~~~ TECH EXPLAINER (2022) ~~~

"What Is Spatial Audio, and What Songs Use It Best?" 

Meta Description: Amazon Music now features spatial audio for Unlimited members. An immersive, surround sound-enhanced listening experience is now available at your fingertips!

There was zero chance this article was getting submitted on time. Because once you slip on a pair of headphones (any headphones!) and hear your first Dolby Atmos or 360 Reality Audio on Amazon Music, it's all over. You’re in for hours of helpless music consumption. 

It's the kind of superior audio experience that sends you down a very long and thrilling rabbit hole of listening pleasure—whether you like it or not! So get ready for a new, expansive way to experience your favorite music and podcasts.

What is spatial audio?

Spatial audio is an audio format that delivers surround sound for music streaming and podcasts. It's sometimes referred to as "immersive audio," because of the added space, clarity, and depth it provides. It pulls you right into the music and makes sound burst to life.

The ultra-immersive audio that's available on Amazon Music was several decades in the making. Over time, audio engineers and technicians perfected the technique of placing microphones at various locations and distances around the recording studio. They learned how to mimic and manipulate sound waves to create a surround sound effect. At first, multiple fixed-speaker setups were necessary for listeners to fully experience these stereo and surround sound formats.

Today, a new generation of spatial audio mimics real-world sound. Listeners can now avoid the need for specific, multiple speakers through binaural rendering. This process creates audio signals that appear to originate from a real-world sound source at a specific location.

The result: headphones can now mimic the world around you. Be it a raucous live music concert, an intimate studio session, or even a stand-up comedian appearing at a club, spatial audio brings the listener into a new, immersive audio reality.

Using only headphones, spatial audio can now mimic “object-based” sounds. The position of an instrument can sound like it's in front, behind, or even above you. Spatial audio can also provide an “ambisonic” sound. This creates the feeling of a sphere or "bubble of sound" that surrounds the listener.

These 3D audio mapping techniques assign each piece of audio to a specific point in physical space. A feeling of distance is also created by adjusting sound volume. This tricks the brain into thinking the sound is coming from many directions. In actuality, it's still emanating from either side of the listener's head.

What do you need to experience spatial audio?

The best news when trying to take advantage of spatial audio? It's that any and all headphones will work! Whether rocking over-the-ear Beats headphones or AirPods Pro earbuds, Amazon Music's Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio tracks will sound splendid.

There aren't long setup processes or thick instruction manuals necessary, either. You simply subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited ($7.99/month or $79/year for Prime members, $9.99/month for non-Prime members) and download the Amazon Music app to your phone (available on iOS and Android).

Tens of thousands of spatial audio tracks are available on AMazon Music. The ones that qualify display either an "Atmos" or a "360 Reality Audio" (or sometimes just a "360") badge underneath their titles. This indicates either Dolby Atmos or Sony’s 360 Reality Audio enhancement.

For Apple device users, iPhones need to be iPhone 7 and upwards, and running on at least iOS 14. iPad users will need iPad iOS 14 on an iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 3rd generation). If you're using non-Apple headphones, earbuds, or speakers, you might need to alter their settings by selecting the "Always On" option for Dolby Atmos settings. Just go to Settings, and then Music. Then switch the Dolby Atmos setting to "Always On."

Spatial audio also works with certain external smart speakers and home surround sound systems such as Echo Studio.

Fully immerse yourself in a 3D audio world

As mentioned, spatial audio hits your ears from the same two directions (left and right) as when you listen to regular stereo sound. The special 3D audio mapping technique that engineers use is what makes all the difference. It allows each distinct piece of audio to inhabit its own place within the listener's consciousness.

The ability to play with sound and direction reveals an extra layer of artistic opportunity for music-makers. The spread-out 3D space provides much more room for all the elements of the recording to breathe and flourish. The vocal that used to be coming from your left is now right above you, and perhaps more center-left. If you close your eyes, the guitar that you remember coming from your right is now at about 2 o'clock. It seems like it's ten feet away and just to the right of the drums, which feel a little further back.

Norah Jones's first big hit, "Don't Know Why," is particularly dynamite in spatial audio. Her smooth, jazzy pop sound and spare instrumentation is perfect for Dolby Atmos. You can hear every instrument taking up its own precise space, in perfect relation to the other instruments. It feels as though you're sitting in the front row of a jazz club watching Norah and her band perform.

And it's not only the enhanced placement of the vocals and instruments that makes spatial audio superior. The actual sound of the music is very often light years ahead of the HD or Ultra HD stereo versions of some songs. The vocals are richer, the drums and percussion crisper. Sound effects that used to be subtle or even hard to hear now reveal themselves and take the track to new places. The collective soundscapes of spatial audio tracks bloom more vividly. It's a vibrance of sound never heard before.

Amazon Music’s Top Ten spatial audio listens

1
Tiësto and Sevenn

“Boom”

This one may or may not be the best song to start your first spatial audio listening session with. You may want to save it for later. And that’s because it could very well be the greatest example on all of Amazon Music as to what immersive audio can do. It's an aural amusement park of dance music, with exciting twists and turns, and dynamic highs and lows. "Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom" flitters and flashes all around your "bubble of sound." The frenetic movement of the vocals and percussion literally tickle the insides of your ears. The beat thwacks you in the base of your throat. Your senses overload when the song breaks down to give way to a wicked new sound effect—and it's then that you realize you're only a minute and change in!

2
Lady Gaga

"Paparazzi"

This dance-pop classic is another track that takes your ears on a sonic roller coaster ride. The first big impression it makes is that everything seems about ten notches more lush than the already-lush Ultra HD version of the song. When the first chorus kicks in, the lead vocal is especially vibrant. In the regular stereo mix, the background vocals attack you as one collective piece of audio. In the Dolby Atmos version, they morph into buzzy crystalline sprinkles wafting throughout your consciousness. You can now actually pick out individual voices. And then the second verse is when things get triple-trippy, with synth stabs oozing from side to side. The bridge, too, crackles with finger snaps and steam explosions. And none of this takes away from the fact that it's a great song, too!

3
Wayne Shorter

"Speak No Evil"

Jazz aficionados will be particularly enthralled by spatial audio. It's startling at times how intimate certain classic albums become. Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and John Coltrane's A Love Supreme are both available in 360 Reality Audio. They sound like you're about halfway between the stage and the back bar at a nightclub. Enchanting, indeed.

But this Wayne Shorter Dolby Atmos mix is so present and feisty. It feels like you're a guest sitting in the corner of the main recording studio room as Shorter (sax), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Herbie Hancock (piano), Elvin Jones (drums), and Ron Carter (bass) make history. The horns are at either side of the soundstage, Hubbard to our left and Shorter to our right. Jones nestles in behind Shorter, with Carter further back and toward the center. Hancock is in front of Carter, in the center of the stage but five feet or so behind the horn players.

It's all an aural illusion, of course, but spatial audio really does drop you in the middle of this ripping mid-Sixties hard-bop gem.

4
Elton John

“Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)”

You can tell the mixing engineer really understood his or her assignment here, and knew this Elton John staple well. The raw emotion of the vocal is right there. You can sense it positioned in the center and just a little above the piano. You may as well be sitting right in front of Elton at his legendary Troubadour performance in 1970! Then the second half of the verse introduces that creamy bass line that ratchets up the drama. Then we hear the first splash of the chorus.

This is an excellent track to toggle back and forth between the Dolby Atmos version and the standard HD version. The non-spatial version, while beautiful, sounds two-dimensional compared to the electric, multi-layered production of the 3D audio. In the original mix, the backing vocals provide a pleasant bed of background sound. In the Atmos treatment, however, they pop out with their own distinct personality that adds a whole new dimension to the track. And when that falsetto "Rocket maaaaaaaannn" chorus coda bursts and then fades away? Pure magic.

5
Michael Kiwanuka

“You Ain’t the Problem”

Percussion takes a central role right at the top of this one. This groovy tune starts off amidst a collection of voices laughing and chatting in the background as if we're at an outdoor café. Congas dance from side to side, surrounding a bass guitar that's lazily thumping in the middle of them. 

Meanwhile, a piano tinkles in the foreground before the real song kicks in with a jarring synth and a sharp, driving beat. If you toggle back and forth between Dolby Atmos and the regular stereo track, it's the tambourine that grabs your attention most. In the non-spatial mix, it sounds like little jingle bells, nothing special. Whereas the spatial mix delivers clear and precise percussive notes. Suddenly you realize you're hearing a bunch of mini metal cymbals clanking against one another. Which brings you that much deeper into the action.

6
Kenny Rogers

“The Gambler”

Not just a country classic, but a plain old American classic—heard like never before in Dolby Atmos. That Rogers rasp is right there in your face, even more gravelly and weary. The song was already cinematic. In fact, it was such a crossover hit in the Seventies that Rogers starred in five TV movies based on the narrator. But now you can put yourself in the saloon at 4 a.m. with these two outlaws of the Old West.

The spatial audio "Gambler" shows how an immersive audio mix can breathe life into background vocals. When the chorus arrives ("You got to know when to hold 'em..."), you can make out singers' individual voices. The more straightforward lossless Ultra HD mix presents the backing vocals on a single plane of sound. And when the broken-down singalong arrives at the end, you can even hear the crazy-low bass singer, wayyyy down there, croaking that you should never count your money when you're sitting at the table.

7
The Beatles

"A Day in the Life"

The Beatles are the best rock 'n' roll band of all time—no quarrels over this scientifically proven fact, please. So the immersive audio mixes of their catalog simply must make this list.

"Come Together" is often cited as a superior example of Dolby Atmos, and it's a joyous sound experience. Other tracks from Abbey Road are, too, like the brilliant "Something" or "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." The latter's oompah feel and the CLANK-CLANK of Max's homicidal weapon of choice stand out in this context, in particular.

But the closing track of the game-changing Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, "A Day in the Life," is such a trip in any audio format. Heck, it's a fantastic journey in the original mono, even! So it deserves special mention.

Like Rogers in "The Gambler," John Lennon's voice cracks and strains, which comes across as even more visceral in Atmos. In the regular stereo mix, there are a handful of instrument tracks assigned to the right and another handful assigned to the left, with Lennon's vocal in the middle. In the spatial audio version, though, we get that "bubble of sound." The sizzle of the shaker is to our hard-left, with Lennon's super-expressive acoustic guitar strums appearing to hover just above the shaker. There are piano accents inhabiting the same space, too, but from much further away. P

Meanwhile, Paul McCartney's ever-active bass is driving things along from about high noon. Lennon's vocal is now closer to us somehow, and a bit off-center, perhaps at 1 o'clock. The second half of the verse sees Ringo Starr's drums sneak in to our right, shoulder-to-shoulder with Lennon's vocal. The instruments and vocals are still working together, but also making a stronger statement on their own.

And this is all only a minute and a half in! A cacophony of avant-garde orchestral chaos—not to mention an entirely different McCartney song spliced into the middle section—are still on the way.

8
Skrillex, with Noisia, josh pan & Dylan Brady

"Supersonic (My Existence)"

Here's another showcase for how much more intense sound effects can be in spatial audio. This bold but dreamy soundscape architected by Skrillex subtly stimulates the senses. We only hear a curious-sounding synthesizer, the lead vocal, and some chirps to begin with (as in real-live bird chirps, not electronica chirps—yet). The vocal takes up a ton of space, more so than any other song on this list. It makes for an eerie, expansive vocal presence.

And speaking of eerie, right after R&B singer josh pan's first brief chorus, we hear a faint throb of glitchy noise that quickly crescendos into a new verse. Now comes that monster bass fans came to know when Skrillex first appeared on the EDM scene. And things get weirder from there. We hear herky-jerky robo-vocal stabs and unsettling whirs and chirps (the electronic kind this time). It feels something like the sensation of losing consciousness altogether.

9
Billie Eilish

"Happier Than Ever"

The vast majority of the Billie Eilish catalog appears in the Dolby Atmos audio format. Eilish's pre-überfame EP, dont smile at me, which includes the fan-favorite "ocean eyes,'' is oft-cited as a spatial audio standout.

But "Happier Than Ever" is an excellent specimen as well. It exemplifies what kinds of sonics are possible when Eilish is both sparse and super-intimate, like in the first half of the song, and then bombastic and raging, as in the second half of the track. She starts out breathy and sleepy, accompanied by only a ukulele and a whispered backing vocal. You can barely hear these sprinklings of sound flitting above and around you.

And then the track slowly but deliberately evolves into a guitar-laden angst-fest reminiscent of Nineties alt-rockers Garbage. It's here that the soundscape is fully claimed. Snare hits distort to the breaking point, and a chorus of Eilish's friends yell in unison at the callous ex-boyfriend who did her wrong, backing her up both musically and spiritually.

10
Herbie Hancock

"Watermelon Man" (Head Hunters version)

Hancock had already seen his standard version of "Watermelon Man'' become a modest crossover hit in the early Sixties. But the release of his album Head Hunters over a decade later saw the track reimagined. This version broke new ground in the jazz fusion scene and marked a breakthrough in Hancock's career. Going on five decades later, it's a highlight of Sony's groundbreaking 360 Reality Audio technology.

The famous Pygmy-inspired opening starts things off in an ethereal fashion. t features a recreation (by blowing into beer bottles) of the sound of the Central African hindewhu. Those sounds, plus erratic percussion and tribal cries of excitement, are woven together to create a magical 3D audio effect all around the listener. That atmosphere soon gives way to a groovy funk bass line. Untypical of string bass parts, it takes a lead role by inhabiting the central foreground of the mix.

For his part, keys genius Hancock is sticking to subtle Clavinet electric piano placed to the right. From the left and slightly above, the sax balances out the Clav—almost as it would on a stage. The drums enjoy prominent placement as well, right next to and somewhat behind the bass. And there's what sounds like a giant marímbula thumb piano, too. It's plucking a simple chattered melody line from the area where, as far as our spatial audio-entranced brains know, band leader Hancock is running the show.

*BONUS*
London Philharmonic Orchestra & Ben Gernon

"Die Walküre, Act III: Ride of the Valkyries" (R. Wagner)

The only genre that might benefit more from spatial audio than jazz is classical. Amazon Music addresses this fact with a glorious (and exclusive to Amazon Music!) album of 35 songs entitled Spatial Audio—3D Classical Collection.

The London Philharmonic recorded these "best of classical" songs at the Beatles-founded Abbey Road Studios in London. Most of the greats appear here, including Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Mozart, and Vivaldi. All 35 exemplify what Dolby Atmos can do for an orchestra. But Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" is so dramatic, urgent, and ominous throughout. It's a real thrill ride you can utterly lose yourself in.

The folks at Abbey Road mixed the music as well. The only way they could have sucked you in more, and made you feel more connected and all-consumed by the orchestra, would be if you were physically there at the recording. And perhaps got a guided tour from Paul and Ringo afterwards.