A new music trend is currently setting standards for immersive sound on the internet, and especially on YouTube. It's called 8D music or 8D beats. In this article, we'll explain exactly what this music means and why it's also exciting for biohackers and high-performers.
Table of contents
1. What is 8D music?
The term "8D music" initially sounds somewhat unrealistic and exaggerated, because it's not music from eight dimensions. Instead, it alludes to the fact that you can perceive acoustic signals from a total of eight different directions .
The idea isn't new. Back in the 1970s, people wanted to mix and play sound in a sphere. A sphere is a three-dimensional, round object. For music playback, this means you can hear songs with 360° sound. This method was called Ambisonics , but it never really caught on—until now, anyway!
2. How is 8D music created?
To create 8D music, artists no longer limit their mixing to a stereo sound consisting only of a left and right audio channel. Instead, the recorded song is modified in post-production so that the listener feels like they are in the middle of it, as if the sounds are moving freely in space .
To achieve this effect, the artist or producer positions individual instruments and other soundtracks in a virtual space using software. The soundtracks can be fixed at a point in the space and freely move around the listening position in the center. Physical variables such as room size and reverberation are then determined, which influence the sound's reflections. These reflections can be optimized using the virtual room settings, creating a more enhanced sound experience. This creates immersive, 360° sound.
3. 8D music effect
There are currently no scientific studies on the effects of 8D music . However, scientists are keenly interested in learning more about the effects of certain sound patterns on the human brain, such as binaural beats.
However, 8D music works differently than binaural beats , and even though there is no evidence yet about the effects of 8D music, there seems to be a general consensus among listeners that 8D music has no side effects.
Everything about binaural beats
4. 8D Music - Interesting for biohackers and high performers?
Binaural beats, however, are no longer new to science, and recent studies show promising results. In 2005, researchers discovered that the sounds can alter our five brain waves and thus improve our mental performance. [1]
The 5 brain waves and their corresponding frequencies are:
- Delta: Binaural beats in delta waves operate at a frequency of 0.5–4 Hz, which is associated with dreamless sleep. Study participants who were exposed to binaural beats of this frequency entered a deeper sleep phase.
- Theta: In the range of 4 - 7 Hz, researchers observed that theta frequencies contributed to improved meditation, creativity and REM phase in their participants.
- Alpha: In the alpha wave range, binaural beats are located at 7 - 13 Hz, where they promote deeper relaxation.
- Beta: Between 13 and 30 Hz lie the binaural beats of the beta waves, which at this frequency can help you to be more concentrated and alert.
- Gamma : As long as the study participants were awake and exposed to a frequency of 30 to 50 Hz, the scientists observed sustained alertness.
Beta waves, in particular – around 13–30 Hz – help you be more focused and alert. For 8D music to increase concentration, it would have to utilize these frequencies in a binaural beat pattern.
Furthermore, researchers found in a recent 2019 study that binaural beats, depending on their frequency, can have a positive effect on long-term memory .[2]
Concentration music for more focus
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5. Conclusion
Experimental artists and producers want to further explore the possibilities of immersive 8D music and shape new trends. This benefits biohackers and high-performers who are constantly striving for better performance.
Many people already swear by certain sound patterns, such as binaural beats, to increase their concentration, and science has proven this to be true. However, the effects of 8D music have not yet been researched, so biohackers and high performers still have to test for themselves whether the music can improve their concentration .
6. Sources
[1] Padmanabhan, R., Hildreth, AJ, D. Laws, D. (2005). Anaesthesia Vol 60, Issue 9, p. 874-877. A prospective, randomized, controlled study examining binaural beat audio and pre‐operative anxiety in patients undergoing general anesthesia for day case surgery. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2005.04287.x [ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2005.04287.x ]
[2] Garcia-Argibay, M., Santed, MA & Reales, JM (2019). Psychological Research 83, p 1124–1136. Binaural auditory beats affect long-term memory. doi: 10.1007/s00426-017-0959-2 [ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00426-017-0959-2 ]
