What is 8d Audio, and How Does it Work? Discover the Effect with 10 Immersive 8D Audio Songs You Need to Hear

In the world of video content, many buzzwords are used. Many of these terms relate to video quality and different recording formats, such as SD, HD, 4K, and now 8K video resolution.

Yet, while many terms have to do with cameras and video quality, many have to do with audio. As any video content creator who really excels in this medium can tell you, audio quality can be a huge part of a video’s potential success.

One important audio term that has been popping up a lot in the past few years is 8D audio. But what is 8D audio? And how does 8D sound actually work? Let’s explore this popular audio style and see how you can use it to increase the quality of content.

What is 8D audio?

Let’s start by defining what 8D is—and perhaps what it isn’t as well. 8D audio is basically just a special effect that can be added to a normal stereo audio track that can make the audio sound as if it is fully circling around your head.

This effect is usually achieved by adding reverb and mixing the audio to make it sound like it’s accessing areas of your hearing that tracks don’t usually access. However, the overall experience is really only possible by wearing headphones so that your ears can hear the totality of the effect.

That said, while 8D audio isn’t audio spread out across eight dimensions, as its name implies, some advanced audio technologies, like spatial audio, are similar. Good old-fashioned stereo audio can also achieve this 8D audio effect.

How does 8D audio work?

As mentioned above, 8D audio creates the illusion of multidimensional sound greater than the stereo or surround sound we are used to. This effect is usually created by adding reverb to a track and using different equalization techniques to pan sound across a stereo spectrum.

Again, there are instances where a person might experience multi-speaker audio and feel something similar to this 8D audio effect. For example, Dolby Atmos is an audio format that produces sound based on a unique speaker arrangement. You could also do the same with a 7.1 surround-sound speaker system.

Still, 8D audio works best for most listeners with high-end stereo speakers, which can create a 360-degree sound illusion. As we’ll explore below, a lot of music, soundscapes, and YouTube videos can be classified as this version of 8D audio.

Royalty free 8D audio songs

We have some hand-picked, ready-to-license songs that could be classified as royalty free 8D audio tracks. These songs range across a wide selection of genres and sound types, but they were picked to help demonstrate tracks that would be great to listen to wearing stereo headphones to create the illusion of 360 degrees of 8d surround sound.

1. Starseed by Wayfair

• Description: A very low-energy, electronic song best described as calm and reflective. Ambient tones and synth are the primary instruments in this track.
• BPM: 64
• Key: A Minor
• Listen and license here

2. River's Edge by Druid Falls

• Description: A very low-energy, ambient song that is best described as calm and reflective. Bass and synth bass are the primary instruments in this track.
• BPM: 80
• Key: D Major
• Listen and license here

3. Tally Me Tostones by Tony Sopiano

• Description: A low-energy, hip-hop song that is best described as chill and reflective. Bass and bass guitar are the primary instruments in this track.
• BPM: 85
• Key: Eb/D# Minor
• Listen and license here

4. Penn Station by Ghost Beatz

• Description: A low-energy, hip-hop song that is best described as chill and reflective. Drums and electronic drums are the primary instruments in this track.
• BPM: 90
• Key: Ab/G# Minor
• Listen and license here

5. Hills Above Us by Rest & Settle

• Description: A very low-energy, acoustic song that is best described as calm and romantic. The guitar and electric guitar are the primary instruments on this track.
• BPM: 94
• Key: A Major
• Listen and license here

6. Solstice by Echowave

• Description: A very low-energy, ambient song that is best described as calm and reflective. The guitar and electric guitar are the primary instruments on this track.
• BPM: 71
• Key: D Major
• Listen and license here

7. Breathless Touch by Dr. Delight

• Description: A low-energy, funk song that is best described as chill and romantic. Bass and bass guitar are the primary instruments in this track.
• BPM: 90
• Key: A Minor
• Listen and license here

8. Irreplaceable by Neon Beach

• Description: A low-energy, electronic song that is best described as reflective and chill. Synth and piano are the primary instruments in this track.
• BPM: 113
• Key: Eb/D# Major
• Listen and license here

9. Summers by Cast Of Characters

• Description: It is a very low-energy hip-hop song best described as chill and reflective. The guitar and electric guitar are the primary instruments on this track.
• BPM: 62
• Key: Bb/A# Minor
• Listen and license here

10. The Healing Forest by Shimmer

• Description: A very low-energy, ambient song that is best described as reflective and calm. Ambient tones and strings are the primary instruments in this track.
• BPM: 100
• Key: C Major
• Listen and license here

Keep in mind that these are royalty free tracks (what does royalty free music mean?), which means that they are licensable for you to use for all types of use cases, including YouTube uploads where the 8D audio phenomenon is most popular.

If you’d like to check out more royalty free music, browse our entire Soundstripe library here.

8D audio for ADHD, neurodivergent, and anxiety

While we touched on this a bit above, it’s important for us to call out that 8D audio—despite its misnomer name—can be quite calming and helpful for listeners. Because of this, 8D audio is a popular trend on YouTube, and many listeners swear by the calming nature of this audio style and effect.

If you search on YouTube, you’ll find many examples of creators simply using the illusion of multi-dimensional audio to help listeners relax, de-stress, and practice mindfulness as part of meditation.

8D audio is also a great choice for any content creators looking to create content to help people with ADHD, neurodivergent tendencies, or anxiety as a way to calm themselves and relax. 8D audio is a popular term for those interested in creating ASMR videos or other types of content meant for meditation.

Tips for using 8D audio in your videos

Despite its name being a bit misleading, 8D audio is most likely an audio trend that is here to stay. It’s also one of those rare occurrences where most people who work in audio and music might recognize that the term isn’t exactly what it sounds like, but it can still be used to refer to a style or type of audio.

The tracks we shared above are a great place to start if you want to join the 8D audio movement. We also have some simple tips and tricks to help you get started using 8D audio for your projects.

• Try out our Soundstripe AI Song Editor, which allows you to increase the length of your audio tracks with a single click.
• Check out our library of royalty free sound effects to make your videos even more immersive.
• Consider downloading preview tracks to use as placeholders in your edits before deciding if a track is right for your project.

Hopefully, these definitions, tracks, and tips will help you on your 8D audio journey.