If you’re an independent music producer or engineer, you’re likely aware that Dolby Atmos is becoming more commonly adopted in the professional music and film industry. In fact, for many, working with Dolby Atmos is no longer an option but a requirement. On the other hand, there are many doubters in the music profession who insist that Atmos is just a fad. With Dolby Atmos becoming more mainstream, is implementing this technology in your studio worth the time and investment?
Dolby Atmos is Here to Stay
At least initially, the idea of Dolby Atmos was an entirely corporate driven endeavor to create a new market. Most would argue that Apple dictates the music industry, and since the brand invested heavily in spatial audio everyone else has followed suit. Now, we not only see Dolby Atmos tracks on Apple Music, but also find it on several music streaming services, such as Tidal and Amazon Music. In fact, most of Apple Music’s top charting songs are available in Atmos.
Now that so many musicians have heard music mixed in Dolby Atmos, the format has become artist driven as well. Whether artists are adopting Dolby Atmos for creative reasons or just trying to keep up with the competition, demand from artists to create Dolby Atmos mixes of their music has risen exponentially in the last couple of years. In fact, since last year, Apple has been paying 10% more royalties per click to artists for music available in Atmos.
Consumers have also been sold. With everyone and their dog owning a pair of AirPods, users are quickly becoming used to the more engaging soundstage that their DSP (digital signal processing) headphones are delivering. For many fans of music, the question quickly becomes, “How will this track sound in Dolby Atmos?” Of course, if Atmos’s popularity solely relied on the number of people with DSP headphones or Dolby Atmos surround sound speaker systems, it wouldn’t have lasted till now. But the fact that anybody can listen to Atmos on any set of headphones (thanks to psychoacoustic principles), makes the format accessible to the masses.
Read More: Essential Dolby Atmos Gear
Securing Future Demand
As mentioned, a significant percentage of artists are now starting to have their tracks mixed and mastered in Atmos. While Atmos may never replace stereo, it still might become the primary delivery format of music. At the very least, every release is eventually going to have Atmos attached to it. And unfortunately, it’s unlikely that people will approach one engineer for stereo mixes and then go to someone else for a separate Atmos mix. In fact, most sound engineers do their stereo mix and Dolby Atmos mix at the same time. Yes, it costs more for the client but since there is a lot more work involved and the payoff is greater, artists are willing to make the investment.
With the risk of stating the obvious, it’s always smart for a business to add another layer of service that can generate money. Furthermore, no one wants to lose an existing rolodex of clients down the line. Finally, even if you aren’t personally seeing a high demand for Atmos tracks, it’s wise to ensure that your recordings today remain relevant tomorrow.
Expanding Your Creativity & Sound Quality
For an artist or independent producer, the creative possibilities that Atmos provide alone may be a great reason to integrate it into your projects. With the constraints of stereo parameters eliminated, you can add a fresh palette of colors to the track, creating a soundstage that is just as engaging as the music itself. Musicians and listeners are likely to have a deeper appreciation of your artistry once you’ve introduced an entirely new element of dimension and immersion into their work.
Apart from the enhanced emotional impact that a Dolby Atmos track creates, it also typically boosts the general quality of the audio. Since you’re working with a larger sound field, it’s easier to achieve better separation, definition and overall clarity. All you have to do is listen to an Atmos mix of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine or Elton John’s Rocket Man to see how much new life and clarity can be injected into a once exhaustingly familiar recording.
Read More: Best Headphones for Dolby Atmos Mixing
Can I Afford Dolby Atmos?
Unfortunately, the significant financial investment required to build a fully equipped Atmos studio has been a barrier to entry for many. However, people are certainly starting to make it work for less money. Most DAWs are already installed with Dolby Atmos renderers, allowing creators to immediately start mixing in Dolby with just a decent pair of headphones. A Logic Pro subscription and a pair of AirPods Max, for example, would be all you need to at least explore the technology. Of course, any serious mastering would require a more sophisticated setup, but one no longer needs to spend $100K to get a decent Atmos system.
Since you don’t have to invest in fancy/specialized speakers and given that companies are quickly expanding their line of cost-effective audio interfaces and system calibration tools to meet the requirements of an Atmos system, a reasonably respectable home studio can be built for under $5K. It’s worth remembering that an Atmos speaker setup is scalable. You can start with a 5.1.2 system, for example, and eventually build up to a 9.1.6 setup. There is no license required to mix Dolby Atmos music. And while you might not be able to achieve a Dolby certified system, you can get close and still produce a great product.
Is Dolby Atmos Hard to Learn?
Most engineers who have started working in Atmos will tell you that there is quite a steep learning curve to mastering the technology. When you begin tackling mixing and mastering in Atmos, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and hesitate about the best way to get started. And this may be another reason to get your feet wet sooner rather than later. Also, as more professionals start to work in Dolby, there is an increasing volume of beginner friendly instruction available online.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, there’s no question that working with Dolby Atmos takes significant effort and some financial investment, depending on what you are trying to achieve. But the payoff may be well worth it, especially if you’re looking to grow creatively and stay relevant in the future.
For information about the Dolby Atmos products we offer, be sure to check out our detailed product pages and guides. Or drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to answer all your comments and questions.
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