How spatial audio works on headphones and speakers - and the best way to experience it

- and the best way to experience it">

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Spatial audio is everywhere these days: soundbars, smart speakers, headphones, and earbuds all advertise a spatial audio experience. Music streaming services such as Apple Music and TV streaming services such as Disney+ advertise spatial audio, with Dolby Atmos being the most popular vessel for this auditory experience.

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But what does spatial audio mean, how does it work, how do different devices deliver it, and what's the best way to experience it? Here's everything you need to know.

The terms spatial audio, immersive audio, and Dolby Atmos are often used interchangeably, but each serves a different function in a three-dimensional soundscape.

Immersive audio refers to the user experience of hearing sounds from all around: above, behind, in front, left, and right. To achieve immersive audio, your content must be mixed in a three-dimensional format, or your hardware must support spatial audio processing.

Spatial audio refers to rendering technology and typically refers to the hardware inside headphones and earbuds. Spatial audio technology renders stereo or immersive audio formats into a three-dimensional soundscape and typically uses head-tracking technology to envelop you in sound.

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Dolby Atmos: Take Apple's AirPods and Apple Music, for example. Apple advertises its headphones' immersive audio experience as "Dolby Atmos with Dynamic Head Tracking." Dolby Atmos is the object-based immersive audio format, while Dynamic Head Tracking is Apple's spatial audio technology that moves with your head.

Though spatial audio is the most popular term for this auditory experience, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are the most popular immersive audio formats, as they're found on music, movie, and TV streaming platforms, and supported by several consumer hardware brands. When seeking an immersive audio experience, look for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support on headphones, earbuds, and home theater equipment.

Technically, yes, most headphones can reproduce Dolby Atmos when streaming on platforms like Apple Music or Disney+, because the Dolby Atmos file encoding occurs on your source device, such as a phone or laptop.