How to elevate your home with Dolby Atmos

Two men sitting on a couch watching TV and experiencing Dolby Atmos through a Bose soundbar.

Let’s dive into the world of Dolby Atmos® and learn how you can bring this revolutionary audio experience into your home.

What is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos is a revolution in audio technology and sound design, with hyper-realistic spatial audio mirrors worth talking about. It exceeds the capabilities of surround sound by placing individual sounds in specific spots in the sound field — not just where the speakers are.

Many artists, producers, and services have embraced this technology, meaning Atmos delivers quality sound across your Netflix and Blu-ray binges, intense Call of Duty sessions, and Taylor Swift karaoke parties at home.

Here's a guide to how you can experience the revolution of Dolby Atmos and channel it into your living room — and your life.

Computer and console games

Video games offer a way to embrace the cutting edge of sound design — particularly when featuring a Dolby Atmos soundbar. With the right equipment, you’ll feel like you’re right inside the game, thanks to its exceptional spatial audio design. Gamers can even improve their skills with a realistic soundscape that provokes more natural reactions.

At this point, most major gaming consoles are Dolby Atmos-enabled. And many popular games now feature Dolby Atmos, including Halo Infinite, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Grand Theft Auto V, and many more.

Songs and albums

For music lovers, Dolby Atmos offers a groundbreaking way to experience your favorite tracks. Musicians, producers, and engineers can now capture their vision with unparalleled authenticity. That means you get to hear music exactly as the artists intended.

The high-bandwidth capabilities allow artists and producers to give their listeners a fresh dimension of sound with multifaceted nuance, clarity, and depth. This includes old favorites too, with classic albums by the Beatles, Prince, and Amy Winehouse receiving reissues in Dolby Atmos.

Premium streaming services like Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Tidal now offer Dolby Atmos support. Just look for the Dolby Atmos badge to experience your favorite songs in a whole new way.

Woman walking into a living room with a TV and Bose soundbar on a console.

Movies and TV

The height dimension of Dolby Atmos adds an extra layer of sound, making your favorite shows and films come to life in your living room. Whether it’s the roar of a jet engine or the buzz of a bee, each sound is treated individually to create a virtual 360-degree audio experience. It’s the perfect addition to any wireless home theater system.

Streaming giants like Netflix, Apple TV, HBO Max, and Disney+ have embraced Atmos options, often available with premium or ad-free memberships. Blu-ray editions of movies are increasingly incorporating Dolby Atmos, making old classics feel new again.

The Atmos connection

Regardless of whether the Dolby Atmos label is stamped on your game, album, or show, it takes the right equipment to access and experience it. Both the player and speaker system require Atmos capability — which is where soundbars, like the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar and Smart Soundbar 900, come in, delivering Atmos-designed sound throughout your space. Even if Dolby Atmos isn’t available for a particular piece of media, these soundbars' TrueSpace technology up-mixes available audio signals to mimic the true-to-life Atmos experience.

As the technology grows in popularity, it’s bringing wider audiences into more authentic encounters with the sounds of their lives. Soon, it’ll be hard to imagine life without it.