Immersive Music Production in Commercial Contexts: A Qualitative Analysis of Dolby Atmos Workflows

Rada M, Mason R, De Sena E. Immersive Music Production in Commercial Contexts: A Qualitative Analysis of Dolby Atmos Workflows. J Audio Eng Soc. 2026;74(5):288-303. doi:10.17743/jaes.2022.0263

@article{Rada2026_23142,
  author = {Rada, Marcela and Mason, Russell and De Sena, Enzo},
  title = {{Immersive Music Production in Commercial Contexts: A Qualitative Analysis of Dolby Atmos Workflows}},
  journal = {Journal of the Audio Engineering Society},
  volume = {74},
  number = {5},
  pages = {288--303},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  doi = {10.17743/jaes.2022.0263},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2022.0263}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Immersive Music Production in Commercial Contexts: A Qualitative Analysis of Dolby Atmos Workflows
AU  - Rada, Marcela
AU  - Mason, Russell
AU  - De Sena, Enzo
T2  - Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
J2  - J. Audio Eng. Soc.
VL  - 74
IS  - 5
SP  - 288
EP  - 303
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/12
DO  - 10.17743/jaes.2022.0263
UR  - https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2022.0263
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - This qualitative study examines immersive music-production workflows in professional commercial contexts, predominantly within Dolby Atmos environments. Using an interpretivist design, the study combined 30 semi-structured interviews with nonparticipant observations and analyzed transcripts and field notes through conventional content analysis with triangulation. Findings suggest that practice progresses through three stages: preproduction, production, and postproduction. In preproduction, teams align expectations through experiential listening, plain-language briefs, spatial storyboards, and early validation of stems and metadata. In production, placements of sound sources and room acoustics function as compositional parameters that shape localization and movement, inform recording choices that retain room character and multimicrophone flexibility, and expose limitations of monitoring and rendering tools. In postproduction, creative aims are balanced with the need for consistent translation across playback systems, supported by template-based routing, metadata policies, and explicit bed, object, and low-frequency–effects practices. Across these stages, practitioners face challenges, including knowledge gaps, renderer divergence, dynamics control, and economic pressures. Reported responses include stakeholder education, format-agnostic workflows, future-proofed session design, and early artist engagement. The study contributes a stage-based model of immersive production practice, a taxonomy of bed and object strategies, and guidance for achieving reliable translation between loudspeaker and headphone playback.
ER  -