How Dolby Atmos is driving cars to the next frontier of entertainment

In 2024, Li MEGA became the archetypal car to get Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision powered by 3 OLED screens (two successful the beforehand console and 1 drop-down surface successful the rear) and a 21-speaker, 2,160 watts max output. Now, Mahindra has announced that it volition integrate Dolby Atmos successful its Electric Origin SUVs – BE 6 and XEV 9e and volition besides person this immersive contented streamed via Gana.

Atmos is present rolling retired into car models crossed the world, including Mahindra successful India. (Image: Dolby)

“The full ground of Dolby Atmos, which is question of dependable from a contented perspective, is truly coming to beingness arsenic acold arsenic cars are concerned. We are moving crossed the automobile concatenation and with streaming partners… the flexibility which Dolby Atmos provides connected the contented and instrumentality broadside is helping us,” Mathur added. Citing the illustration of Mahindra, helium said, the 16 speakers successful a mode optimise each rider spot from an acquisition perspective.

“There is contented availability. There are a batch of tracks which are disposable successful antithetic languages, which is truthful captious successful India. So, it is landing good for us… but it’s inactive aboriginal days,” Mathur told indianexpress.com, adding that with the learnings Dolby has globally they bash basal a bully accidental of truly succeeding successful this facet arsenic well.

The car, with its insulated cabins, could beryllium the champion situation to devour audio contented successful and to guarantee the champion experience, Dolby has to enactment with companies connected the tuning arsenic good arsenic the placement of the speakers. “There is simply a batch which goes connected with each OEM, due to the fact that each car is antithetic from that perspective. And we volition marque definite that it is tuned accordingly, arsenic per immoderate the configurations are disposable for the champion optimised experience.”

Dolby works with companies connected tuning and placement of speakers to guarantee the champion experience. (Image: Dolby)

Mathur says this is not a hard speech contempt the information that car companies person been adding audio successful a definite mode for decades. “It is astir apt a somewhat antithetic conversation, due to the fact that cars person been each astir style, quality, safety. So amusement astir apt is important, but astir apt not that much.” Things are changing, though, with the proliferation of EVs. “There’s truthful galore caller things which you tin bash successful a speedy framework of clip arsenic well. It’s not that you are babelike connected agelong cycles of gestation and things similar that,” helium said, adding however this caller gait of alteration is impacting adoption of caller technologies.

“The realisation is mounting successful present that cars are multi-functional devices similar your smartphones and you tin bash truthful overmuch more. And amusement is decidedly backmost connected track… has its ain spot and value. That’s wherefore technologies similar Dolby Atmos are getting rapidly adopted successful these vehicles.”

“People’s preferences and however they devour amusement is changing rapidly. They person clip successful the car, they privation to usage it successful the champion mode possible,” Mathur said, adding this is wherefore companies similar Li Auto are offering Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos together. “There are services successful China, for example, which are streaming contented with Dolby imaginativeness and Atmos together. This is helping our lawsuit and the contented volition thrust adoption.”

Dolby Atmos for cars is not going to beryllium constricted to caller cars. (Image: Dolby)

Mathur is hopeful that the concern with Mahindra volition assistance unfastened doors with different Indian brands. “As the marketplace grows and evolves determination volition beryllium much partners, due to the fact that determination is country for radical to turn and this acquisition to beryllium wide available. We are successful talks with a fewer different partners arsenic good and we’ll beryllium announcing and sharing more.”

Dolby Atmos for cars is not going to beryllium constricted to caller cars. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 earlier this month, Pioneer showcased an immersive in-vehicle listening acquisition that combines Apple CarPlay, which present includes enactment for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos, with a 4-channel solution applicable to a bulk of automobiles connected the roadworthy today. “Once we get to that level, that truly opens up the market. That could beryllium an astonishing anticipation to truly democratise the experience.”

Dolby is hopeful that the concern with Mahindra volition assistance unfastened doors with different Indian brands. (Image: Dolby)

On the aboriginal of Dolby Vision and Atmos, Mathur said 1 happening they are internally focused connected is the “millions of devices inactive untapped”. “There is immense country for these technologies to turn and truly get to much wide scale, extent and width with antithetic partners crossed the world. And determination is simply a talker concern which we are truly bullish about. Smartphones from a Dolby Vision position are truly catching up. Dolby Vision seizure and playback is thing which is truly increasing connected smartphones on with the audio portion arsenic well,” helium concluded.