Spatial Audio & Immersive Music for Gqom: Complete Guide
Spatial9 Team · · Updated · 16 min read
Part of the series Spatial audio and immersive music by genre.
Key takeaways
- In a spatial gqom mix the broken kick and sub bass stay centred and mono, while chants, toms, the synth drone, whistles, hats and a dark reverb surround the listener.
- Thanks to the precedence effect, gqom toms can keep their place at the front right while their long tails spread into the room behind.
- Gqom movement comes from toms, whistles and echoes, never from the kick, so the off-grid pattern stays heavy and easy to feel.
- The gqom immersion profile scores width 4, height 3, movement 4, low-end focus 5 and space 4 out of 5.
Gqom comes from Durban, in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, where it emerged in the early 2010s. It spread through taxi sound systems, local parties and phone file sharing long before it reached international clubs, and producers such as DJ Lag and Distruction Boyz helped bring it to a wider audience. The name is commonly described as an onomatopoeic Zulu word for the sound of a hard drum hit. The sound is raw and minimal: a heavy kick that avoids a straight four-to-the-floor pattern, a deep sub, booming toms, a dark, repeating synth loop or drone, and chanted vocals, whistles and shouts. Tempos usually sit somewhere around the house range, but the broken kick makes the groove feel tense and unpredictable. With so few parts and so much weight, the empty space and the echo of each drum matter as much as the hits. This guide covers how spatial audio for gqom works, where to place each element and how to make an immersive gqom mix. For the basics, see what spatial audio is.
Why gqom works in spatial audio
Gqom is dark, heavy and sparse. A broken kick, a drone and a few drum hits fill a whole track, and the tension comes from what happens between them: a tom ringing out, a chant answered by a whistle, a kick that arrives late. In stereo those details stay pressed between two speakers. In an immersive mix the toms can boom from one side, the whistle can cut in from above, and the reverb can open up behind you like a warehouse after dark.
The rule: a heavy, fixed kick, a dark room that answers back. The kick and sub never move, while toms, whistles and echoes work around the listener.
Immersive music for gqom: what listeners hear
- A kick you feel in your chest. The broken kick and sub stay centred, heavy and solid.
- Toms that boom past you. The tom pattern rolls across the front right and echoes behind.
- Chants that call from the crowd. Vocals sit close and front, like a voice from the dancefloor.
- A dark room all around. The drone, whistles and reverb wrap the listener in a raw, shadowy space.
Where to place each element in a gqom mix
| Element | Position | Height | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | Front centre | Ear level | The broken, heavy pulse |
| Sub bass | Centre | Ear level | Deep weight under every hit |
| Vocal chant | Front left | Ear level | A call from the crowd |
| Toms | Front right, moving | Ear level | Booming rhythm with its own lane |
| Synth drone | Left | Ear level | Dark, hypnotic colour |
| Whistle | Right, moving | Raised | Sharp accent that cuts through |
| Hats & shakers | Behind right | Raised | Fast top end overhead |
| Dark reverb | Behind left | Raised | A raw, cavernous room |
The psychoacoustics behind gqom placement
Every position in the table above follows how the ear and brain locate sound. Here is the reason behind the main choices for gqom.
- Kick and sub stay centred. The ear finds almost no direction in frequencies below roughly 80 to 100 Hz, so the deep gqom sub gains nothing from being spread. Keeping it centred and mono keeps it heavy and steady on any system, even when the kick pattern itself is broken.
- Toms ring out without moving. When a sound and its echoes arrive close together, the brain fixes its position by the first arrival. This is the precedence effect. The toms keep their place at the front right while their long tails spread into the room behind, so you get the boom without losing the rhythm.
- Chant and drone on separate sides. Two sounds in the same frequency range mask each other far less when they arrive from different directions. This is spatial release from masking. Gqom chants and dark synth drones often share the low mids, so splitting them keeps the voice clear against the loop.
- Reverb around and behind. Sound arriving from the sides soon after the direct sound is what makes a room feel wide and enveloping. Spreading the dark gqom reverb around and behind the listener creates that raw, cavernous sense of space without pushing the kick back.
The immersion profile for gqom
Low-end focus is at maximum because the heavy kick and sub are the core of every gqom track. Space is high, since booming toms and dark reverb turn the room into part of the sound. Movement is high but not at maximum: the broken kick and sub stay still, and the motion comes from toms, whistles and echoes rather than a constantly spinning mix. Height stays moderate, with whistles and hats lifting above a mostly ear-level groove.
Tips for an immersive gqom mix
- Keep the sub mono. The heavy low end must stay identical from every direction.
- Let the toms carry the space. Give the toms their own side and let their tails spread behind.
- Respect the broken kick. Never move the kick, so its off-grid pattern stays clear and physical.
- Use the drone as a wall. Place the dark synth loop wide and steady so it frames the room.
- Keep accents sharp. Whistles and shouts should cut in from above and the sides, not sit in the centre.
Gqom variations: 3-step and sgubhu
The core placement still applies across the Durban sound: heavy kick and sub in the middle, chants in front, drums and atmosphere around the listener. What changes is how broken the kick pattern is and how dark or smooth the track feels.
3-Step
3-step started as a name for gqom built on a broken groove organised around three kick hits per bar, and it has since also been used for a newer South African dance style that blends that three-kick rhythm with afro house and amapiano colour. In both cases the three kicks are the signature, so keep them centred and mono and never move them. Newer, more melodic 3-step adds pads, keys and smoother vocals, which suit wide positions to the sides and a slightly larger room. Percussion and shakers can sit raised behind.
Sgubhu
Sgubhu comes from a Zulu word for the sound of a drum, and it is sometimes used as another name for gqom itself. As a style it usually means a steadier, four-step kick closer to house and deep house, with a smoother, rolling feel. With a regular kick, the groove can carry a little more movement elsewhere: let toms and percussion drift between front left and front right, and spread pads or synth loops wider around the listener. Keep the sub locked in the centre and use a warm, medium room.
Durban's scene keeps splitting into newer branches with their own names. The same idea holds for all of them: lock the kick and sub, keep the chant in front, and let toms, whistles and echoes fill the dark room.
Dolby Atmos and object-based mixing for gqom
Dolby Atmos mixes gqom using a channel bed for the foundation and objects placed anywhere in the room for precision. Most listeners will hear the spatial mix on headphones through binaural rendering on Apple Music, Tidal or Amazon Music. Apple Music uses its own spatial renderer, so you must check your mix on their specific system. Spatial9 helps you plan these placements for every format, ensuring your heavy kick and dark room translate perfectly to any playback system.
How the Atmos plan differs from the placement map. The Atmos plan differs from the Ambisonics map mainly in the low end. The map placed the sub bass behind the listener, but Atmos practice keeps low frequencies in the front bed with the kick to ensure a solid foundation. The vocal chant and toms are pulled slightly off the front wall to add room depth. The dark reverb uses the full bed rather than sitting only behind on the left, creating a more enveloping space.
Beds and objects for each gqom element
| Element | Atmos role | Where it plays in 7.1.4 | Binaural mode | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | Bed | Centre plus LFE (C + LFE) | Off | The heavy kick anchors the track and needs solid low end. |
| Sub bass | Bed | Centre plus LFE (C + LFE) | Off | Sub bass must stay solid and centred to drive the groove. |
| Vocal chant | Object, small size | Ear level, front of the room, left (X -0.3, Y 0.7, Z 0) | Near | Chants sit close and front to feel like a voice from the crowd. |
| Toms | Object, small size, moving | Ear level, front of the room, right (X 0.5, Y 0.6, Z 0). Moving: Pans slightly wider during drum fills to open the front stage, ending at ear level, middle of the room, far right | Mid | Toms need space to boom without masking the central kick. |
| Synth drone | Object, medium size | Ear level, middle of the room, far left (X -0.8, Y 0.2, Z 0) | Mid | A wide left position separates the dark drone from the vocals. |
| Whistle | Object, moving | Overhead, middle of the room, right (X 0.7, Y 0, Z 0.8). Moving: Arcs overhead across the front stage to answer the vocal chant, ending at overhead, front of the room, left | Far | Sharp accents cut through better when placed high and moving. |
| Hats & shakers | Object, small size | Raised, rear of the room, right (X 0.6, Y -0.5, Z 0.6) | Mid | Overhead rear placement keeps the fast top end out of the way. |
| Dark reverb | Bed | Whole 7.1.2 bed | Far | A full bed reverb wraps the listener in a raw, cavernous space. |
Dolby Atmos settings for gqom
- LFE. Route the kick and sub bass to the LFE channel in the bed. Objects have no LFE send, so low end placed as an object relies entirely on the playback system bass management.
- Object size. Keep the vocal chant and whistle set to a small size for focus. Use a medium size for the synth drone to spread it slightly without washing out the mix.
- Height use. Keep the core groove at ear level. Use the height channels for the whistle, hats and dark reverb to create a sense of space without losing rhythm focus.
- Binaural render. Set the kick and sub to off so they stay solid on headphones. Use near for the vocal chant and far for the reverb and whistle.
- Broken kick. Never automate the position of the kick or sub. The off-grid pattern needs a completely static anchor to feel physical and predictable.
Gqom across immersive formats
| Format | How it carries sound | What it means for gqom |
|---|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Hybrid: a 7.1.2 channel bed plus up to 118 objects placed with X, Y and Z metadata | Dolby Atmos uses a hybrid of a channel bed and up to 118 objects to position gqom elements precisely. |
| Sony 360 Reality Audio | Object-based, built on MPEG-H 3D Audio: every sound is an object on a sphere | Sony 360 Reality Audio has no channel bed, placing every gqom element as an object on a sphere around the listener. |
| MPEG-H 3D Audio | Channels, objects and Higher Order Ambisonics in one stream, with optional listener control | MPEG-H 3D Audio carries channels, objects and Ambisonics, allowing listeners to adjust allowed gqom elements on broadcast systems. |
| Auro-3D | Channel-based: a height layer above 5.1 or 7.1, with an optional overhead channel | Auro-3D relies entirely on fixed channels with a height layer, meaning your gqom mix uses no objects. |
| Eclipsa Audio (IAMF) | Channel-based and scene-based (Ambisonics) audio elements; no objects | Eclipsa Audio uses IAMF which lacks audio objects, so your Atmos gqom mix must be rendered to channels or Ambisonics. |
| Ambisonics | Scene-based: the whole sound field, decoded to any speaker layout or to headphones | Ambisonics stores the entire gqom sound field as spherical harmonics to decode to any speaker layout or headphones. |
| ADM BWF | Open exchange file (ITU-R BS.2076 metadata in a BW64 file) for channels, objects and scenes | ADM BWF is the open metadata file format used to deliver your finished gqom spatial mix to streaming services. |
Delivery checklist for a gqom Dolby Atmos release
- Master file. ADM BWF at 48 kHz and 24-bit, with no more than 128 channels: a 10-channel 7.1.2 bed plus up to 118 objects.
- Loudness. Integrated loudness no higher than -18 LKFS and true peak no higher than -1 dBTP, measured to ITU-R BS.1770.
- Binaural metadata. Set Off, Near, Mid or Far for every bed and object. Masters with everything left on Off are rejected.
- Re-renders. Listen to the 5.1, stereo and binaural re-renders before delivery, because most people will hear one of them.
Check that your integrated loudness is no higher than -18 LKFS and the true peak hits no higher than -1 dBTP.
How to make immersive gqom from stereo
Spatial9 can create spatial audio from a stereo track in a few steps:
- Upload your stereo master or your stems.
- Spatial9's AI separates and places each part, locking the broken kick and sub and sending toms, chants, whistles and reverb around you.
- Preview it in binaural on headphones.
- Export Eclipsa Audio, ADM, binaural or Ambisonics.
- Publish a video. Create a YouTube-ready video with your immersive audio and publish it directly.
For related guides, read spatial audio for afro house and spatial audio for amapiano. Every guide is listed in spatial audio and immersive music by genre.
Frequently asked questions
Does this guide cover 3-step and sgubhu?
Yes. 3-step keeps its signature three-kick pattern centred, with melodic pads and vocals spread wide in the newer style. Sgubhu has a steadier, house-like kick, so toms, percussion and synth loops can move a little more around a locked sub.
Can I make a gqom mix in Dolby Atmos or Eclipsa Audio?
Can I make a gqom mix in Dolby Atmos? Yes, Dolby Atmos is the standard format for spatial music delivery to streaming services. You can build a hybrid mix using a channel bed for the heavy kick and sub, and objects for the chants and toms. Remember that Apple Music applies its own spatial renderer, so check your headphone mix there separately. Also note that Dolby Atmos and Eclipsa Audio require separate deliveries, as Eclipsa uses IAMF and does not support audio objects.
Should gqom elements be beds or objects in Dolby Atmos?
Should gqom elements be beds or objects in Dolby Atmos? The heavy kick, sub bass and dark reverb should be routed to the channel bed. The bed provides a solid, static foundation and feeds the LFE channel for maximum low-end weight. Elements like the vocal chant, toms, synth drone and whistle should be objects. Objects allow you to pull sounds off the wall for depth, place them precisely overhead, or automate their movement across the room.
Does a gqom Dolby Atmos mix also work for Sony 360 Reality Audio and MPEG-H?
Does a gqom Dolby Atmos mix also work for Sony 360 Reality Audio and MPEG-H? No, they are different formats. Sony 360 Reality Audio is built on MPEG-H 3D Audio but uses only objects on a sphere, with no channel bed. Since a Dolby Atmos gqom mix relies heavily on the bed for the kick and sub bass, you must create a separate mix for Sony 360 Reality Audio that translates those bed channels into static objects.
Is spatial audio good for gqom?
Yes. Gqom is sparse, heavy and dark, and spatial audio gives its toms, chants and echoes room to move around a kick that hits you straight in the chest.
How is gqom different from amapiano in spatial audio?
Amapiano is built around the log drum, jazzy keys and a smooth, laid-back groove, so its mix is warmer and more melodic. Gqom has a broken, heavier kick, little harmony and a darker room, so the mix relies on toms, drones and reverb for its sense of space.
Where should the toms go in immersive gqom?
To one side, usually the front right, with gentle movement and their reverb tails spreading behind the listener. That keeps them clear of the kick while they still fill the room.
Can I convert a finished gqom track to spatial audio?
Yes. Spatial9 uses AI to generate an immersive mix from a stereo master and exports it as Eclipsa Audio, ADM, binaural or Ambisonics.
Does immersive gqom work on normal headphones?
Yes. The mix is rendered binaurally, so the heavy kick, booming toms and dark reverb work on any regular headphones.
Dolby and Dolby Atmos are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. 360 Reality Audio, Auro-3D and other format names are trademarks of their respective owners. Spatial9 is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dolby Laboratories or these companies.
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Turn up the dark room
Upload a track to Spatial9 and hear your toms and chants boom around a heavy, broken kick in minutes. Then export it or publish it straight to YouTube.