What is Spatial Audio and How Does it Work
After testing Sonos' newest smart speaker, Era 300, with Dolby Atmos, it got me thinking about how we could help consumers understand what spatial audio is, how it works, and the benefits of listening to music or watching a movie with this unique sound technology which has been around for a few years and used in headphones and earbuds. Apple announced Spatial Audio for the AirPods Pro at its WWDC event in June 2020. So, here is a simple explanation of spatial audio's what, how, and benefits.
What is Spatial Audio?
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Spatial audio can help you feel the sound all around you.
Spatial audio is a technology that creates an immersive listening experience by simulating surround sound. It uses directional audio filters to place sounds in a virtual space around the listener. This makes it seem like the sounds are coming from all directions, even if the listener only wears headphones.
Spatial audio is often used in movies and TV shows to create a more realistic and engaging experience. It can also be used in music to create a more immersive and lifelike listening experience.
Spatial audio is a great way to create a more immersive and engaging listening experience. It can be used in movies, TV shows, music, and other audio content. If you have the right equipment, you can enjoy spatial audio today.
Here are some of the benefits of using spatial audio:
- It can create a more immersive and engaging listening experience.
- It can make music sound more lifelike and realistic.
- It can make movies and TV shows feel more like you're there.
- It can be used to create a more personal and intimate listening experience.
Spatial audio is an excellent option if you're looking for a way to improve your listening experience. With spatial audio, you can feel like you're right in the middle of the action, whether you're watching a movie, listening to music, or playing a game.
How does spatial audio work?
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Spatial Audio provides an immersive sound experience and helps you feel the music all around you.
Spatial audio uses directional audio filters to place sounds in a virtual space around the listener. This is done using the headphones' accelerometer and gyroscope to track the listener's head movement. The headphones then use this information to adjust the audio so that it sounds like it's coming from the direction the listener is looking.
Spatial audio is often used in movies and TV shows to create a more realistic and engaging experience. It can also be used in music to create a more immersive and lifelike listening experience.
Here are some of the ways spatial audio works:
- Head tracking: Spatial audio uses the accelerometer and gyroscope in the headphones to track the listener's head movement. This information is used to adjust the audio to sound like it's coming from the direction the listener is looking.
- Binaural audio: Binaural audio is a type of audio that simulates the way sound is heard in the real world. It does this by using two audio channels, one for each ear. The audio channels are mixed differently for each ear, creating the illusion of depth and space.
- Dolby Atmos: Dolby Atmos is a surround sound format that creates a more immersive listening experience. It does this by placing sounds in a virtual space around the listener. This makes it seem like the sounds are coming from all directions, even if the listener only wears headphones.
How do you create spatial audio?
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spatial audio works with dolby atmos
There are a few different ways to create spatial audio. One way is to use a surround sound system. This system has multiple speakers placed around the listener, which uses them to create the illusion of surround sound.
Another way to create spatial audio is to use headphones. Headphones can use directional audio filters to place sounds in a virtual space around the listener. This makes it seem like the sounds are coming from all directions, even if the listener only wears headphones.
The new way to create spatial audio is in the recording studio using Dolby Atmos. Many artists are creating spatial audio music because it offers a more immersive and engaging listening experience for their fans and offers several advantages over traditional stereo audio.
If you are an artist who is interested in creating spatial audio music, there are a few things you need to know. First, you will need to make your music in a format compatible with spatial audio. This means using a surround sound mixing system or a Dolby Atmos mastering suite.
Second, you must distribute your music to a service that supports spatial audio. Apple Music and Amazon Music are the most popular services offering spatial audio. Note: Spotify does not offer spatial audio.
Finally, promoting your music to let fans know it is available in spatial audio would be best. You can do this by sharing it on social media, writing blog posts, or creating videos showcasing the spatial audio experience.
Benefits spatial audio offers users
Spatial audio creates immersive and engaging listening experiences for not only listening to music. It can be used in movies, TV shows, and other audio content. And since there are new devices, like Sonos Era 300 speakers or high-quality headphones and surround sound systems, that can play spatial audio content, artists can also enjoy the benefits of spatial audio. Here are a few benefits of spatial audio for artists:
- Make music sound more lifelike and realistic.
- It can create a more personal and intimate listening experience.
- It can help artists stand out from the competition.
Why listen to spatial audio content?
Overall, spatial audio is changing the sound experience for listeners and creators. And there are many reasons to listen to spatial audio. Besides the immersive listening experience, spatial audio does enhance the sound quality of the content. It provides a wider soundstage and a more accurate representation of the original sound. This can make music sound more lifelike and realistic and make movies and TV shows feel more immersive.
Users can also get a personalized listening experience with spatial audio. Users can personalize the head shape and size, improving the overall listening experience. This can benefit people with hearing loss or other audio impairments.
But the best feature of spatial audio is how it brings a new innovative way to listen to music or audio content that helps users feel the sounds around them which can create a more realistic and lifelike listening experience.
Is spatial audio right for you? Suppose you want a more immersive and engaging listening experience that feels like you are right in the middle of the action, whether you are watching a movie, listening to music, or playing a game. In that case, spatial audio is an excellent option for you. You need a good pair of headphones, Apple AirPods Pro, a surround sound system, or a smart speaker that can play spatial audio, like Sonos Era 300. From experience listening to a song or watching a movie on a pair of headsets or surround sound systems that can play spatial audio is both game and life-changing.
And you should use our product find engine, The GearBrain to find, buy and connect headphones, surround sound, and smart speakers like Sonos Era 300 that can play spatial audio content.
