Audible recently launched some of its famous audiobooks in Dolby Atmos format. And boom, this leads us into the new age for book lovers. Not so long ago, the audiobook industry came as a newbie in the market, in competition with the music industry products or better to say, to create a new place in the audio industry. Now that Dolby Atmos has hit the common public market with many devices featuring the Dolby Atmos technology, Audible became one of the first movers to adapt it and present something unique to us.
Dolby Atmos technology is now the new trend going on in Audio Industry. The effects are real and we’re not going back to the old Audiobook experiences ever again. The reason is simple- ‘Dolby Atmos’ supported by ‘Spatial Audio‘ technology is just awesome.
Dolby Atmos- Crossing the Experience Barrier:
Those who still don’t know about the Dolby Atmos technology, you’re missing a major update from new technologies. Dolby Atmos mixing, in my understanding, is the invention that has crossed a level barrier in sound technology. It offers you a 3-D experience of each sound present in any scene of a video clip.
The interesting part is that you get to feel the places where the sound is coming from. Be it a bird flying above your head or a snake crawling beside your bed, you feel the same sound effects that a character is feeling in the film.
I hope you understand the complex data structure it uses. The original Dolby Atmos technology uses several speakers in 3-D placement instead of just the floor. These speakers are used specifically for specific sounds only that are suitable according to their position.
Understand that Dolby Atmos is a manipulation of sound data in such a way that offers a realistic and immersive sound experience to the audience. It keeps track of everything from car tires scratching, clock ticking, walking sound, breathing sound (if needed), phone ringing, and helicopter flying to the main monologue of the lead characters. The technology creates a balance between different sounds, creating a more than-fiction experience for listeners.
Impact of Dolby Atmos on Audiobook:
1. Immersive Experience to Give You More:
The immersive experience is the key USP of Dolby Atmos. While the greatest immersive entertainment source is still the videos, Dolby Atmos has raised the bar of a movie or video. The new sound technology is actually a collection of manipulated sound data that is important to create a scene wholly. But those sounds are often ignored due to heavy interference of lead sound elements and vice-versa.
Dolby Atmos solves this issue with its 3-D audio experience. This lets you dive through the audiobook enjoying each sound element present there. Now if the little mermaid gets lost in the sea, you can feel her loneliness amid the huge whales & crabs.
2. Better Sound Quality:
Dolby Atmos offers exceptional sound quality to its users. Let’s talk about this from a listener’s POV. Most people don’t get distracted by mediocre-level sound quality. They can’t even tell the difference between a good & an exceptional sound experience. That’s the key!
Understand that we didn’t have to level up the quality but the way an audio clip is presented to them. Dolby Atmos understood that and brought us a whole way of audio experiences. The audio elements, when balanced, give the best experience to date.
Note- Be sure that Dolby Atmos uses the best audio quality available in the industry.
3. Spatial Audio Program for Better Sound:
Like Dolby, Apple too has recently launched its immersive audio technology but it’s nothing like Dolby Atmos. Instead, it works in real-time when you move your head. It works with sensors and tracks your head movement. Once you move your head, it manipulates the volume in your headphones in such a way that the sound will always seem coming from the screen.
It means if you turn your head 90 degrees right, the right end of the headphone will sound extremely low, and the left headphone will be on full, creating an effect of sound coming from the screen but the headphones.
Mixed with Dolby Atmos, Spatial Audio gives the best experience of all time to date.
4. Noise Reduction to Get a Clear Listening:
Background noise has always been an issue for the audience as they can’t hear what is being told in the video or audio. Especially when it comes to Audiobooks, the recording process may catch a few surround noises that may result in bad quality.
Nevertheless, we today have several advanced mikes and other equipment that catch nearly zero surround sounds and offer extremely great voice quality. However, Dolby Atmos takes it to the next level with its own Noise Reduction program that filters out any unnecessary sound element present.
5. Dynamic Range Control over Different Voices:
An audiobook is a complete set of several sound elements balanced in detail. As the experience is wholly on the audio, it is important that sound elements are balanced. There are several sound elements such as lead narration, sound effects of events, whispers, background songs, and extras for environment creation.
Dolby Atmos considers all sound elements equally important and keeps them in their respective places. As Dolby offers to treat each sound element as an independent one, it certainly offers you better control over their manipulation.
6. Enhanced Storytelling:
Last but I think the most important- The storytelling. Have you ever wondered why so many good-quality audiobooks don’t perform well? Because they don’t offer an experience to the audience. Reading a book is not going to work simply. Unless someone is a book nerd, he or she will get bored out of the constant narration.
Audiobooks, to work, must create an environment for the book. They need exact effects to replicate the narration in audio format. For example- An ancient war sequence will need sword-clashing effects.
With Dolby Atmos, using balanced effects in the audio piece will bring the greatest adventure in life.
Conclusion:
Not so long when we heard about common hands reaching Dolby Atmos technology. Now with Audible Audiobooks, we have immersive audiobooks to entertain us. The audiobook industry is going to be changed forever and the initiative has already been taken. Using Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio will enhance the experience by 100 times. Enhanced storytelling, better control, noise reduction, and a never to forget immersive experience- that’s what Dolby Atmos has to offer us.
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