3D Sound, Binaural, and Dolby Atmos: The Sound Revolution Impacting Musicians

Firstly, in the world of audio, the quest for an immersive and realistic experience has always been at the core of concerns. With the advent of 3D sound, binaural, and Dolby Atmos, this quest is, moreover, closer than ever to reality. Consequently, these revolutionary technologies offer a three-dimensional sound experience that transcends the limitations of traditional audio, thus allowing listeners to be immersed in the heart of the action like never before.

3D Sound:

First, 3D sound is a technology that aims to recreate a three-dimensional sound environment, reproducing the depth, height, and width of sound in an immersive manner. Next, this technology uses multiple audio channels to create a sense of space and movement, enabling listeners to perceive sound as if it were coming from different directions.

Additionally, the benefits of 3D sound are numerous. It provides a more realistic and immersive listening experience, allowing listeners to truly feel present in the sound environment. Then, 3D sound offers better sound spatialization, which allows for a clearer separation of different audio elements and better localization of sound sources.

Binaural:

Firstly, binaural is a recording and playback technique that aims to recreate the natural listening experience of the human ear. This technology uses special microphones placed in the ears of a mannequin to capture sound realistically, thus reproducing how humans perceive sound in space.

Furthermore, the advantages of binaural lie in its ability to create an extremely realistic and immersive listening experience. By faithfully reproducing how sound is perceived in space, binaural offers an unparalleled sense of presence and immersion.

Dolby Atmos:

Initially, Dolby Atmos is a revolutionary audio technology that pushes the boundaries of the sound experience by introducing a vertical dimension into audio mixing. Unlike traditional audio systems that are content to broadcast sound horizontally, Dolby Atmos allows the placement of virtual sound objects in a three-dimensional space, thus providing a more realistic and immersive sound experience.

Next, the advantages of Dolby Atmos are considerable. It offers more precise sound spatialization, allowing listeners to perceive sound as if it came from any direction, including above and below them. Additionally, Dolby Atmos offers compatibility with a wide range of audio setups, from home theater systems to headphones, thus ensuring an optimal sound experience regardless of the device used.

Evolutions in Usage and Impacts on Streaming and Video Game Platforms:

Firstly, 3D sound, binaural, and Dolby Atmos have revolutionized audio usage in many areas, including streaming platforms and video games. On streaming platforms, these technologies provide a more immersive and realistic listening experience, allowing users to fully enjoy their favorite audio content.

Then, in the field of video games, 3D sound, binaural, and Dolby Atmos provide increased immersion, allowing players to truly feel immersed in the game’s universe. These technologies enable better spatial localization of sounds, which is crucial for games where the perception of the sound environment is key to playability.

Currently, several streaming platforms offer support for Dolby Atmos to provide an immersive audio experience to their users. Apple Music offers a growing selection of songs, albums, and playlists mixed in Dolby Atmos, providing listeners with an immersive sound experience. Apple Music for Artists offers a 10% remuneration bonus to artists who deliver tracks in the Dolby Atmos format. Furthermore, the entire range of Apple devices is now compatible with this format.

Apple Link: https://support.apple.com/fr-fr/109354 https://artists.apple.com/fr-fr/support/1126-learn-more-about-dolby-atmos

Tidal and Amazon Music have also started to accept music distributed in this format, allowing their customers to benefit from the high-fidelity audio streaming experience in Dolby Atmos. It should be noted that streaming platforms may have different remuneration policies, and it is important for artists to inquire about the specifics of each platform.

Converting Stereo Music to 3D

Firstly, converting traditional stereo WAV audio files to Dolby Atmos can be done, but it generally requires the use of specific software and equipment. Here are some general steps to convert stereo WAV files to Dolby Atmos:

First, using audio mixing software compatible with Dolby Atmos: You will need audio mixing software that supports the Dolby Atmos format. Software such as Dolby Atmos Production Suite, Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, and Reaper is often used for mixing and creating music in Dolby Atmos.

Next, importing the stereo WAV file into the mixing software: Once you have the mixing software installed, import your stereo WAV file into the project.

After that, creating a spatialized mix in Dolby Atmos: Use the tools of the mixing software to create a three-dimensional mix in Dolby Atmos. This involves distributing the different audio elements across object channels and ambiance channels to create an immersive sound experience.

Then, placing and moving sound objects: A key feature of Dolby Atmos is the ability to place and move virtual sound objects in three-dimensional space. Use the tools of the mixing software to place the different audio elements in the sound environment in a way that creates an immersive audio experience.

Finally, verifying and exporting the mix in Dolby Atmos: Once you have finished the mix in Dolby Atmos, listen carefully to the result to ensure it meets your expectations. Then, export the mix in a format compatible with Dolby Atmos, such as ADM (Audio Definition Model) or BWF (Broadcast Wave Format), ensuring to preserve all the necessary metadata for correct playback on streaming and playback platforms compatible with Dolby Atmos.

Regarding the ease and cost of conversion, this will depend on your technical skills, access to the appropriate mixing tools, and your budget. Using professional mixing software may require some learning and experience, but there are also resources and tutorials available online to guide you through the process. Regarding cost, purchasing professional software and accessing certain equipment can be expensive, but there are also cheaper or even free software options available.

At Wiseband, we have decided to offer you a solution to upgrade your traditional stereo audio files, with our partner Ircam Amplify. This solution has the advantage of being extremely cost-effective, around €20 per minute.

In conclusion, we can offer to distribute these Dolby Atmos files to platforms that accept them today: Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music. Here too, a cost supplement of about €25 per title must be assumed.

Thanks to this service, a standard track of less than 4 minutes can be upgraded and distributed in Dolby Atmos for less than €100.

If you wish to use these solutions, contact us to learn about the details.