Dolby Atmos Mastering
What Is Dolby Atmos Mastering?
Dolby Atmos mastering is a process that takes your stereo mixed stems and positions them into a 3D space. Your song does not have to have been mixed in atmos, the beauty of Dolby Atmos mastering is the ability to transform a stereo mix into an immersive masterpiece.
Dolby Atmos mastering is an advanced audio technology and production process that revolutionises the way sound is created, mixed, and experienced in various media formats such as movies, music, and games. Unlike traditional audio setups that use channels, Dolby Atmos introduces an object-based approach to sound design and playback.
In Dolby Atmos mastering, sound elements are treated as individual objects, each with its own positional data and metadata about how it should be heard in a three-dimensional space. This allows content creators to precisely place and move sounds around the listener, providing a more immersive and realistic audio experience. Whether it’s a raindrop falling from above, a car passing by, or a musical instrument in a concert hall, each sound can be positioned anywhere in a 3D environment for heightened realism and engagement.
This technology expands on traditional surround sound setups by introducing height channels, which enable sounds to come from above as well as around the listener. This adds a vertical dimension to the audio experience, enhancing the sense of depth and immersion. Whether through a home theatre system, a soundbar, or dedicated movie theatres, Dolby Atmos mastering ensures that audiences can enjoy a more captivating and enveloping soundstage, bringing entertainment to life like never before.
NICK BURCHALL (STUDIO A)
Speakers / Monitors
2x Ex Machina Arcturus
2x Ex Machina Pulsar
Ex Machina Quasar
8x Ex Machina Titan
EQ’s
Hendy Amps Michelangelo XL
IGS Audio 825EQ
Maselec MEA-2
Buzz Audio REQ 2.2
Dangerous Music BAX
Goly Porter Grinder
AudioTales Designs 1951 ME
AudioTales Designs 1954
Wes Audio NG Tube EQ
Cranborne Audio Carnaby HE2
Compressors
UnFairchild 670m mkII
Elysia Alpha Compressor
Shadow Hills Optograph Compressor
Hum Audio LAAL
Maselec MLA-3
Maselec MPL-2
Bettermaker Limiter V2
Elysia Xmax
Elysia Nvelope
Rupert Neve MBT
Saturation
Vertigo VSM-2
Whitestone Audio P331
Console
Solid State Logic Oracle
Wes Audio NG Sum Box
Avid Dock
Converters
Avid MTRX Studio (TB)
Lynx Aurora N 32 HD
Lynx Aurora N 16 HD
Burl B-16 Mothership
Burl BAD4M
Burl BDA4M
Other
Trinnov MC-Pro Dante 12
Flock Audio Patch
McDSP APB 8
PAUL ASHMORE (STUDIO B)
Speakers / Monitors
4x PMC Ci30
4x PMC Ci65
7x PMC Ci140
2x PMC Ci140 Sub
EQ’s
Hendy Amps Michelangelo XL
Blackbox HG-Q
2x Cranborne Audio Carnaby HE2
Wes Audio NG Tube EQ
13x Wes Audio Hyperion
2x Wes Audio Prometheus
24x Solid State Logic E/G Series EQ
2x Bettermaker Mastering EQ
Bettermaker PEQ_Core
Compressors
Hum Audio LAAL
Wes Audio NG Tube Comp
Wes Audio NG Bus Comp
Wes Audio NG78
10x Wes Audio Rhea
8x Wes Audio Pandora
8x Wes Audio Dione
Bettermaker Darthlimiter
Zombie Rec Mammut
Saturation
Klanghabitat Cassiopeia
2x FreqPort FreqTube
Console
Solid State Logic Oracle
Wes Audio NG Sum Box
Wes Audio NG Leveler
Avid S4
Converters
Avid MTRX Studio (TB)
Lynx Aurora N 32 HD
Lynx Aurora N 16 HD
Burl B-16 Mothership
Burl BAD4M
Burl BDA4M
Other
Trinnov MC-Pro Dante 64
Flock Audio Patch
5x McDSP APB 16
Before & After Audio Examples
Mastering in the hands of a skilled engineer can elevate your music to an entirely new level. This transformation is especially evident when you listen to the before and after audio demos below. You’ll notice an added warmth and glow that makes the music highly pleasing to the ear, subtly encouraging the listener to sit up and take notice. Ask yourself: How do I perceive the before and after examples? Can you detect the enhanced detail and presence that mastering has introduced? Can you hear the added depth and the three-dimensional image that has been achieved?
What Our Clients Say About Us
What sets Audio Animals apart from other companies is our deep understanding of our clients and their needs. We know you want revisions included in the service. We understand the importance of fast, reliable turnaround times. We ensure you only pay for the services you require, without any unnecessary add-ons. Our focus on truly understanding our clients allows us to provide a service tailored specifically to your needs.
Dominik
“All I can say they never disappoint! Always deliver everything I am looking for. Loud, powerful and pro sound, exactly how I wanted it to be. Audio Animals are really professional and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to everyone. Definitely I will keep using this service in the future!”
Sam Cole
“Nick perfectly balanced my track and I could clearly hear each instrument against the vocals, but still preserving the song’s dynamics. It didn’t matter what device I played it through, everything sounded great and clear. Something that we all want when people listen to our music.”
Rob Horvarth
“We were looking for an experienced mastering engineer. Paul at Audio Animals Ltd. appeared to be the right man for the job and he did not fail us. Paul delivered an extraordinary and breathtaking master. Our Album has been lifted to the next level and we are extremely happy.”
Harry Mindgame
“I’ve had many tracks mastered by Audio Animals. Always been happy with the results. Mastered my own mixes in the past and I prefer to send it out to Nick to get done. Comes back exactly as I wanted it! The most consistent team that there is. You know your work is in safe hands.”
TZ
“I just wanted to let you know that the whole band is amazed by your skills. It is unbelievable how excellent the sound could be, if there are professionals working on it (YOU!). We thank you from the bottom of out hearts, I have never been so satisfied while listening to songs that we recorded.”
Kosta Lois
“I have to say Nick Burchall has one of the best ears in the entire record business for mastering. He’s definitely become my go to guy! He takes what I give him and puts the final polish on it – also he’s always right on time for all of my deadlines and easy to work with. A pleasure to work with!!!”
Dolby Atmos Mastering FAQ
If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please get in touch using the contact details below and our team will be happy to help with any questions you may have.
Phone: +44 (0) 7415 17 55 30
Email: studio@audioanimals.co.uk
Whatsapp: +44 (0) 7415 17 55 30
What Studio Should I Select – Studio A or Studio B?
Whilst both Dolby Atmos mastering studios will produce an exceptional master. Studio B is thought of as our primary Dolby Atmos studio that is equipped with a state of the art Dolby Atmos 7.1.6 PMC System. One of the best sounding Dolby Atmos rooms the music industry has to offer.
Studio B (Paul Ashmore) is Audio Animals primary Dolby Atmos mastering studio. It is equipped with a state-of-the-art 7.1.6 PMC monitoring system, optimised by Trinnov to deliver an exceptional listening experience and one of the finest sounding Dolby Atmos environments you are ever likely to hear. Studio B also features an Avid S4 console, used to control every aspect of the Dolby Atmos mix, alongside a Solid State Logic console that enables EQ and compression to be applied to up to 48 objects in the analogue domain.
Studio A (Nick Burchall) is equipped with a 7.1.4 Ex Machina Dolby Atmos system, optimised by Trinnov to deliver a pinpoint-accurate listening experience.
What Is The Turnaround?
All orders will be turned around within the time frame selected when placing your order. Turnaround time is based on days the selected engineer works between Monday to Friday. If you have a specific day you need your master back for, please let us know when placing your order.
- 1 Working Day (mix 1 returned next working day)
- 2-5 Working Days (mix 1 returned within 2-5 working days)
- 5-7 Working Days (mix 1 returned within 5-7 working days)
What Is Dolby Atmos Mastering?
Dolby Atmos mastering is a process that allows us to take your songs mixed stems and transform it into a Dolby Atmos master. Working in our Dolby Atmos mastering studios we are able to position and pan your song in a 3D space. Creating a fully immersive and spatial master that can then be released on streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Amazon and Tidal. The difference this service makes is outstanding and quite honestly takes your music to an unimaginable level.
Can You Dolby Atmos Master A Stereo Mix Or Do I need Stems?
Yes, we can create a Dolby Atmos master from a stereo mix, but there are some important limitations to be aware of. To do this, we would need to use stem-separation technology to extract individual elements from the stereo file before building the Atmos mix.
While this can work, streaming platforms may detect that the stems have been artificially separated from a stereo master, which can increase the risk of the Atmos version being rejected during their quality-control checks.
For the best results and the highest chance of your release passing platform checks successfully, we strongly recommend supplying the original stems from your mix. This gives us much more control over the Atmos master and avoids the potential issues associated with stem separation.
Can You Master My Dolby Atmos ADM Mix?
Yes, a Dolby Atmos mix can be delivered as an ADM File for mastering. We will then take your ADM mix and perform the mastering to the strict guidelines in place for Dolby Atmos delivery.
Can You Turn My Mixed Song Stems Into A Dolby Atmos Master?
Yes, this is a very common practice of Dolby Atmos mastering. We can take your stereo mixed stems and position them into a 3D space. Creating a fully immersive and inspiring Dolby Atmos master. It doesn’t matter if your song is already released in stereo. You can submit your songs mixed stems and stereo master to be matched and delivered back to you ready to release as a Dolby Atmos ADM on streaming platforms.
Does My Song Have To Be Mixed In Dolby Atmos To Be Mastered In Dolby Atmos?
No, your song can be mixed in stereo and then positioned in Dolby Atmos. Your mix balance and processing is kept the same but with the added benefit of positioning each stem into a 3D space in Dolby Atmos.
What Are The Benefits Of Releasing A Dolby Atmos ADM Master?
There are a few major benefits of releasing a Dolby Atmos master.
- Superior Sound when compared to a standard stereo master. A Dolby Atmos master can achieve a sound that has more space, depth and is overall more true to life and pleasing to the ear.
- More Royalties from streaming platforms. You will earn a better percentage of royalties from streaming platforms when release a Dolby Atmos master.
- Online Algorithms will favour songs that are released in Dolby Atmos as well as stereo, especially Apple Music that say that the preferred format is Dolby Atmos/Spatial Audio.
- Future Proofed with Dolby Atmos. Dolby Atmos is going to eventually replace stereo on all streaming platforms. By releasing your music now in Dolby Atmos ensures you are future proofed and ready for the inevitable switch.
- Better Chance Of Being Playlisted. By releasing a Dolby Atmos master you will have a far better chance of being playlisted on certain platforms. Being playlisted can make or break a release.
What Is The Difference Between Apple Spatial And Dolby Atmos?
There is technically no difference. Apple Spatial is what Apple call it and Dolby Atmos is what everyone else calls it. Apple spatial is played back through Apple’s own codec. All other streaming platforms playback using the Dolby Atmos codec. Apple spatial does not use the near, mid and far metadata.
When Do I Pay For Mastering?
Orders / payment must be made before work on your song begins. This ensures our engineers, take the necessary time and care required to return you the very best master.
What Is An Additional Masters?
By adding + Additional Masters to your order, you will receive back any of the following mixes mastered in Dolby Atmos.
- Instrumental
- Radio Edit (additional stems must be supplied)
- Extended Edit (additional stems must be supplied)
How Many Revisions Can I Make?
Dolby Atmos Mastering includes 2 revisions. Mastering revisions give you the peace of mind that the end result is going to be exactly as you want it. On the rare occasion you exceed 2 revisions, you can always purchase more via our revisions and re-runs page.
If you need to change the mix in any way after mastering there is a master re-run fee of £20. This small charge covers the engineers time to reprint the Dolby Atmos master.
What If I Have Accidentally Sent The Wrong Stems For Mastering?
If work has not yet begun on your song, you can simply get in touch with us and replace the files.
If work has already begun on your song and you need to replace the stems. Two outcomes will occur.
If the mix is technically the same song and same mix but there is a change resulting in the song needing to be re-run. There is a small charge of £20 to cover the time the engineer must take to re-run your song.
If the mix is completely different or a different song altogether, a new order for mastering will need to be placed. The reason for this is because mastering will need to be started from scratch and the previous master scrapped.
Before sending your song always make sure that the stems play back correctly and the files you are sending is the mix you intend to be mastered.
How Should I Send Stems For Dolby Atmos Mastering?
Your stems can be uploaded securely via the upload page here. Bypass all processing you may have on your master bus. For Dolby Atmos mastering it is very important that the stems playback 100% identical to the finished stereo mix. Please bear in mind that no mixing or volume adjustments are made to each individual stem. All sound design processing must be left active on each stem. Do not normalize stems or change their volume. Playback of your stems should be exactly as your finished stereo mix plays back. We recommend loading your stems into a new DAW session and referencing against your finished stereo mix to ensure playback of your stems is correct.
- File Type: Wav
- Bitrate: 16/24/32bit
- Sample Rate: 44,1kHz – 96kHz
- Headroom: -3db / -6db
Should I Send My Finished Stereo Mix Or Master?
If you are only ordering Dolby Atmos mastering you will need to supply your stereo master. It is important that we sync the timeline of the Dolby Atmos master to the stereo master. This ensures playback on streaming platforms can switch between stereo and Dolby Atmos seamlessly.
How Do I Distribute A Dolby Atmos ADM?
The Dolby Atmos ADM and stereo master can be given to your desired distributor to release on platforms such as Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music. The Dolby Atmos and stereo masters sit alongside each other and depending on which format the listener has their device set to will determine which version they will hear. It is highly important that the Dolby Atmos and stereo versions perfectly sync with each other. If they do not sync perfectly your masters will be rejected.
What Genres Of Music Can You Mix?
A good mix engineer will be able to work with all genres of music not just one. At Audio Animals we pride ourselves on the fact that we work with all genres of music from every corner of the globe. Being an online mixing and mastering studio working worldwide there is not a genre of music we have not worked with.
Do I Need Both A Stereo And Dolby Atmos Master?
Yes, if you are distributing Dolby Atmos you will also need to distribute a stereo master. The two files play alongside each other and need to play in sync with each other too. The reason for this is that on streaming platforms you will be able to switch between the two formats on the fly and by doing so switches from stereo to Dolby Atmos instantly. If in sync your files simply switch from one to the other seamlessly.
What Happens If I Accidentally Send The Wrong Stems?
Get in contact with us via email and we can simply replace the files. Please be sure to get in contact with us ASAP to ensure we have the correct files to work with before work commences. If work has already started on your Dolby Atmos mastering and the entire song requires new stems, charges will apply.
What Genres Of Music Can You Work With In Dolby Atmos?
A good Dolby Atmos engineer will be able to work with all genres of music not just one. At Audio Animals we pride ourselves on the fact that we work with all genres of music from every corner of the globe. Being an online Dolby Atmos mixing and mastering studio working worldwide there is not a genre of music we have not worked with.
All music works well mastered in Dolby Atmos. Some better than others. The more stems you are able to provide the more immersive and spacious your Dolby Atmos master will sound.
What Will I Receive Back?
Dolby Atmos masters are returned in the following formats:
- 48kHz 24bit wav ADM
- 96kHz 24bit wav ADM
- 96kHz 24bit wav binaural mix
- 96kHz 24bit wav re-renders
- 768kbs mp4
Should I Leave My Plugins Active?
Yes for Dolby Atmos mastering all plugins must be left active. The playback of stems should be identical to the finished stereo mix and include all plugins and automation. We recommend loading your stems into a new DAW session and referencing against your finished stereo mix to ensure playback of your stems is correct.
Should I Leave Panning Active?
For Dolby Atmos mastering all panning must be active and playback of your stems must playback identically to the finished stereo mix. We recommend loading your stems into a new DAW session and referencing against your finished stereo mix to ensure playback of your stems is correct.
Should I Leave Automation Active?
100% yes, automation should always be active. Automation is part of your mix and if removed results in an unfinished mix. All automation including volume, modulation, EQ, reverb or delay automation must be kept active. We recommend loading your stems into a new DAW session and referencing against your finished stereo mix to ensure playback of your stems is correct.
Should I Leave Reverb & Delay Active?
For Dolby Atmos mastering reverb must be printed to the stems or delivered as a 100% wet stem. It is important that playback of the stems plays back 100% identically to the finished stereo mix.