Samsung and Google's new Eclipsa Audio takes on Dolby Atmos

Samsung and Google are making their move against Dolby’s spatial audio dominance with Eclipsa Audio, a new open-source 3D audio format launching across Samsung’s 2025 TV and soundbar lineup. The format, previously known as Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF), aims to deliver Atmos-like spatial audio experiences without licensing fees.

What is Eclipsa Audio?

This push mirrors Samsung’s previous stance against Dolby Vision in favor of the open HDR10+ standard. The company has historically avoided Dolby’s licensing fees, and Eclipsa Audio appears to be following the same playbook.

Content creators will be able to upload YouTube videos with Eclipsa Audio tracks starting in 2025, though playback will initially be restricted to Samsung’s latest devices. The format supports similar features to Dolby Atmos, including control over sound location, intensity, and spatial reflections.

The Alliance for Open Media, which includes major players like Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Netflix, has already adopted the underlying IAMF specification. This backing could accelerate adoption, though the group’s AV1 video codec took years to gain widespread use.

To maintain quality standards, Samsung and Google are working with the Telecommunications Technology Association on a certification program for Eclipsa Audio devices — similar to Dolby and THX’s certification approaches.

What is it like to listen to Eclipsa Audio?

At CES 2025, we had the privilege of experiencing the THX Genesis Trailer in the new “Eclipsa” format for the first time, and its immersiveness and sonic separation left a lasting impression. If you’re a content creator, it’s no secret that a quality audio track can make or break your next video. With the growing demand for top-notch content, YouTubers and creators will now have an exciting new tool to take their video’s audio track to the next level to feature premium spatial audio without paying a fee.

We were also impressed with the demonstration provided by Spatial9, an audio company currently using Eclipsa audio in conjunction with AI technology to enhance existing stereo music recordings for a more immersive experience without sacrificing the integrity of the original recording. Companies like Spatial9 achieve this by taking a genre-specific approach, where sometimes, less is more.

While listening to rock music, for example, your drums and bass guitar can be kept front and center, but the reverberated vocal tones are distributed to the rear speakers, providing a fresh, unique, and immersive experience compared to the original stereo recordings. On the flip side, electronic music with more technical and layered tracks, for example, can receive a more complex mix, again, a genre-specific approach.

Needless to say, we are excited to see and hear what’s to come from with a new, more accessible open-source 3D audio format available, and we will continue to update you with coverage as we roll into 2025.