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Music Distribution

How to Deliver Your Music in Dolby Atmos (Spatial Audio)

Dave Ayodeji
Dave Ayodeji
Updated today
3 min read
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What Is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos is a spatial (immersive) audio format. Instead of a normal left-right stereo mix, an Atmos mix places sounds in a three-dimensional space around the listener. On compatible devices and headphones, fans hear a richer, more enveloping version of your track. Apple Music, TIDAL, and Amazon Music HD all support Atmos playback and badge these tracks as Spatial Audio or Dolby Atmos.

Having an Atmos mix can improve your chances of editorial placement on these platforms and, on some services, can earn a higher per-stream rate.

InterSpace Delivers Dolby Atmos

Dolby Atmos delivery is available through the Toolbox in your InterSpace dashboard as a paid add-on service (currently $19 per track). Your Atmos mix is delivered alongside your normal stereo release, so listeners on Atmos-capable devices get the immersive version automatically while everyone else hears your standard stereo master.

What You Need to Provide

Dolby Atmos is not created automatically from your stereo file. You (or your mixing engineer) must produce a proper Atmos master first. To order Atmos delivery you need:

  • A certified Dolby Atmos mix of your track, produced in a Dolby-certified studio or a DAW with Atmos support (for example Logic Pro, Pro Tools, or Nuendo with the Dolby Atmos Renderer).
  • The master delivered in one of these formats:
    • ADM BWF (a multichannel .wav file that contains the Atmos metadata), or
    • a Dolby Atmos Master File (.atmos, delivered with its companion .atmos.audio and .atmos.metadata files).
  • The mix must correspond to the exact same recording you are distributing in stereo (same edit, same length, same ISRC).

Atmos master files are large (often over 1 GB), so you provide them as a download link (for example WeTransfer, Dropbox, or Google Drive) when you place the order, rather than uploading them directly.

How to Order Dolby Atmos Delivery

  1. Open the Toolbox in your InterSpace dashboard.
  2. Select Dolby Atmos Delivery and choose the release/track it applies to.
  3. Complete checkout for the $19 fee.
  4. Submit the request with the download link to your Atmos master and any notes.
  5. Our audio team runs a technical validation of your Atmos master (usually 1 to 2 business days).
  6. Once validated, the Atmos version is delivered to the eligible platforms, typically 3 to 7 days after validation.
  7. The Spatial Audio / Dolby Atmos badge appears on Apple Music and TIDAL automatically once the platform processes the mix.

Where Your Atmos Mix Will Appear

  • Apple Music (Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos)
  • TIDAL (Dolby Atmos)
  • Amazon Music HD / Unlimited (Dolby Atmos)

Other platforms will continue to play your normal stereo master. Atmos does not replace your stereo mix anywhere; it is an additional, higher-tier version.

Good to Know

  • You need a real Atmos mix. We cannot "upconvert" a stereo file into genuine Atmos. If you do not have an Atmos mix yet, a mixing engineer or Atmos studio can create one for you.
  • Timing matters. If you want the Atmos version live on release day, order it well before your release date so validation and delivery can finish in time. See Understanding Release Scheduling and Dates.
  • Standard audio requirements still apply to your normal stereo release. See Audio File Requirements.
  • Playback of the Atmos version requires a compatible device or headphones and a subscription tier that supports spatial audio on the given platform.

Need Help?

If you are unsure whether your mix qualifies as a valid Atmos master, or you want help coordinating the Atmos and stereo releases together, contact our support team before you order and we will guide you.