{"id":5284,"date":"2023-07-13T19:59:57","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T17:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mammothsoundstudio.com\/why-is-dolby-atmos-the-future-of-music\/"},"modified":"2023-08-17T18:50:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-17T16:50:34","slug":"why-is-dolby-atmos-the-future-of-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mammothsoundstudio.com\/en\/why-is-dolby-atmos-the-future-of-music\/","title":{"rendered":"WHY IS DOLBY ATMOS THE FUTURE OF MUSIC?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

To answer this question, we need to understand how Dolby Atmos<\/strong> works in comparison to previous surround formats.<\/p>

With formats such as 5.1<\/strong> and 7.1<\/strong>, sounds get assigned to a specific channel. For example, if you’re watching a movie and there’s a person on-screen speaking, that dialogue will be assigned to the centre channel<\/strong>. If someone speaks off-screen to the left, that will be positioned in the left-side surround speaker<\/strong>. The issue with these surround formats is that they’re channel-based<\/strong>. This means that every sound has to be assigned to output from a specific channel. Therefore, you can only listen to that mix on a speaker configuration with the right number of channels for that mix. If you try to listen to a 7.1 mix on a 5.1 system<\/strong>, whatever content was in the two channels you don’t have will be lost.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\"\"<\/p>

To answer this question, we need to understand how Dolby Atmos<\/strong> works in comparison to previous surround formats.<\/p>

With formats such as 5.1<\/strong> and 7.1<\/strong>, sounds get assigned to a specific channel. For example, if you’re watching a movie and there’s a person on-screen speaking, that dialogue will be assigned to the centre channel<\/strong>. If someone speaks off-screen to the left, that will be positioned in the left-side surround speaker<\/strong>. The issue with these surround formats is that they’re channel-based<\/strong>. This means that every sound has to be assigned to output from a specific channel. Therefore, you can only listen to that mix on a speaker configuration with the right number of channels for that mix. If you try to listen to a 7.1 mix on a 5.1 system<\/strong>, whatever content was in the two channels you don’t have will be lost.<\/p>

Enter Dolby Atmos<\/strong>. Dolby Atmos is not a channel-based<\/strong> format. It is object-based<\/strong>. What this means is that rather than assigning a sound to output from a specific channel, it is assigned a position in a virtual 3D space<\/strong>. These virtual positions can be replicated on any listening device that is Atmos-enabled. The device will decode the Atmos metadata and decide where it’s best to position sounds for your specific listening configuration<\/strong>. So whether you’re listening on a 9.1.6 system<\/strong> or a pair of headphones<\/strong>, you can listen to the same mix. A specific mix for your speaker configuration is no longer required.<\/p>

The addition of height speakers<\/strong> to the previous surround formats takes the listening experience from a 2D<\/strong> one, with all speakers positioned on the same level, to a 3D<\/strong> one, with the sound fully immersing the listener. The ability to adapt the immersive mix into a binaural render<\/strong> to experience in headphones is the key factor here. This binaural technology<\/strong>, which is constantly developing and improving, makes immersive audio accessible on a consumer level. It means it can be experienced by anybody, anytime; not just those with an expensive speaker configuration<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\"\"<\/p><\/div><\/div>

This is why it’s the future of music<\/strong>. Immersive audio is available to everyone already, with no additional expense required<\/strong>. If you have a subscription to Apple Music, Deezer, TIDAL, or Amazon Music<\/strong>, then you can already experience it via your headphones. And the immersive experience will only get better as the binaural rendering technology improves<\/strong>.<\/p>

From a musician’s perspective<\/strong>, this is really exciting. For 60 years<\/strong>, artists have been writing and recording songs knowing they can only be experienced two-dimensionally<\/strong>. But now there’s a whole extra level of creativity<\/strong> that can be explored. Voices and sounds can be moved around the listener; they are no longer tied to the strict boundary between the left and right channels<\/strong>. Dolby Atmos also has very strict rules for loudness levels<\/strong>, and songs that exceed the level will be rejected by DSPs<\/strong>. This is in contrast to stereo mixes where, although there are loudness guidelines provided by DSPs<\/strong>, they can be exceeded without meaningful consequence. This means that things don’t need to be compressed or limited so aggressively<\/strong> because creating a super-loud mix isn’t a factor. But also because there are so many places to position things in the virtual 3D space<\/strong>, things don’t need to be EQ’d so aggressively either<\/strong> because frequency masking is far less of an issue.<\/p>

It’s also true that DSPs that already support Dolby Atmos are prioritising it on their platforms<\/strong>. For example, Apple Music<\/strong> is now only playlisting songs that have a Spatial Audio mix available<\/strong>.<\/p>

So, all this means that if you want to future-proof your music<\/strong>, an Atmos mix is essential<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

GLOSSARY<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDOLBY ATMOS<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

An immersive audio technology that allows sound to be positioned in a virtual 3D space instead of assigned to a specific channel, making it accessible on any listening device that is Atmos-enabled.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t5.1 & 7.1<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Traditional surround sound formats that assign sounds to specific channels, requiring a speaker configuration with the same number of channels to experience the mix.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCHANNEL-BASED<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A sound mixing technique where sounds are assigned to specific channels.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOBJECT-BASED<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A sound mixing technique where sounds are assigned a position in a virtual 3D space, making it possible to replicate the sound on any listening device.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVIRTUAL 3D SPACE<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

The ability to position sound in three-dimensional space, allowing the listener to feel fully immersed in the sound.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBINAURAL RENDERING<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

The process of adapting an immersive mix into a format that can be experienced through headphones.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLOUDNESS LEVEL<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

The perceived loudness of a sound, which can be measured in LUFS.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDSPS<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Digital Service Providers, such as Apple Music, Deezer, TIDAL or Amazon Music, that offer streaming music services to consumers.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSPATIAL AUDIO<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A feature in Apple Music that allows listeners to experience Dolby Atmos mixes.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFREQUENCY MASKING<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A phenomenon where one sound can make it difficult to hear another sound in the same frequency range.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t