The Dolby Atmos Problem

Moving beyond stereo listening has always been a challenge, but support for Dolby Atmos is now finding its way into phones, soundbars, computers, and headphones. The music industry won’t be dropping support for stereo tracks any time soon, but the push into Dolby Atmos sound at home presents an awesome new way of mixing immersive, 3-dimensional music.

Of course, this change is not without problems for musicians, producers, and engineers. Mixing music using the Dolby Atmos plugin requires time to learn, and significant hardware and software costs. On top of that, there’s a lot of debate around how consistent the listening experience is, with some tracks sounding different depending on which streaming service is used.

Unlike stereo, not everyone has a device that supports this playback format, or a subscription to a Dolby-supported streaming service. There’s a lot to consider before jumping into mixing in Dolby Atmos, so here are the key factors you need to know.

1. Speakers

To truly experience Dolby Atmos surround sound, you can configure up to 22 speakers, but to your average audio engineer, this kind of arrangement is a rare sight. On the other end of the spectrum, Dolby recommends a minimum speaker layout of 7.1.4. In this case, you will only need 11 speakers plus one for the LFE channel.

It’s not exactly suitable if you work from home or in a small studio, nor is it an affordable investment. Luckily, there are other solutions for mixing in Dolby Atmos that can bypass purchasing so many speakers.

2. Dolby Atmos Renderer (Speakers Not Required)

If you don’t have a multi-speaker setup, you can still mix music in Dolby Atmos. The way to do this is to use the Dolby Atmos plugin to render your music to headphones, essentially creating a binaural version of your 3-dimensional mix.

People using Dolby-supported services and devices are likely listening to music on headphones. If you take this route, you have three options which we’ll cover in the next section. For more information on renderers, head over to our article on spatial audio in Logic Pro where we take a look at the difference between the Dolby and Apple renderers.

3. DAWs and Additional Hardware

Some workstations have Dolby Atmos integration, but depending on which solution you choose, you may also need to purchase additional hardware. You have three options for how to use the Dolby Renderer which allows you to mix without the speaker requirements.

Option One

Purchase the Dolby Atmos Production Suite for Mac (PC not supported) which has integration for Ableton Live, Apple Logic Pro, Avid Pro Tools Ultimate, Blackmagic Design’s Resolve, and Steinberg Nuendo.

The software runs on the same computer as your DAW which means a greater load on your CPU. There is a 30-day free trial which you can use to check if your hardware can handle the software.

Download: Dolby Atmos Production Suite for Mac ($299)

Option Two

Buy the Dolby Atmos Mastering Suite which operates on a separate PC or Mac dedicated to the software. Your DAW has to run on a different computer, and additionally, you will need a compatible audio interface (MADI or Dante I/O). The software comes bundled with approved hardware and can only be bought via authorized Dolby resellers. Expect to pay over $900.

Option Three

Use the Dolby Atmos plugin in Logic Pro which was introduced as a native plugin in 2021. If you’re already a Logic Pro user, you can update your software for free to try it out at no extra cost. Keep in mind you won’t have the extensive features available in the full software packages.

Download: Logic Pro for Mac ($199.99)

4. Listening Modes

Accounting for how people might listen to your music is incredibly important. With stereo tracks, it is standard practice to test your mix by playing it on speakers, headphones, and maybe on a laptop, before bouncing your track. The idea is to create a mix that sounds good across different speakers and devices which always involves some amount of compromise.

Mixing in Dolby Atmos gets a little more complicated when you try to test your mix. If you have the full 7.1.4 speaker system, your music will inevitably sound different from a Dolby render for headphones. There isn’t just one renderer now either, Apple has released the Apple Renderer on Logic Pro specifically for music distribution to the Apple Music platform.

Once your music gets to the listener, then you have to be aware that they could be listening to the track on headphones, supported Dolby speakers, computers with in-built surround features, or even on a soundbar.

It’s not impossible to test your mix out through different listening modes, but it is worth knowing that it will add more time to your mixing process. Even after going through a longer workflow, it’s not guaranteed that the listening experience is consistent across devices.

5. Supported Streaming Services

After all your work creating a mix for Dolby Atmos, you want people to be able to hear it. Spotify currently doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, which leaves a noticeable gap in where you can distribute your Dolby Atmos mixes. While more streaming services may choose to adopt the technology, here is a list of those that currently support Dolby Atmos music:

6. Future Adoption

With the greater adoption of Dolby Atmos, mixing for the format should become easier. More supported streaming services and devices will mean more people are guaranteed to hear your 3-dimensional surround mix. If you need to catch up on which companies are adopting Dolby Atmos for their products, start by taking a look at our roundup of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.

But, the jury is still out, and it’s difficult to say whether Dolby Atmos sound will be widely adopted at this moment in time, or sometime in the distant future. People in the music industry are rightly skeptical because surround sound formats have come and gone in the past without rising to the popularity of stereo sound.

Streaming services and new spatial sound gear might help change that, but at the end of the day, it means evolving the way we listen to sound—and that’s not a small change!

Is Dolby Atmos Worth It?

For bedroom producers, outfitting your home with multiple speakers is an unrealistic task, however, using the Dolby Renderer can offer a more affordable entry point. If you work at a professional studio, on the other hand, early adoption of Dolby Atmos mixing might put you in the minority who are ready to produce spatial tracks once the format starts to really kick off.

Now that you know the key factors when it comes to mixing music in Dolby Atmos, you can decide whether mixing in Dolby Atmos is the way to go.