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Spatial Audio & Immersive Music by Genre: The Complete Guide

Spatial9 Team · Sep 30, 2026 · Updated Oct 7, 2026 · 27 min read

Key takeaways

Every genre guide scores five dimensions from 1 to 5: width, height, movement, low-end focus and space or reverb.
In pop, country and hip-hop the vocal is the song, so it stays anchored in front of the listener.
Bass-driven genres such as hip-hop, EDM and reggaeton keep the kick and sub bass centred and steady, because moving bass makes a mix feel weak.
Placement maps use blue for the song's core, amber for rhythm and low end, green for texture and space, and pink for accents and effects.

Spatial audio places sound all around the listener, including behind and above, instead of on a flat line between two speakers. If you are new to the idea, start with what spatial audio is and then come back here. This page is about the next question every artist asks: what should spatial audio sound like for my kind of music?

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for the first 30 genres in the series, from pop and hip-hop to film scores, synthwave and alternative — Each genre uses the 3D space differently. More dots means the genre usually makes more use of that dimension.

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for 30 more genres, from dubstep, trance and melodic techno to salsa, opera, worship, shoegaze and a cappella — Part two of the genre matrix covers dance subgenres, global styles and vocal-led music, from minimal techno to meditation, sleep and a cappella.

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for 20 more genres, including fado, flamenco, cumbia, Indian classical, world electronic, Latin pop, pop rock, folk pop, folk rock, symphonic rock, Americana, neo-soul, chiptune, indie electronic, electropop, experimental, anime, brass band, holiday and children's music — Part three of the genre matrix adds traditional and crossover styles, from the small room of fado to the full circle of world electronic music.

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for 20 more genres, including tech house, bass house, big room house, electro house, future house, slap house, deep tech, melodic house, organic house, tropical house, UK garage, midtempo, moombahton, future rave, future bass, future bounce, future pop, hyperpop, phonk and death metal — Part four of the genre matrix covers club and festival subgenres plus internet-era pop, phonk and death metal, from the tight centre of deep tech to the wide sky of future bass.

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for 28 more genres, including hard techno, dub techno, electro, breakbeat, jungle, liquid drum and bass, melodic dubstep, hardcore, happy hardcore, raw trance, dark psytrance, eurodance, jersey club, footwork, gqom, guaracha, Brazilian funk, IDM, downtempo, trip hop, dark ambient, vaporwave, electro swing, industrial, electroacoustic music, breakcore, glitch and witch house — Part five of the genre matrix covers underground and experimental electronic music, from the pounding kick of hard techno and hardcore to the drifting echoes of dub techno and the open space of dark ambient.

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for 17 more genres, including garage rock, psychedelic rock, surf rock, rockabilly, post-punk, emo, post-rock, math rock, stoner rock, doom metal, black metal, thrash metal, metalcore, nu metal, progressive metal, power metal and folk metal — Part six of the genre matrix covers rock and metal styles, from the tight garage and rockabilly room to the swirling space of psychedelic rock and post-rock and the vast, dark halls of doom and black metal.

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for 15 more genres, including big band, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, free jazz, Latin jazz, vocal jazz, Dixieland, gypsy jazz, acid jazz, Delta blues, rhythm and blues, Western swing, boogie-woogie, zydeco and soul jazz — Part seven of the genre matrix covers jazz and blues styles, from the solo porch guitar of Delta blues to the full horn wall of a big band and the open, searching space of free jazz.

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for 8 more genres, including bluegrass, Celtic folk, sea shanties, baroque music, chamber music, choral music, neoclassical and minimalist music — Part eight of the genre matrix covers folk traditions and classical styles, from the single microphone of a bluegrass band and the crew chorus of a sea shanty to the soaring cathedral vault of choral music.

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for 20 more genres, including corridos tumbados, tango, samba, dembow, ska, dub and steelpan music — Part nine of the genre matrix covers Latin American and Caribbean styles, from the close requinto of corridos tumbados and the milonga hall of tango to the echo chamber of dub and the full circle of a samba bateria.

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for 16 more genres, including highlife, Afrobeat, soukous, desert blues, kuduro, Gnawa, raï and mahraganat — Part ten of the genre matrix covers African and Middle Eastern styles, from the big horn line of Lagos Afrobeat and the night-sky guitars of desert blues to the close takht of Arabic classical music and the street-wedding roar of mahraganat.

Matrix comparing width, height, movement and low-end focus for the newest genres in the series, including Mandopop, Cantopop, taiko, gamelan, Tuvan throat singing, qawwali, Balkan brass and French chanson — Part eleven of the genre matrix covers Asian, European and Pacific styles, from the bronze shimmer of a Javanese gamelan and the thunder of a taiko ensemble to the overtones of Tuvan throat singing and the small Paris cabaret of French chanson.

Genre families at a glance

Each family overview compares the immersion scores of every genre it contains and links to the full guides.

Electronic and dance genres: house, techno, trance, hardcore, EDM, jungle, bass music and electronica.
Hip-hop, R&B and pop genres: rap, trap, drill, soul, funk, K-pop and hyperpop.
Rock and metal genres: classic rock, garage rock, punk, post-punk, emo, shoegaze, post-rock, thrash, doom, black and death metal.
Jazz, blues, country and folk genres: bebop, big band, jazz fusion, Delta blues, zydeco, bluegrass, Celtic folk, sea shanties, Americana and singer-songwriter.
Latin, Caribbean, African, Middle Eastern and world genres: salsa, tango, samba, corridos tumbados, dembow, reggae, dub, soca, afrobeats, amapiano, highlife, Afrobeat, soukous, desert blues, kuduro, Gnawa, raï, Arabic pop, flamenco, Mandopop, Cantopop, taiko, gamelan, Tuvan throat singing, qawwali, bhangra, dangdut, Balkan brass, klezmer, French chanson and Hawaiian music.
Classical, vocal and ambient genres: orchestral, baroque, chamber and choral music, neoclassical, minimalism, opera, film scores, gospel, a cappella, lo-fi and sleep music.

Why genre matters in a spatial mix

Every style of music has its own rules about what the listener should focus on. Those rules do not disappear when you move from stereo to 3D. They become even more important, because there is now much more room to get things wrong.

Focus. In pop, country and hip-hop the vocal is the song, so it stays anchored in front. In ambient and electronic music, the whole space can be the instrument.
Low end. Genres built on bass, such as hip-hop, EDM and reggaeton, keep the kick and sub bass centred and steady. Moving bass around makes a mix feel weak.
Realism. Classical, jazz and acoustic music usually aim to recreate a real room. Electronic genres are free to build spaces that could never exist.
Movement. Some genres reward sounds that fly around the listener. Others feel gimmicky the moment anything moves.

Stereo sound on a flat line between two speakers compared with spatial audio surrounding the listener — Stereo puts every instrument on one line. A spatial mix gives each part of the arrangement its own place around the listener.

Five dimensions of an immersive mix

To compare genres, every guide in this series scores five dimensions from 1 to 5. Think of them as starting points, not strict rules.

Dimension	What it means	Low score	High score
Width	How far sound spreads around the listener	Mostly in front	Full 360 degrees
Height	How much sound comes from above	Ear level	Strong overhead layer
Movement	How often sounds travel through the space	Static	Constant motion
Low-end focus	How much the mix depends on kick and bass	Light	Bass-driven
Space / reverb	How big and reflective the room feels	Dry and close	Huge and lush

How to read a placement map

Each genre guide includes a top-down placement map. You are the listener in the centre, facing the front. Coloured dots show where each part of the arrangement typically sits.

Blue is the core of the song, usually the lead vocal or lead instrument.
Amber is rhythm and low end: drums, bass, 808s.
Green is texture and space: pads, strings, room sound, ambience.
Pink is accents and effects: ad-libs, risers, ear candy.
A cyan square around a dot means that element is raised or placed overhead.

Example placement map for pop showing the lead vocal in front, harmonies to the sides and synth pads raised behind the listener — An example placement map for pop. Every genre guide includes its own.

Spatial audio and immersive music guides by genre

Genre	What makes it work in 3D	Guide
Pop	Vocal up front, hooks all around	Spatial audio for pop
Hip-hop	Heavy centre, wide stage for the beat	Spatial audio for hip-hop
EDM	Drops that surround the listener	Spatial audio for EDM
Rock	The band on stage, you in the front row	Spatial audio for rock
R&B	An intimate vocal in a warm cloud	Spatial audio for R&B
Classical	The orchestra in front, the hall all around	Spatial audio for classical
Jazz	A small club with every player in place	Spatial audio for jazz
Country	Story-first vocal, band in a half circle	Spatial audio for country
Lo-fi	A cosy room you can sit inside	Spatial audio for lo-fi
Ambient	No front, no back: sound as a place	Spatial audio for ambient
Latin & reggaeton	Dembow in the centre, percussion all around	Spatial audio for Latin and reggaeton
K-pop	Every member and hook in its own place	Spatial audio for K-pop
Afrobeats	A ring of percussion around a smooth vocal	Spatial audio for Afrobeats
Metal	A wall of guitars, cymbals overhead	Spatial audio for metal
Indie	An intimate vocal in a real room	Spatial audio for indie
Techno	A locked kick, sounds that orbit	Spatial audio for techno
House	Four on the floor, warmth all around	Spatial audio for house
Soul	A voice in the room with the band	Spatial audio for soul
Funk	A tight pocket, every part in its lane	Spatial audio for funk
Reggae	Deep bass and travelling dub echoes	Spatial audio for reggae
Blues	A small band in a warm, close room	Spatial audio for blues
Gospel	A choir that surrounds the congregation	Spatial audio for gospel
Film & game scores	The full sphere, sound that follows the story	Spatial audio for film and game scores
Trap	808s in the centre, hats in the air	Spatial audio for trap
Drum & bass	Breaks up front, bass that rolls around	Spatial audio for drum and bass
Folk	Sitting in a circle with the musicians	Spatial audio for folk
Punk	Close, dry and right in your face	Spatial audio for punk
Synthwave	Neon pads overhead, gliding arpeggios	Spatial audio for synthwave
Dancehall	A sound system party all around you	Spatial audio for dancehall
Alternative	A clear song with textures all around	Spatial audio for alternative
Dubstep	A heavy centre with wobbles and drops all around	Spatial audio for dubstep
Trance	Huge supersaws and euphoric breakdowns overhead	Spatial audio for trance
Hardstyle	A punchy kick with leads that fill the arena	Spatial audio for hardstyle
Disco	A live band and strings across a dance floor	Spatial audio for disco
Amapiano	Log drum in the centre, shakers and keys around	Spatial audio for amapiano
Afro house	Percussion circling a steady four-on-the-floor groove	Spatial audio for Afro house
Melodic techno	Emotional arps and pads rising over a solid kick	Spatial audio for melodic techno
Hardgroove	Driving percussion loops spread around the floor	Spatial audio for hardgroove
Hypnotic techno	Slow-moving textures that pull you into the loop	Spatial audio for hypnotic techno
Deep house	Warm chords and soft vocals in a close club	Spatial audio for deep house
Progressive house	Long builds that widen the space step by step	Spatial audio for progressive house
Progressive trance	Layered journeys that grow around the listener	Spatial audio for progressive trance
Psychedelic trance	Rolling bass with effects spinning all around	Spatial audio for psychedelic trance
Minimal techno	Few sounds, each with its own precise place	Spatial audio for minimal techno
Indie dance	Live guitars and synths on a groovy dance floor	Spatial audio for indie dance
Bossa nova and MPB	A soft voice and guitar in a warm, close room	Spatial audio for bossa nova and MPB
Salsa	A full band with brass and percussion on stage	Spatial audio for salsa
Bachata	Romantic vocals and guitars close to the listener	Spatial audio for bachata
Regional Mexican	A live band with brass, accordion and tuba	Spatial audio for regional Mexican
J-pop	A bright vocal with dense layers spread around	Spatial audio for J-pop
Bollywood	Clear singers inside a cinematic soundtrack	Spatial audio for Bollywood
Drill	Sliding 808s centred in a dark, tight space	Spatial audio for drill
Grime	A fast MC with raw hits from every side	Spatial audio for grime
Opera	Singers on stage, the pit and the hall around you	Spatial audio for opera
Musical theatre	Every lyric clear with the ensemble on stage	Spatial audio for musical theatre
Singer-songwriter	A close voice and instrument in a small room	Spatial audio for singer-songwriters
Worship	A band in front, the congregation all around	Spatial audio for worship
Meditation and sleep	Soft, slow textures with no hard edges	Spatial audio for meditation and sleep
Shoegaze	Walls of guitar and reverb you can sink into	Spatial audio for shoegaze
A cappella	A circle of voices with every part in its place	Spatial audio for a cappella
Fado	One voice and two guitars in a quiet room	Spatial audio for fado
Flamenco	The listener inside the circle of performers	Spatial audio for flamenco
Cumbia	Accordion and percussion around the dance floor	Spatial audio for cumbia
Indian classical	A soloist floating on a drone that fills the room	Spatial audio for Indian classical music
World electronic	Traditional sounds orbiting an electronic groove	Spatial audio for world electronic music
Latin pop	A star vocal with percussion and brass around it	Spatial audio for Latin pop
Pop rock	A big vocal in front of a wide wall of guitars	Spatial audio for pop rock
Folk pop	A warm voice and guitar with a singalong chorus around you	Spatial audio for folk pop
Folk rock	Jangling guitars and harmonies on a live stage	Spatial audio for folk rock
Symphonic rock	A rock band in front of an orchestra and choir	Spatial audio for symphonic rock
Americana	A roots band gathered on a wooden porch	Spatial audio for Americana
Neo-soul	A silky voice over warm keys and a lazy groove	Spatial audio for neo-soul
Chiptune	Game-console voices bouncing around a pixel world	Spatial audio for chiptune
Indie electronic	A soft voice inside warm synths and textured beats	Spatial audio for indie electronic
Electropop	A bright vocal on top of punchy synths	Spatial audio for electropop
Experimental	Sounds placed anywhere, held together by one anchor	Spatial audio for experimental music
Anime	A soaring vocal with band, strings and choir around it	Spatial audio for anime music
Brass band	Horn sections and drums marching around the listener	Spatial audio for brass band music
Holiday	A warm voice with bells and choir in a glowing room	Spatial audio for holiday music
Children's music	A friendly voice with playful sounds all around	Spatial audio for children's music
Tech house	Bassline in the centre, percussion swinging around	Spatial audio for tech house
Bass house	Mono sub, growling mid bass swinging wide	Spatial audio for bass house
Big room house	A centred drop under a rising festival sky	Spatial audio for big room house
Electro house	Dirty saw leads jumping from speaker to speaker	Spatial audio for electro house
Future house	A bending metallic bass under a soulful vocal	Spatial audio for future house
Slap house	Heavy slap bass and vocal front and centre	Spatial audio for slap house
Deep tech	A locked sub, dub echoes in the dark	Spatial audio for deep tech
Melodic house	Steady groove, emotive arps and pads overhead	Spatial audio for melodic house
Organic house	Acoustic instruments around a soft, steady groove	Spatial audio for organic house
Tropical house	Breezy vocal centred, steel drums and sax around	Spatial audio for tropical house
UK garage	Skippy beats centred, chopped vocals all around	Spatial audio for UK garage
Midtempo	Slow heavy drums, distorted bass that prowls	Spatial audio for midtempo
Moombahton	Slow dembow core, Dutch stabs and drums around	Spatial audio for moombahton
Future rave	Driving kick centred, dark leads tower overhead	Spatial audio for future rave
Future bass	Pumping supersaw chords wrapped above the crowd	Spatial audio for future bass
Future bounce	A hopping lead over a punchy kick	Spatial audio for future bounce
Future pop	A glossy vocal inside a shimmering synth halo	Spatial audio for future pop
Hyperpop	Pitched vocal centred, glitches flying all around	Spatial audio for hyperpop
Phonk	Crushing 808 centred, cowbells ringing around you	Spatial audio for phonk
Death metal	Blast beats locked centre, tremolo riffs wide	Spatial audio for death metal
Hard techno	Pounding kick centred, distorted loops all around	Spatial audio for hard techno
Dub techno	Steady pulse centred, chord echoes drifting all around	Spatial audio for dub techno
Electro	Tight 808 centred, robot voices and zaps all around	Spatial audio for electro
Breakbeat	Backbeat centred, the chopped break swinging around	Spatial audio for breakbeat
Jungle	Break and sub locked, dub sirens flying overhead	Spatial audio for jungle
Liquid drum and bass	Tight drums centred, warm keys and strings around you	Spatial audio for liquid drum and bass
Melodic dubstep	Heavy sub centred, emotional chords all around	Spatial audio for melodic dubstep
Hardcore	Distorted kick centred, screeches from every side	Spatial audio for hardcore
Happy hardcore	Bouncing kick centred, pianos and leads lifting all around	Spatial audio for happy hardcore
Raw trance	Rolling bass locked, acid lines circling around	Spatial audio for raw trance
Dark psytrance	Rolling bass centred, glitches flying all around	Spatial audio for dark psytrance
Eurodance	Hook and bass centred, bright synths all around	Spatial audio for eurodance
Jersey club	Kick runs centred, chops and squeaks bouncing around	Spatial audio for jersey club
Footwork	808 sub centred, triplet toms and chops all around	Spatial audio for footwork
Gqom	Broken kick centred, toms and chants in a dark room	Spatial audio for gqom
Guaracha	Kick locked centre, Latin percussion in a ring	Spatial audio for guaracha
Brazilian funk	Kick, sub and MC centred, vocal chops bouncing	Spatial audio for Brazilian funk
IDM	Melody anchored, intricate edits flying around	Spatial audio for IDM
Downtempo	Calm groove centred, echoes and textures drifting around	Spatial audio for downtempo
Trip hop	Heavy beat and close vocal, dub echoes in the dark	Spatial audio for trip hop
Dark ambient	Heavy drone floor, voices emerging from the dark	Spatial audio for dark ambient
Vaporwave	Slowed loop in front, empty-mall reverb all around	Spatial audio for vaporwave
Electro swing	Modern kick centred, vintage big band all around	Spatial audio for electro swing
Industrial	Machine pulse centred, metal and noise all around	Spatial audio for industrial
Electroacoustic music	One clear anchor, sound objects moving all around	Spatial audio for electroacoustic music
Breakcore	Heavy centre, chopped breaks shattering all around	Spatial audio for breakcore
Glitch	Calm pulse centred, tiny clicks placed all around	Spatial audio for glitch
Witch house	Heavy 808 centred, haunted voices and choirs all around	Spatial audio for witch house
Garage rock	Band close and centred, fuzz and organ round the room	Spatial audio for garage rock
Psychedelic rock	Vocal and groove anchored, organ and echoes swirling	Spatial audio for psychedelic rock
Surf rock	Sharp guitar in front, spring reverb splashing behind	Spatial audio for surf rock
Rockabilly	Vocal and slap bass centred, slapback echo behind	Spatial audio for rockabilly
Post-punk	Bass and drums locked, delay and reverb all around	Spatial audio for post-punk
Emo	Vocal close and centred, guitar walls around you	Spatial audio for emo
Post-rock	Steady core, crescendos rising wide and overhead	Spatial audio for post-rock
Math rock	Rhythm locked, tapped guitars wide, fills darting	Spatial audio for math rock
Stoner rock	Fuzz bass centred, a wall of fuzz wrapped around	Spatial audio for stoner rock
Doom metal	Bass centred, guitar walls wide, drones rising overhead	Spatial audio for doom metal
Black metal	Blasts centred, tremolo walls wide, cold air overhead	Spatial audio for black metal
Thrash metal	Kick and bass centred, riffs hard left and right	Spatial audio for thrash metal
Metalcore	Breakdowns centred, guitar wall wide, cymbals raised	Spatial audio for metalcore
Nu metal	Groove centred, guitars wide, scratches on the move	Spatial audio for nu metal
Progressive metal	Rhythm anchored, guitars wide, solos and ambience around	Spatial audio for progressive metal
Power metal	Band at ear level, choir and orchestra soaring above	Spatial audio for power metal
Folk metal	Fiddles in front, guitar wall and chants around you	Spatial audio for folk metal
Big band	Soloist and bass centred, sections spread across the stage	Spatial audio for big band
Smooth jazz	Sax and groove centred, keys and pads soft and wide	Spatial audio for smooth jazz
Jazz fusion	Lead and bass centred, synth solos moving around you	Spatial audio for jazz fusion
Free jazz	Every player in their own place, bells moving around you	Spatial audio for free jazz
Latin jazz	Horn and tumbao centred, percussion spread wide in front	Spatial audio for Latin jazz
Vocal jazz	Voice close and centred, trio in a calm arc behind	Spatial audio for vocal jazz
Dixieland	Trumpet and tuba centred, clarinet and trombone either side	Spatial audio for Dixieland
Gypsy jazz	Lead guitar centred, rhythm guitars either side	Spatial audio for gypsy jazz
Acid jazz	Vocal, kick and bass centred, Rhodes and horns wide	Spatial audio for acid jazz
Delta blues	Voice and guitar close and centred, a wooden room around	Spatial audio for Delta blues
Rhythm and blues	Vocal and bass centred, piano and honking sax either side	Spatial audio for rhythm and blues
Western swing	Singer and bass centred, fiddles and steel spread wide	Spatial audio for Western swing
Boogie-woogie	One still piano in front, bass and treble hands apart	Spatial audio for boogie-woogie
Zydeco	Accordion and bass centred, rubboard and drums close by	Spatial audio for zydeco
Soul jazz	Sax and organ bass centred, organ swirl and guitar wide	Spatial audio for soul jazz
Bluegrass	Vocal and bass centred, soloists stepping in to one microphone	Spatial audio for bluegrass
Celtic folk	Voice and bodhrán centred, melody players ringed around you	Spatial audio for Celtic folk
Sea shanties	Shantyman in front, the crew answering all around	Spatial audio for sea shanties
Baroque music	Continuo centred, violins split wide under a tall room	Spatial audio for baroque music
Chamber music	Strings in a close front arc, piano centred behind	Spatial audio for chamber music
Choral music	Sections in a wide front arc under a stone vault	Spatial audio for choral music
Neoclassical	Felt piano close in front, cinematic strings opening wide	Spatial audio for neoclassical
Minimalist music	Phasing pairs split across the room, pulse in front	Spatial audio for minimalist music
Corridos tumbados	Vocal and bass centred, requinto answering from the front	Spatial audio for corridos tumbados
Tejano music	Vocal and bass centred, accordion and bajo sexto up front	Spatial audio for Tejano music
Bolero	An intimate centred voice, requinto and guitars in a close arc	Spatial audio for bolero
Tango	Bandoneons and violins facing off across a milonga hall	Spatial audio for tango
Andean music	Paired panpipes trading notes under a wide mountain sky	Spatial audio for Andean music
Vallenato	Voice centred, accordion and caja facing each other up front	Spatial audio for vallenato
Merengue	Tambora and güira up front, saxes and brass across the stage	Spatial audio for merengue
Dembow	Vocal, kick and bass centred, dry hits and hype shouts all around	Spatial audio for dembow
Rumba and Afro-Cuban music	Singer and low drum centred inside a ring of percussion	Spatial audio for rumba and Afro-Cuban music
Latin trap	Vocal and 808 centred, ad-libs and dark pads all around	Spatial audio for Latin trap
Latin rock	Rock core centred, congas and timbales spread around it	Spatial audio for Latin rock
Samba	Singer and surdo centred, a ring of percussion around you	Spatial audio for samba
Forró	Vocal and zabumba centred, sanfona swaying in a dance hall	Spatial audio for forró
Sertanejo	Two voices side by side, band and arena crowd spread wide	Spatial audio for sertanejo
Axé and frevo	Raised carnival singer, centred surdos, a ring of drums and brass	Spatial audio for axé and frevo
Ska	Vocal, bass and drums centred, skank split and horns spread wide	Spatial audio for ska
Dub	Drums and bass fixed at the centre, echoes flying all around	Spatial audio for dub
Soca and calypso	Singer and beat centred, band around and the crowd behind	Spatial audio for soca and calypso
Kompa and zouk	Close voice and rolling bass, guitars trading from either side	Spatial audio for kompa and zouk
Steelpan music	Tenors in front, bass pans centred, every section in its place	Spatial audio for steelpan music
Highlife	Bright guitars and horns spread across an open-air Accra dance floor	Spatial audio for highlife
Afrobeat	A big horn line and interlocking guitars filling a Lagos club	Spatial audio for Afrobeat
Jùjú and fújì	Talking drums and guitars circling a singer at a Lagos party	Spatial audio for jùjú and fújì
Soukous and Congolese rumba	Three bright guitars interlocking across a Kinshasa dance floor	Spatial audio for soukous and Congolese rumba
Mbalax	Sabar and talking drum trading fire around a soaring griot voice	Spatial audio for mbalax
Desert blues	Hypnotic guitars and a clapping chorus under a wide night sky	Spatial audio for desert blues
Ethio-jazz	Vibraphone and horns trading modal lines in an Addis club	Spatial audio for Ethio-jazz
Kuduro	A hard kick in the centre with shouts and synths firing from all sides	Spatial audio for kuduro
Kizomba and semba	A warm voice up close over a deep, slow bass in a Luanda dance hall	Spatial audio for kizomba and semba
Gengetone and singeli	A Sheng MC over a centred kick, crew chants and racing loops around	Spatial audio for gengetone and singeli
Mbaqanga and maskandi	Jive guitar and harmonies across a township hall over a bouncing bass	Spatial audio for mbaqanga and maskandi
Gnawa music	A deep guembri at the centre, iron qraqeb ringing on both sides	Spatial audio for Gnawa music
Raï	A soaring voice up front, synth and trumpet trading lines on each side	Spatial audio for raï
Arabic classical music	Oud, qanun and voice in a close takht arc under a high dome	Spatial audio for Arabic classical music
Arabic pop	A bright lead vocal over darbuka, strings and Gulf handclaps	Spatial audio for Arabic pop
Mahraganat	Auto-Tuned voices and a pounding kick across a Cairo street wedding	Spatial audio for mahraganat
Mandopop	A close voice in the centre, strings and erhu opening wide around it	Spatial audio for Mandopop
Cantopop	A close singer at the centre, a tidy band stage and an arena all around	Spatial audio for Cantopop
Chinese traditional music	A close guqin at the centre, erhu, pipa and dizi in a calm, wide arc	Spatial audio for Chinese traditional music
Japanese traditional music	A close hichiriki or shakuhachi in front, the shō floating just above	Spatial audio for Japanese traditional music
Taiko	A huge o-daiko at the centre, nagado-daiko pounding from both sides	Spatial audio for taiko
Enka	A close voice at the centre, tremolo guitar and strings in a warm hall	Spatial audio for enka
Gamelan	A deep gong ageng at the centre, bronze metallophones ringing all around	Spatial audio for gamelan
Tuvan throat singing	A still voice and drone at the centre, whistling overtones floating above	Spatial audio for Tuvan throat singing
Qawwali	The lead qawwal and harmonium in front, chorus and claps on both sides	Spatial audio for qawwali
Bhangra	A heavy dhol at the centre, tumbi and hoi calls ringing on every side	Spatial audio for bhangra
Dangdut	Kendang and voice in the centre, suling and mandolin answering on the sides	Spatial audio for dangdut
Luk thung and mor lam	A singer at the centre, khaen and phin answering on either side	Spatial audio for luk thung and mor lam
Balkan brass	A lead trumpet in front, horns fanned wide and a tuba low in the centre	Spatial audio for Balkan brass
Klezmer	Clarinet and violin side by side in front, a tsimbl shimmering at the side	Spatial audio for klezmer
French chanson	A close voice at the centre, piano and accordion either side in a cabaret	Spatial audio for French chanson
Hawaiian music	A soft voice at the centre, slack-key and steel guitars on either side	Spatial audio for Hawaiian music

One mix, every device

Whatever the genre, an immersive mix is not locked to one speaker setup. The same mix can be played on headphones, phones, soundbars, TVs and full home theatre systems, and each device renders it in the best way it can. On headphones this happens through binaural rendering.

One immersive mix rendered for headphones, phones, soundbars, TVs and home theatre speakers — Whatever the genre, a single immersive master adapts to whatever the listener is using.

Making immersive music for any genre with Spatial9

You do not need an immersive studio to hear your music in 3D. Spatial9 uses AI to turn a stereo song into spatial audio. It separates the arrangement, places each element in 3D space and exports a finished mix. You can download it as Eclipsa Audio, ADM, binaural for headphones or Ambisonics.

Start from what you have. A stereo master works. If you have stems, export them cleanly for even more control.
Already mixed in Dolby Atmos? You can convert an Atmos ADM file to Eclipsa Audio for free, with no watermark.
Publish where people listen. Create a YouTube-ready video with your immersive audio and publish it directly.

Listener wearing headphones enjoying an immersive music mix — Most people will first hear your immersive mix on ordinary headphones.

Frequently asked questions

Does spatial audio work for every genre of music?

Yes, but it sounds different for each one. Bass-heavy genres keep a strong centre. Acoustic genres recreate a real room. Electronic and ambient music can use the full 3D space more freely.

Which genres benefit most from immersive music?

Genres with dense arrangements or a strong sense of space usually gain the most, such as EDM, ambient, classical and orchestral music. Pop, R&B and hip-hop also benefit, because hooks, harmonies and ad-libs get room to breathe around the vocal.

Is spatial audio the same as immersive music?

They describe the same idea. Spatial audio is the technology that places sound around the listener in 3D. Immersive music is the listening experience it creates.

Can I make an immersive version of a song that was mixed in stereo?

Yes. Spatial9 generates an immersive mix from a stereo file using AI and exports it as Eclipsa Audio, ADM, binaural or Ambisonics.

Do listeners need special speakers to hear immersive music?

No. Regular headphones work, because devices can render immersive mixes binaurally. Soundbars and home theatre systems add an even stronger effect.

Hear your genre in 3D

The quickest way to learn what your genre sounds like in 3D is to try it with your own song. Upload a track to Spatial9 and hear an immersive version in minutes.

Dolby and Dolby Atmos are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Spatial9 is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dolby Laboratories.

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