We spend a lot of time discussing Dolby Atmos, both for post and for music. A regular comment we hear, both from the community and from within the team is a scepticism about Atmos for Music. I can understand why. Stereo works. Alternatives have been tried over the years, from Quad through to music in 5.1. But however much enthusiasm there might be for a new format, to cut through and become more widely relevant it needs to displace stereo, and stereo works for nearly everyone.

Dolby Atmos looks to have succeeded where others have failed because it can co-exist with stereo and listeners can experience it using their headphones - the equipment they already use for stereo. And with Apple Music streaming Spatial Audio in the way that they are, the barriers to uptake are being navigated in a different way to the failures of the past.

But there is still a great deal of indifference to immersive music mixes. To get truly inspired the possibilities and benefits of immersive it’s necessary for a listener to have that penny drop moment where you hear some music mixed in Dolby Atmos which excites you as a listener and shows that while stereo is great, things can be better in a way which makes the music experience richer and more fascinating.

Penny Drop Moment

I remember mine. Like many other people it was in the PMC booth at the NAMM Show some years ago. I’d heard about Atmos for music but hadn’t yet heard the results. Once I’d heard some good Atmos mixes I was convinced. There are still hurdles to be overcome both in the production process and in encouraging listener buy in. But ultimately it’s about whether it is good to listen to.

I asked a couple of the team to help compile a list of recommended tracks mixed in Dolby Atmos which we think show the potential of immersive mixes and to share some thoughts on why we feel these particular tracks are worth a listen.

We like to give examples when we reference specific music but the fact that these are Dolby Atmos mixes means that the options are reduced. We’ve embedded the Atmos mixes on Apple Music apart from two which weren’t available where the stereo mixes have been provided instead. If you want to hear them we suggest tracking them down on an appropriate streaming platform of your choice which offers Atmos Mixes.

If you’re a sceptic these might change your opinion, if you’re already a convert hopefully you’ll find something new you’ll enjoy.

Julian Rodgers

Rocket Man, Elton John - Has to be on there, so many people's first 'wow' moment hearing Atmos. Remixing legacy content from massive selling artists is a popular move with labels and its easy to see why. These remixes can be divisive with fans though, as they are so familiar with, and often emotionally attached to, these classic tracks. This mix is an example of remixing legacy content respectfully and without changing the intention behind the song. Definitely a ‘must hear’. Listen Out For: the BV's as they roll across the ceiling at the beginning of the first chorus.

Mona Lisa, Gregory Porter - Anyone who thinks that Atmos is about mix gimmicks and flying sounds around people’s heads needs to hear this. Static Objects being used tastefully to do what stereo tries to do but doing it better. And proper scale and dynamics too. It gets loud! It’s an ideal reminder that just beacause you can pan objects dynamically doesn’t mean that you should… Listen Out For: How the Atmos mix doesn't draw attention to itself but presents a huge arrangement without getting in the way. The Atmos mix isn’t available on Apple Music so the stereo mix is embedded below, but look out for the Atmos mix, it’s worth hearing.

Concrete Over Water, Jockstrap - Thanks to Mark Gittins for the recommendation. So many twists and turns using the format to the full but it doesn't sound gimmicky because the Atmos mix and the arrangement sound like they have been envisaged together. As a result they complement each other rather than being 'stuck on'. Listen out for: The very roomy piano and vocal section at 3.35 which comes at you from the ceiling!

Mama Said Knock You Out, LL Cool J - I heard the ADM on a recent visit to Scrub in London. Very cool use of front to back pans in transitions in the song and having the ADM playing meant I could watch the panning in the Atmos Renderer and follow exactly what I was hearing. The effect is one of being propelled forwards from section to section through the song. An audio equivalent of the ‘Hitchcock Dolly Zoom’ camera trick! The Atmos mix isn’t available on Apple Music so the stereo mix is embedded below, but look out for the Atmos mix, it’s worth hearing.

Mark Gittins

Bad Guy, Billie Eilish - Great vocal positioning, especially the use of centre chan for the ‘dur’ bit.

Rumble, Skrillex, Fred Again & Flowdan- If you like tight fast low end, check this out. Immense use of the LFE but despite industry wide caution, It works great on this track.

Kind of Blue, Miles Davis - Amazing how they did this. There’s a YouTube video with a brief glimpse of how they set up speakers and “re-miked” the music by playing it out in the live area over carefully positioned loudspeakers and recording the results using microphones.

Music For Growing Flowers, Erland Cooper - Listen out for the nature foley in the height channels. Stunning.

Nathaniel Reichman

Senorita, Sean Mendes & Calmila Cabello - This is one of the early high-profile Atmos pop mixes. It’s a romantic duet, and Camila Cabello starts singing in the front, but what makes the mix daring in a simple way is that Shawn Mendes’ first verse appears in the back of the room, behind you. The mix has a cinematic quality with the two lovers moving around each other in space. Good song too.

Darkness and Scattered Light, John Luther Adams - I can’t help but talk my own book with Atmos music mixes. I produced an album of solo double bass pieces by the late virtuoso, Robert Black. Given that this was a solo album, it made sense to put the bass right in the center channel. There’s a lot of trepidation around using the center channel, but in my experience Atmos gives us an ironic opportunity to bring back what’s great about mono when we emphasize the center. Of course, I have mics capturing the entire space on this album, but the center channel makes the bass more present and more physical. And we were nominated for a Grammy on this one, too.

This Is What I Mean, Stormzy - Hip-hop doesn’t lend itself quite as perfectly as classical and dance music does to immersive. But Stormzy’s outstanding single with Jacob Collier puts Collier’s wild vocals all over the room, on the ceiling, on the back wall… it’s not gimmicky at all, but comes across as wild and hallucinogenic.

Tchaikovsky & Schulhoff: Orchestral Works, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra & Manfred Honeck - One of the promises of Atmos is a more perfect recreation of what you would actually hear in a concert hall, with all the natural reflections of a great physical space. Mark Donahue’s outstanding recording of Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is a great thing to play for the Atmos skeptic. Toggling back and forth between stereo and Atmos is night and day. The Atmos sounds like being in the hall.

What About Your Recomendations?

So there you have it. 12 recommendations of Atmos mixes which showcase the potential of immersive mixing for music. So what about you? Do you have any recommendations you’d like to share?