What is Spatial Audio?
What is Spatial Audio?
Have you ever settled down for a night in on the couch to catch up with your favorite series, or watch that new movie everyone’s talking about, only to find yourself struggling to hear what they’re saying? Or maybe you’ve tried losing yourself in a game or vibing to some music but just can’t hear things that well?
Unless your TV has built-in spatial audio you’ve probably found yourself in one of these scenarios. Spatial audio can be found in a wide variety of TVs, soundbars, and home theater systems and significantly improves the sound quality of your home entertainment so you’ll never have to resort to subtitles again (unless, you know, you don’t understand the language).
Spatial audio refers to the process of placing different sounds in different locations around the room. This differs from surround sound where sound still feels like it comes from directional speakers. With spatial audio, filmmakers, sound designers, and music creatives can precisely place individual sounds anywhere around the room to create an immersive soundscape. The result is a spatial sound experience that fills up the room, putting you inside your entertainment, and sounds more like the way we hear things in real life.
Is spatial audio noise-cancelling?
Spatial audio is not the same as noise-cancelling. You can certainly deploy noise-cancelling features on top of spatial audio, but they are not one and the same. For example, if you are listening to spatial audio on your AirPods or other earbuds, you may be able to use noise-cancellation and transparency to block out the noise. Then, to enable surround-sound or spatial listening, you will need to turn on spatial audio. The two can work together at the same time.
How does spatial audio work?
Spatial audio is often referred to as virtual surround sound because spatial audio replicates the experience of being surrounded by several audio sources. Because you have two ears, your brain can determine the direction and source of a sound. If you know something is coming from the left, your left ear will hear it first and your right ear will hear it second. This pattern allows you to define where sound comes from.
Spatial audio extends this capability to speakers. If you put different speakers in a room, the sound will originate from different locations. Regardless of whether you are watching a movie, enjoying a TV show, or gaming, the time it takes for a sound to reach your ears varies depending on its origin. Using spatial audio, it is possible to make different sounds that originate from different speakers at different points in time. This makes the environment more realistic and immersive for people.
There are several types of spatial audio that are designed for different purposes and devices. For example, you may have heard of spatial audio for Apple, and perhaps you wondered what Apple spatial audio is. This refers to a 360-degree sound format that makes it possible to hear in surround sound using AirPods.
Another type of spatial audio is head-tracked spatial audio. So, what is head-tracked spatial audio? You can use head tracking through spatial audio to make specific movies, shows, and music seem like they are coming from different directions within a soundscape. This gives the audio a sense of direction, allowing the surround sound functionality to react to your head movements to create an immersive experience
Is Dolby Atmos spatial audio?
Dolby Atmos® is an immersive spatial audio experience that delivers unparalleled space, clarity, and depth to stories and soundscapes like never before. Unlike traditional stereo where sound is panned left to right, Dolby Atmos provides a spatial sound experience as the creator intended — where sounds are individually placed and moved in three-dimensional space, giving you the feeling of sound from all around you, even above and behind you. With the ability to create more layers and precise directionality of sounds, Dolby Atmos draws you in deeper, fully engrossing you into the story. The result is a spatial sound experience, so lifelike, you'll feel like you’re there.
What devices support Dolby Atmos?
There are many ways to experience the spatial soundscape of Dolby Atmos. Many TV sets are enabled with Dolby Atmos and can deliver the experience right out of the box. You can also use a TV soundbar enabled with Dolby Atmos and listen as it places and moves sounds around the room. It’s simple to set up too, just read up on how with our guide. You can also watch your favorite series on a phone, tablet, or computer enabled with Dolby Atmos, using the device’s speakers or, in many cases, headphones. And, if you’re really into movies, there are full, multi-speaker configurations that will bring you as close to a full cinema experience as possible. Dolby Atmos gives you the choice of how you want to experience crisp, clean sound you can hear from every angle.
How do I know if a song has Dolby Atmos?
Many songs today are available in spatial audio. If you take a look at a specific song, you might see a Dolby Atmos badge listed, which indicates that the song is available in spatial audio. Just make sure the device, platform, and song you want to listen to all support spatial audio. You can do this by looking for the Dolby Atmos badge on your selected platform and content tile and in the settings of your device.
To find content in Dolby Atmos, head to Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, or TIDAL HiFi for a truly spatial listening experience where you can listen to artists such as Bad Bunny, The Beatles, BTS, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Queen, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd.
What movies and shows have Dolby Atmos?
More and more movies today are made using spatial audio. For example, there are tons of movies that have been created in Dolby Atmos available on some of the most popular platforms in the world. A few examples include Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Paramount+ as well as Max and Disney+. To enjoy the pioneering spatial sound experience of Dolby Atmos on these streaming platforms, you’ll need three things. First, make sure you choose a subscription tier that supports Dolby Atmos. Then, check your device and content to make sure they both support spatial audio. Generally, before you play the title, it’s easy to check if spatial audio is available: just look for the Dolby Atmos badge on the content tiles of your favorite movies and shows.
How can I experience Dolby Atmos?
For the best possible home entertainment experience with Dolby Atmos, a home theater setup that fires sound in every direction will deliver the immersive playback that Dolby is known for. To set this up, all you need is a screen enabled with Dolby Atmos — you can choose from a wide range of TV sets here — and either a subscription to a streaming service that offers movies in Dolby Atmos, or a Blu-ray player with your chosen Dolby Atmos Blu-ray disc.
For an even more intense experience, you can add a soundbar or a multi-speaker setup to build an even richer spatial sound environment. With overhead or upfiring speakers, you’ll be inside the multidimensional soundscape, bringing your living room to the next level. Find out how you can create your ideal, personalized home theater with this our interactive setup guide.
If music is your thing you can step inside your favorite songs with a subscription to a platform that supports music in Dolby Atmos, an enabled device like a smartphone, and a pair of headphones. For a closer look at platforms and devices check out our dedicated article.
That’s it! Now you can sit back, relax, and dive into your home entertainment with the spatial sound experience of Dolby Atmos – sound that moves you