Netflix has announced that it is opening up spatial audio to all devices, instead of selected Apple iOS devices with titles such as Stranger Things, The Adam Project, Red Notice, The Witcher and Locke & Key. We have the details…
August 2021 - Spatial Audio Comes To Netflix But Only Via Selected Apple Devices
We have been talking about Apple spatial audio a lot recently including Russ’s article This Apple Fanboy Hates Spatial Audio.
Netflix decided to support Apple Spatial Audio via its iOS app nearly a year ago. The option for managing Spatial Audio is located in the Control Center. But note that unlike Apple Music support for Spatial Audio, which works on any headphones, because Netflix uses head tracking you will need either AirPods 3rd generation, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max or Beats Fit Pro headphones to enjoy Apple Spatial Audio with Netflix content.
Also, until now, you needed an iPhone 7 running iOS 15.1 or above, an iPad Air 3, iPad Mini 5 or an iPad Pro 3 running iPadOS 15.1 or above or an Apple TV 4K and later running tvOS 15 or above and to experience spatial audio on Apple devices you needed the streaming quality to be set to High or Auto.
July 2022 - Spatial Audio on Netflix Extended To All Devices
Netflix has now announced that with the help of Sennheiser they are the first streaming service to offer spatial audio on all devices. In a Netflix blog post, they say…
“Some of the most iconic moments in TV and film are defined by the immersive moments they create through sound. Without its excellent sound design, would the final fight scene in The Adam Project be as electric? Would Eddie Munson’s epic guitar scene in Stranger Things 4 bring the ǝpᴉsdn uʍop to life the same way?”
Netflix has already started to roll out content in their catalog in spatial audio, and you can hear it for yourself by typing “spatial audio” into the search bar and selecting a show or film that supports it in the search results.
Note that as a user, if you do not have surround sound speakers, Netflix says that spatial audio is enabled automatically when watching a compatible TV show or movie using stereo audio. If you have surround sound speakers, watching TV shows and movies in 5.1 surround sound or Dolby Atmos is recommended.
NOTE: Some televisions default to a 5.1 audio output setting which will disable spatial audio. If your equipment does not have surround sound speakers, it is recommended to change your device's settings to stereo audio. If you need help updating this setting, contact your device manufacturer.
If you see surround sound icons or a Dolby Atmos icon next to the title's description, be aware that spatial audio will not be enabled because your device is requesting 5.1 or Atmos.
Also as Netflix has only just started rolling out spatial audio across the board, not all titles or every season of TV shows are available with spatial audio and unsupported titles will play using standard stereo audio.
How Has Sennheiser Helped Make This Work?
Surveys among viewers have shown that OTT customers often access content with standard stereo equipment – be it on a mobile, while traveling, when casually watching via a tablet, or because the home listening space does not allow for a full surround sound set-up. All these viewers have been unable to benefit from the growing amount of music and films produced in Dolby Atmos or MPEG-H Audio until now.
Netflix uses Sennheiser AMBEO technology to enhance stereo audio with an immersive surround sound experience that is compatible with all devices, all streaming plans, and does not require surround sound speakers or home theatre equipment.
The AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio renderer has been designed to translate original immersive mixes into 2-channel audio with a spatial experience that extends beyond stereo. During its development, Sennheiser worked with Netflix and other industry partners to fine-tune the system and Netflix is the first streaming platform to deliver this significantly improved experience for select titles. However, this technology is now available to license from Sennheiser, so expect other streaming platforms to take it up.
Sennheiser told us …
“AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio is a two-channel rendering of an immersive mix that is a drop-in replacement for stereo. It provides an improved audio experience wherever stereo is delivered today, be it standard TV sets, stereo systems, headphones, tablets, or laptops. Netflix is the first streaming platform to deliver this significantly improved experience: On select titles, like Season 4 of Stranger Things, Netflix has made AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio the default stream for any two-channel usage. Netflix viewers watching on a stereo system will automatically receive an improved and enhanced spatial experience – no user changes required.”
Dr Renato Pellegrini from Sennheiser’s AMBEO team picks up the story…
“Sennheiser firmly believes in the immersive future of audio. Creators all over the globe have been using our tools to create outstanding immersive works, pushing the boundaries of music and film production. With AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio, we are now taking the next step – making this new audio reality accessible to everyone.”
Sennheiser has drawn on decades of research and innovation in immersive sound, to enable AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio to provide immersion far beyond what two-channel speaker systems can normally deliver, but without impacting the mix or tonal balance.
Scott Kramer, Manager for Sound Technology at Netflix explains…
“We feel AMBEO Spatial Audio offers a meaningful improvement for Netflix members. Re-recording mixers often tell me that it better translates their detailed immersive mix work to stereo. Crucially, this process preserves the original sound mix and respects creative intent with a remarkably clean sound.”
Sennheiser’s Dr Renato Pellegrini told us…
“What sets Sennheiser apart from other solutions is that the AMBEO rendering respects the original mix, tonal balance and dialog integrity, which is exactly what the re-recording mixer is looking for.
The processing is in line with Sennheiser’s reputation to deliver tools that are ‘transparent’ and do not interfere with the original sound. In a nutshell: Sennheiser 2-Channel Spatial Audio seeks to translate mixer intent, not to overpower it.”
The rendering software runs in the streaming service’s cloud-based encoding pipelines and is designed to produce AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio from existing ADM or IAB files. It does not require another separate mix.
A preview tool enables the re-recording mixer to compare stereo to AMBEO during post-production and adjust the rendering settings by stems/groups. The renderer offers “patented granular control of the spatialization, ranging from full AMBEO effect to standard stereo mixdown, while specific channels can be excluded from modification”. For example, the dialog can be completely preserved or modified slightly to match neighbouring immersive scenes.
Those of us concerned with loudness will be pleased to hear that “total loudness is preserved too”. In addition, a music mix can be kept for left and right channels while adding the immersive AMBEO rendering to all other channels and all signals are properly time-aligned to match the original content.
Re-Recording Mixer Mark Paterson told us…
“I’m a huge fan of AMBEO. I experimented with it a lot on the ‘Fear Street’ movies and was impressed with how the surround channel information was represented. I’m always looking for ways to get that Cinematic sound at home and on ‘The Adam Project’ I was able to make the mix sound really immersive on everything from high end soundbars to iPhones which I believe helps the audience connect more emotionally. It’s been a perfect format on ‘Stranger Things’. In the Atmos mix, Vecna’s voice wraps around you which is an important part of making him scary and larger than life. The fact that AMBEO is able to help recreate that in stereo is very impressive to me.”
What Do You Think?
Do you see this feature as a gimmick or a saviour for the consumer who will now be able to enjoy immersive content without having loads more speakers around the room?
If you try it out as a consumer, do share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. What does it sound like? Better or worse? We would be especially interested to hear from you if you have been involved in creating content that is already available in this new format.