LEARN
What is 8D audio?
8D audio is a style of mix where the music seems to circle around your head. It took off on YouTube around 2018. There are no eight dimensions involved: it's a stereo track with binaural panning, slow movement and a lot of reverb.
How 8D audio works
Most 8D tracks take a finished stereo song and move it in a slow circle around the listener. The movement uses binaural cues, the small timing and tone differences between your ears, so the sound seems to pass behind you and not just from left to right. Reverb on top adds the feeling of a large space.
Because those cues depend on each ear hearing its own signal, 8D audio only works on headphones. On speakers it sounds like an ordinary song with odd panning.
8D audio vs 3D and spatial audio
8D is a YouTube label for one effect, and it's an effect 3D Panner can give you. Place any song, finished or still in progress, on a sphere and move it through 3D space to get the 8D feel.
From there you can go further. Split the track into frequency bands, control elevation and movement, and choose from up to 20 different HRTF measurements to fit the exact shape of your head.
How to make 8D audio with 3D Panner
- Load 3D Panner on the track you want to move, or on a group of stems.
- Draw a circle on the XY pad, or pick a built-in LFO.
- Keep the movement slow. Sync it to your project tempo so one circle lasts a few bars.
- Leave the kick and bass on their own tracks without the panner, so the low end stays solid in the middle.
- Add reverb after the panner for the wide, roomy sound 8D mixes are known for, then check it all on headphones.
QUESTIONS
Do I need headphones for 8D audio?
Yes. The effect relies on binaural cues reaching each ear separately. On speakers it mostly disappears.
Is 8D audio the same as binaural beats?
No. Binaural beats play two slightly different tones in each ear. 8D audio moves a piece of music around your head.
Can I make 8D audio in any DAW?
You need a plugin that does binaural panning. 3D Panner runs as VST3, AU or AAX in DAWs like Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Reaper and Pro Tools.
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