby Atmos Music on Blu-ray is that the audio is presented in Dolby TrueHD, a 24-bit high-definition lossless audio format, making it the highest possible quality for Atmos.
This includes live concert performances as well as special Dolby Atmos versions of music albums, such as releases Kick for the 30th anniversary of INXS.
Devices that support Atmos Music
Home cinema equipment
Sonos
If you own a sound bar or AV receiver (AVR) that supports Dolby Atmos, they are also compatible with Dolby Atmos Music if used with the right software or accessories.
- A streaming device that supports Dolby Atmos like Apple TV 4K or Nvidia Shield TV/Shield TV Pro.
- You’ll need an app to stream music from one of the services that has an Atmos Music catalog (Apple Music, Tidal, or Amazon Music) and a subscription level that gives you access to Dolby Atmos Music tracks.
- Some services like Netflix offer videos of live concerts in Dolby Atmos, like Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour. Again, you’ll need the appropriate subscription level to get access to Dolby Atmos content.
- Blu-ray player that supports Dolby Atmos.
- You’ll need Blu-ray discs that include Dolby Atmos audio tracks.
For either of these scenarios, you’ll need to check that your audio system is receiving a signal from an HDMI connection. Connecting the Blu-ray player to the TV via HDMI and then connecting the TV to the soundbar via an optical cable will not work. For more information on Dolby Atmos connection requirements, see our explainer: How to tell if you’re really getting Dolby Atmos sound.
Alternatively, we’re starting to see AVRs that have built-in support for Dolby Atmos Music streaming, like Pioneer Elite’s latest top-of-the-line model, the VSX-LX805.
Some smart TVs that support Dolby Atmos, such as LG’s 7-series OLED TVs and later, support music streaming apps such as Apple Music, but do not necessarily support Dolby Atmos Music as a format. Be sure to check all the specs for your setup.
If you’re a Sonos customer, you have another choice: As long as you own a Sonos Arc, Arc SL, or Beam Gen 2 soundbar, you can stream Dolby Atmos Music tracks from Amazon Music directly to these speakers using the Sonos app.Starting in late March 2023, it will support and Atmos Music streaming from Apple Music.
Wireless speakers
Sonos
There are currently three wireless speakers that are compatible with Dolby Atmos. Apple’s second-generation HomePod, which can play Dolby Atmos songs from Apple Music; the Amazon Echo Studio 3D wireless smart speaker, which can do the same thing using Amazon Music; and the Sonos Era 300, which can play Dolby Atmos Music tracks from Amazon Music and Apple Music.
Smartphones and tablets
Unlike Dolby Atmos Music on soundbars, AVRs or wireless speakers, which require Atmos-compatible equipment, a growing number of smartphones and tablets are Dolby Atmos-compatible and require no additional hardware. This is made possible by the science of binaural sound — a way of delivering sounds to each ear in a way that mimics what we would hear if the sounds were coming from all around us. Any set of wired or wireless headphones will work, but there are two key caveats:
- Your phone must support surround sound or the technology must be built into your preferred streaming app.
- Your preferred music service must have a Dolby Atmos catalog, and its app must support Dolby Atmos streaming on your phone.
All iPhone 7 and later models support surround sound, as do the following iPads:
- iPad Pro 12.9 inches (3rd generation) and later
- 11-inch iPad Pro
- iPad Air (3rd generation) and newer
- iPad (6th generation) and newer
- iPad mini (5th generation) and newer
Support for surround sound is included in Android 13 and later versions of Google’s mobile software, which means that if an app is compatible with Dolby Atmos Music, your Android 13 or later phone should support it. If your phone is running an older version of Android, it may still support Dolby Atmos Music — select models from Samsung, Motorola, LG, Sony, and Huawei already provided this capability before Android 13. Amazon Music is the exception to all these rules — Amazon is in built full support for Dolby Atmos into its app, making it independent of the capabilities of any phone — including older iPhones.
What type of music is available in Dolby Atmos Music?
Dolby is currently in partnership with two major music companies: Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. Both companies said they will release new recordings as well as classics from the old catalog in the Atmos Music format. The exact number of Atmos Music tracks is not something that any of the players have shared publicly, although previous commitments number in the thousands.
Warner didn’t offer a list of its available artists, but Universal said its contributions to Atmos Music will include songs by Bastille, The Beatles, Billie Eilish, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Luciano Pavarotti, Marvin Gaye and The Weeknd — to name a few.
Are there other ways to experience Dolby Atmos Music?
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Some clubs are starting to install Dolby Atmos Music systems that give DJs the ability to control their music in a 3D space around the club. Among them are Ministry of Sound in London, Sound-Bar in Chicago and Halcyon in San Francisco.
Are there any competitors to Dolby Atmos Music?
Tides and low tides
The most significant competition for Atmos Music comes from Sony. The new 360 Reality Audio format (360RA), which gave our staff goosebumps during its demo at CES 2019, is also an immersive object-based audio format for speakers and headphones. It made its streaming debut on the Deezer music service in October 2019 and arrived on Tidal shortly after. You can now find 360RA songs on both Amazon Music and Nugs.net.
As the new kid on the block, the 360RA has a long, steep climb to reach Dolby Atmos no matter what Sony says. The 360RA currently lags in both recording and playback. Early reviews of Sony’s 360RA speakers, the SRS-RA3000 and SRS-RA5000, suggest Dolby needn’t worry – at least not in the short term.
However, as the owner of the vast music publishing empire Sony BMG, Sony has a huge advantage in promoting its concept of all-encompassing music, so it is hard to count on the newcomer at this point. The next few years will be critical to the success of these competing technologies. And yes, consumers will most likely find themselves caught up in another format war.
Dolby Atmos is unlike anything else on the market right now, which is why it’s hard to fully appreciate it without hearing it for yourself.
When you’re ready to switch from bland stereo music to Dolby’s innovative “immersive” system, Dolby’s proprietary technology will take you there. Sony or DTS will eventually catch up, but for now Dolby is the leader. Honestly, we can’t wait to hear how the music improves next.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn