These Audis just got a major audio upgrade from Dolby – is your car on the list?

Audi is bringing Dolby Atmos surround sound to a select handful of its cars, starting in just a few days’ time.

The audio upgrade is coming to cars equipped with Audi’s Bang & Olufsen Premium 3D Sound System, which the carmaker says has been specially adapted to integrate Dolby Atmos.

Although best known for adding height to movie soundtracks, Dolby Atmos is increasingly common in the music industry, where it lets artists and producers place listeners in the centre of a sphere of sound. Each instrument and sound effect can be placed at a specific point in the three-dimensional sphere, then fixed in that location or moved somewhere else as the track progresses. The result is a sound that surrounds the listener in a way traditional stereo cannot match.

Audi says that, starting in July, Dolby Atmos is coming to its Q7, Q8, A8 and e-tron GT cars. This isn’t a software update; instead, Dolby Atmos will be a part of compatible vehicles produced from July onwards. Dolby Atmos tracks are accessed directly from the car’s infotainment system, via music apps downloaded from Audi’s application store. Compatible streaming services include Amazon Music, Audible and Tidal.

Other carmakers that have begun offering Dolby Atmos support include Polestar, Volvo, Lotus, Rivian and Xiaomi.

Audi added: “With this strategic partnership between Dolby and Audi, both companies are sending an important signal to the automotive industry that they are taking the driving experience to a new level with high-quality, immersive soundscapes.”

Speaking of which, other carmakers have already demonstrated how their Dolby Atmos systems can be used to bring immersive soundtracks to drives, not just three-dimensional pop songs.