Why does Movie Music sound better?

K

konmanos

Audiophyte
I have been playing around with my Audio Equipment and have concluded that Movie Music sounds better.
My set-up
Yamaha RX-V6A
Q Acoustic Speakers (front - LR)
Monitor Audio - Subwoofer
Monitor Audio - center
Monitor Audio - (front - Present - LR)
Monitor Audio - (rear - LR)

Source - Apple TV - movies via Netflix and/or Apple TV+ (movies/video)
The music and background anything - sounds amazing - love the immersion and experience - especially even more for Dolby Atmos

Source - EverSolo DMP-A6 - Tidal
The Music and anything - not as good as what comes from Netflix and Apple TV+ (movies/video)

Is there something that I am missing - as I know what my Amp and speaker system can deliver via Apple TV and it sure does sound amazing.
Yet - put it through the Eversolo - and I am not convinced.
 
isolar8001

isolar8001

Audioholic General
I have been playing around with my Audio Equipment and have concluded that Movie Music sounds better.
My set-up
Yamaha RX-V6A
Q Acoustic Speakers (front - LR)
Monitor Audio - Subwoofer
Monitor Audio - center
Monitor Audio - (front - Present - LR)
Monitor Audio - (rear - LR)

Source - Apple TV - movies via Netflix and/or Apple TV+ (movies/video)
The music and background anything - sounds amazing - love the immersion and experience - especially even more for Dolby Atmos

Source - EverSolo DMP-A6 - Tidal
The Music and anything - not as good as what comes from Netflix and Apple TV+ (movies/video)

Is there something that I am missing - as I know what my Amp and speaker system can deliver via Apple TV and it sure does sound amazing.
Yet - put it through the Eversolo - and I am not convinced.
Funny you bring this up because I've noticed the same thing for many many years.
When a song or piece is used in a movie, it usually sounds better than if listened to off the CD. (I don't stream)

The only explanation can be that the sound mixer of the movie (or show, whatever) "spruces it up".
This is especially true of the bass in the song...its often eq'ed to have a lot more punch.
 
WaynePflughaupt

WaynePflughaupt

Audioholic Samurai
I assume you mean the background music? Probably because it’s typically recorded and presented in surround sound, whereas popular music is recorded in stereo.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
 
K

konmanos

Audiophyte
Funny you bring this up because I've noticed the same thing for many many years.
When a song or piece is used in a movie, it usually sounds better than if listened to off the CD. (I don't stream)

The only explanation can be that the sound mixer of the movie (or show, whatever) "spruces it up".
This is especially true of the bass in the song...its often eq'ed to have a lot more punch.
I thought I was going mad..

I wish I could enjoy my music as much as I enjoy the same music in movies, it’s another world when watching movies and having scenes where known music clips are played.
 
K

konmanos

Audiophyte
I assume you mean the background music? Probably because it’s typically recorded and presented in surround sound, whereas popular music is recorded in stereo.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
Background music in movies, which sometimes is the same music i stream.
but,
Now there is also Music in Dolby Atmos on Tidal, but still nothing like the Netflix and Apple TV+

would like to know others experienece
 
D

dolynick

Full Audioholic
I've noticed it as well in various cases over the year. Including with even the movie's OST album vs the movie.

As others have already said, it has to be the mix used in the movie. The sound engineer is tweaking and adjusting the music into the mix to achieve their desired effect as the film plays out. It's almost sure a different person than who did the original mastering of the album (and possibly decades apart in origin), so you get a different overall sound.

One that always stands out to me is the closing sequence in the Dark Knight, just as it goes into credits. That shakes the house and generally sound pretty awesome to me. I have the OST and if that same sequence is in there (I believe it's bundled into something longer), it doesn't have anywhere near the same effect in my experience so far.
 
Paul DS

Paul DS

Full Audioholic
I thought I was going mad..

I wish I could enjoy my music as much as I enjoy the same music in movies, it’s another world when watching movies and having scenes where known music clips are played.
Sony used to have a format (SACD), Super Audio CD, that used all 5 channels. It was capable of some truly excellent sound. Sadly, it has been abondened. The only way you can play a SACD is to have one of Sony's better Blu ray players.
 
D

dolynick

Full Audioholic
Sony used to have a format (SACD), Super Audio CD, that used all 5 channels. It was capable of some truly excellent sound. Sadly, it has been abondened. The only way you can play a SACD is to have one of Sony's better Blu ray players.
There were more manufacturers than just Sony who put out SACD compatible players. Although I don't believe there are many that still do. DSD, the format used on SACDs has become a bit of a niche thing on it's own too though and you can purchase DSD content from various services yet - although the selection might be limited:


I haven't tried anything from there myself yet.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
I find much of the music in movies to be well mixed and recorded. As said being done in multich format probably helps, all my movie watching setups are multich too. Not to say there's not some well recorded 2ch music as well, tho.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
I have been playing around with my Audio Equipment and have concluded that Movie Music sounds better.
My set-up
Yamaha RX-V6A
Q Acoustic Speakers (front - LR)
Monitor Audio - Subwoofer
Monitor Audio - center
Monitor Audio - (front - Present - LR)
Monitor Audio - (rear - LR)

Source - Apple TV - movies via Netflix and/or Apple TV+ (movies/video)
The music and background anything - sounds amazing - love the immersion and experience - especially even more for Dolby Atmos

Source - EverSolo DMP-A6 - Tidal
The Music and anything - not as good as what comes from Netflix and Apple TV+ (movies/video)

Is there something that I am missing - as I know what my Amp and speaker system can deliver via Apple TV and it sure does sound amazing.
Yet - put it through the Eversolo - and I am not convinced.
Not sure what you are talking about. What music in particular? Most music for film is recorded specifically for the film. The bulk of it in London UK.

The UK is now producing a huge part of movie productions especially the music. A lot, if not most of Hollywood's engineering production and now filming takes place in the UK. There are now large movie studios in Kent in particular, especially around Ashford, and now in the old Chatham naval dockyard.

In terms of music, London has two orchestras that do a lot of work for the movies. The London Film Music Orchestra is specifically for film production. The Sinfonia of London, is one of the five major London Symphony Orchestras. As well has a regular concert series, including at the Proms since 2022, they also specialize in music for movies. The conductor and owner is John Wilson.

In addition to that, musical recording and production standards, are extremely high in the UK. There are university entities with advanced programs offering degrees in musical production via Tonmeister programs.

The BBC continues to set a high bar and standard in audio and AV productions. The last night of the 2024 Proms was Saturday. The Royal Albert Hall was packed with 6,500 people night after night for 72 concerts over the last two months. I don't know of any other city in the world were anything like that would be possible.

There are also major symphony orchestras in each of the devolved nations of the UK and in major center like Birmingham and Manchester, that latter being the home of the Halle Orchestra.

All of this explains why much of the music associated with films is produced to such a high standard. It is not by chance.
 
everettT

everettT

Audioholic Spartan
I believe there is definitely auditory memory issues at play when trying to define these things, in addition to "hot" bass with movie soundtracks.

If people critically looked at their other media, they'd find that there are a lot piss poor recording out here (and great ones) and it's so hard to side by side matched comparisons but I do like vocals and music, 2 channel, multi channel or downmixed, from a lossless container, but I can't say that it's a common occurrence when trying to compare it to other well recorded media.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
I would guess that music scores are more highly compressed. After all, they have to fight for dynamic range against sound effects and dialogue. I think what you like about them is that they are simply louder.
 
isolar8001

isolar8001

Audioholic General
Not sure what you are talking about. What music in particular? Most music for film is recorded specifically for the film. The bulk of it in London UK.

The UK is now producing a huge part of movie productions especially the music. A lot, if not most of Hollywood's engineering production and now filming takes place in the UK. There are now large movie studios in Kent in particular, especially around Ashford, and now in the old Chatham naval dockyard.

In terms of music, London has two orchestras that do a lot of work for the movies. The London Film Music Orchestra is specifically for film production. The Sinfonia of London, is one of the five major London Symphony Orchestras. As well has a regular concert series, including at the Proms since 2022, they also specialize in music for movies. The conductor and owner is John Wilson.

In addition to that, musical recording and production standards, are extremely high in the UK. There are university entities with advanced programs offering degrees in musical production via Tonmeister programs.

The BBC continues to set a high bar and standard in audio and AV productions. The last night of the 2024 Proms was Saturday. The Royal Albert Hall was packed with 6,500 people night after night for 72 concerts over the last two months. I don't know of any other city in the world were anything like that would be possible.

There are also major symphony orchestras in each of the devolved nations of the UK and in major center like Birmingham and Manchester, that latter being the home of the Halle Orchestra.

All of this explains why much of the music associated with films is produced to such a high standard. It is not by chance.
Pretty sure he means instances where popular music is incorporated into a movie or show, and not the movies or shows composed soundtrack itself.

Like this....

 
Paul DS

Paul DS

Full Audioholic
Pretty sure he means instances where popular music is incorporated into a movie or show, and not the movies or shows composed soundtrack itself.

Like this....

A good example of movie audio sounding better is in the movie "A Walk In The Woods" which features a soundtrack by Lord Huron. I have both the Bluray and the CD's. The 5 channel audio in the movie definitely sounds better than my CD. (on my system)
 
B

Bernie Williams

Junior Audioholic
I have also noticed many instances where popular music sounds better in movie/surround sound. I suspect the sound engineer gets high quality multi track copies of the song.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
I have also noticed many instances where popular music sounds better in movie/surround sound. I suspect the sound engineer gets high quality multi track copies of the song.
I'd hope they get the best source possible, they certainly pay enough for the privilege.
 
isolar8001

isolar8001

Audioholic General
A good example of movie audio sounding better is in the movie "A Walk In The Woods" which features a soundtrack by Lord Huron. I have both the Bluray and the CD's. The 5 channel audio in the movie definitely sounds better than my CD. (on my system)
A better example would be Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" (now in Atmos), the movie soundtrack versus the original two channel CD.
But it's not really the simple fact that its 5.1 versus 2.0 (2.0 unless you run it through a Dolby mixer).
The sound mixer of the new movie version just mixed it for the equipment we have now.
Not many had subs and such back in 84.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Along the lines of this thread, it does make me wonder sometimes about those who says "music" sounds better than movies. Generally I find movie soundtracks (not the 2ch versions sold separately from the movie) to sound quite good.
 
isolar8001

isolar8001

Audioholic General
Here's a great example.
I just started watching "Stranger Things" Season 4 this evening. (I know, it took me long enough :))
Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" in episode 1....never sounded so good. And I'm a Kate Bush fanatic.
(I understand this song comes up many times in Season 4)

Episode 2, at the skating rink...Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy"
And later in the episode...Talking Heads "Psycho Killer" (ironically)...both sounding better than I've ever heard them.
And, not just louder which tricks many..they were just much better.
And, not just that the show uses Atmos.
The sound mixer really went to town on these songs.
I only just finished 2 episodes...lets see what else comes up.
 

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