Why music never made the leap to surround sound?

[Drain Bamage]

Why did you guys think music never made the leap to surround side? Movies switched to 5.1 back in the 90's but music is still 2 channel stereo

 

[faustian]

<Gizmo01>

 

[Jack Reacheround]

Because most people in the 90s listened to music on a stereo, which was in stereo. That, and in their cars, which probably could work with surround sound. But even though we didn’t have MP3 players, we still listened on headphones a lot with walkmen and discmen.

 

[jx820]

1. Music has no specific physical orientation. Surround assumes you are facing a screen in a set direction. Unless you're line dancing, what's the "front" of a dance floor? Where would you put the rear channel?
2. Most people don't have surround in their homes or cars. Headphones and phone speakers could really only simulate that sound.

 

[I Am Legion]

I prefer phonograph.

 

[dudefacemcghee]

Most people only have 2 ears

 

[moreorless87]

There have been attempts, quadraphonic albums intended for 4 speakers were released in the 70's and Super audio CD's in the late 90's.

The problem I suspect is that a lot of music consumption happens in more casual situations compared to watching films/TV which are more likely to be done at home were a surround system is available.

 

[lostdog000]

honestly i assumed people recorded in 5.1 as a standard now... maybe 7.1

 

[gnyg]

It never made the leap so this thread could be made.

 

[hohner]

Cause you couldn't even handle it imo

 

[aerius]

The music industry is cheap and poor. Really.

Movies have a budget of many millions of dollars each and they can easily throw $5-10 million at sound production for a single movie. That money goes to recording and mixing all the sounds and putting them in both stereo and surround sound format.

The music industry don't got that kind of coin, the biggest bands on their biggest hit records might spend half as much on recording & production as an average Hollywood movie. Your average band has somewhere between $10-$100k for recording & production, that ain't gonna buy you the sound engineers needed to record & mix it in surround sound.

 

[jefferz]

Format wars basically.
Have you listened to 5.1 music on a real setup? It's a gimmick and isn't that great. Most media is consumed by 2.0 devices these days anyways, no need to spend a bunch of extra money on mixing it for 5.1. 2.1 for music and 5.1 for movies.

 

[IndyCovaHart]

I eagerly await 5.1 music tracks.

Well done movies/shows on surround sound is a totally different experience.

 

[minute bull]

 

[Satanical Eve]

I have a bunch of music on 5.1 surround sound
Metallica - The Black Album
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Queen - A Night at the Opera
Yes - Close to the Edge
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
Rush - 2112
Rush - Hemispheres
Rush - Moving Pictures
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

Just to name a few. I have a lot of others. Playing and listening to music is by far my favorite past time/ Most of them sound pretty good but I'll say this by far my favorite are Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. Listening to both while high on some quality bud is otherworldly

 

[blaseblah]

Doesn't surround sound just mean putting speakers all over your room? I've had that since the 90s.

 

[Poser Caust]

Nobody in this thread knows what they are talking about. There are many more ways of recording than what is presented on commercial radio ect not limited to 5.1 by any means.

 

[Plissken]

It exists in hd audio formats, but it all depends on how it's mastered for release and most people listen to music in stereo formats so most of it is mastered in stereo.

 

[Randlewand]

It will be taking over as VR becomes widespread. Stereo is slowly becoming obsolete.

 

[Drain Bamage]

1. Music has no specific physical orientation. Surround assumes you are facing a screen in a set direction.

Ever been to a concert?