Title

Enabling Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos in web applications

URL Name

Dolby-Audio-and-Dolby-Atmos-in-web-apps

Created By

kciec, 9/11/2026 1:26 PM

Last Modified By

kciec, 9/11/2026 1:28 PM

Validation Status

Validated

Publication Status

Published

Assigned To

Assigned By

Assignment Due Date

Article Content

Immersive audio is becoming a big part of how we experience media. More and more devices and streaming platforms now support Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos - and that means web applications can offer great spatial audio too.

This article is intended for developers integrating Dolby Audio into web applications using Media Source Extensions (MSE) and Encrypted Media Extensions (EME). It assumes familiarity with media playback pipelines, MSE/EME, and adaptive streaming formats such as MPEG-DASH and HLS.

Getting Started

This guide assumes you already have a working development environment. It focuses on integrating and testing Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos rather than building a web player from scratch.

Note: The sample code in this article is provided as an example implementation and should not be considered production-ready. Before deployment, it should be reviewed, tested, and adapted to the specific requirements of your application and environment.

Before moving on, we recommend reviewing the following resources:

Hardware Setup

The audio playback experience depends on the hardware you use for testing and deployment. Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) and Dolby AC-4 are not components you install alongside your web application - they are part of the device itself, built into the firmware by the manufacturer. For your web application to deliver Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos, the device running it must have the appropriate decoder present at the system level, and that decoder must be accessible to the browser.

When developing OTT web applications, web-based Smart TV platforms such as LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Hisense VIDAA, and Philips TitanOS should be considered the primary environments for validating Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos playback.

For more information about test configurations, see the Endpoint Device Testing for Streaming Services article.

During development, desktop platforms can be useful for troubleshooting and validating playback. In particular, Safari running on macOS offers a well-established environment for Dolby Digital Plus playback testing. To learn about the recommended hardware configurations and macOS versions, refer to Apple - macOS Overview.

Verifying Capabilities

To verify your setup’s playback capabilities, use our Streaming Player for OTT (SPOTT), available at https://ott.dolby.com

The player comes with default playlists containing Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos test materials. It provides detailed information about the detected capabilities and lets you verify that your audio setup is working correctly.

Dolby Audio MIME Types and Manifest Parsing

Correct signaling is essential for the successful delivery and playback of Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos content. In MSE/EME-based playback workflows, codec support is determined through MIME type string that conveys the codec information required for capability detection.

For all Dolby Audio formats covered in this article, the container is the ISO Base Media File Format (ISOBMFF, ISO/IEC 14496-12), identified as audio/mp4 for audio-only streams. The specific codec (whether Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby AC-4) is appended as a codecs parameter.

MIME types for Dolby Audio formats are formally defined in:

ETSI TS 102 366 clause J.1.2
ETSI TS 103 190-1 clause F.1.2.1
ETSI TS 103 190-2 clause E.13.

Identifying Dolby Audio MIME Types in MPEG-DASH and HLS

Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos streams can be identified in MPEG-DASH manifests and HLS playlists through specific MIME types and codec identifiers.

MPEG-DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP)

In MPEG-DASH, codec information is signaled in the MPD. The complete media type can be derived from the mimeType and codecs attributes defined on the <AdaptationSet> and/or <Representation> elements.

For information on Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos signaling in HLS refer to the documentation below.

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)

In HLS, codec information is typically signaled in the master playlist using the CODECS attribute of the #EXT-X-STREAM-INF tag.

For information on Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos signaling in HLS refer to the documentation below.

MIME Type Assembly in Streaming Players

In both MPEG-DASH and HLS, players such as dash.js, hls.js, and Shaka Player automatically assemble MIME type strings from the signaled codec information and use them to perform playback support checks.

Querying Capabilities for Dolby Audio

Before implementing Dolby Audio or Dolby Atmos playback, you need to determine whether the current browser and platform are capable of decoding the formats you intend to use. This section describes how to evaluate playback capabilities using APIs commonly used in modern web applications.

MediaSource Extension: isTypeSupported()

The MediaSource.isTypeSupported() method returns a boolean value indicating whether the browser can handle the given media type within a Media Source Extensions (MSE) pipeline. If it returns true, the browser can create a SourceBuffer for the specified format and add it to a MediaSource object. A return value of false means the media type is definitely unsupported.

The Media Source Extensions (MSE) are used by all modern web streaming players to download and feed media segments into the decoder pipeline.

NOTE: isTypeSupported() is a synchronous call. This means that the answer will not be determined dynamically but is hard coded into the browser.

function canPlayWithMse(mimeType) {
	// MSE is supported in all modern browsers, but checking availability
  	// is recommended for older or non-standard environments.
	if (!('MediaSource' in window)) return null;
  	return MediaSource.isTypeSupported(mimeType);
}

if (canPlayWithMse("audio/mp4; codecs=ec-3")) {
  	// Dolby Digital Plus is supported
}
if (canPlayWithMse("audio/mp4; codecs=ac-4")) {
  	// AC-4 is supported
}

MediaCapabilities: decodingInfo()

The MediaCapabilities API is a W3C specification that provides more detailed playback capability information than MediaSource.isTypeSupported(). While MediaSource.isTypeSupported() only indicates whether a browser supports a particular media type and codec combination, MediaCapabilities evaluates a complete media configuration, taking audio, video and decryption capabilities into account.

The MediaCapabilities API provides several methods. For our purposes, we use its decodingInfo() method to query for audio playback capabilities. The method accepts a full configuration object rather than just a media type. This allows you to provide additional parameters that describe the media more precisely, including the spatialRendering flag relevant to Dolby Atmos rendering.

The MediaCapabilities.decodingInfo() method is an asynchronous interface; it returns a promise that resolves with an object containing three boolean properties: supported, smooth, and powerEfficient. For audio playback, checking the supported value is sufficient - smooth and powerEfficient are meaningful in a video decoding context.

async function canPlayWithMca(contentType, spatialRendering = false, channels = null) {
  if (!('mediaCapabilities' in navigator)) return null;

  const audioConfig = {
    contentType: contentType,
    spatialRendering: spatialRendering
  };

  if (channels !== null) {
    audioConfig.channels = channels;
  }

  const mediaConfig = {
    type: 'media-source',
    audio: audioConfig
  };

  return navigator.mediaCapabilities.decodingInfo(mediaConfig);
}

const isDdpSupported = await canPlayWithMca("audio/mp4; codecs=ec-3");
const isAc4Supported = await canPlayWithMca("audio/mp4; codecs=ac-4.02.01.03");

if (isDdpSupported?.supported) {
  // Dolby Digital Plus is supported
}

if (isAc4Supported?.supported) {
  // AC-4 is supported
}

Querying Support for Dolby Atmos

Dolby Audio streams offer broad compatibility, but backward compatibility depends on the specific codec and level. Dolby Digital Plus streams are backward compatible, meaning that a Dolby Digital Plus stream (including Dolby Atmos metadata) will play on any Dolby Digital Plus capable device. Dolby AC-4 streams are compatible with AC-4 decoders, but compatibility depends on the AC-4 level: while Levels 0–3 are widely supported, AC-4 Level 4 is not supported by most devices currently in the field. Additionally, Dolby AC-4 is not backward compatible with Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus. Developers should always detect decoder capabilities at runtime and provide appropriate fallback streams.

In order to receive the full immersive experience delivered by Dolby Atmos, a device must support the Dolby Atmos extensions, implement the entire Dolby Atmos render pipeline, and support a compatible speaker configuration or headphones with spatial audio capabilities.

Despite Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos streams being backward compatible and playable on any Dolby Digital Plus capable device, a Service Provider may choose to only deliver the Atmos experience to capable devices and configurations. In this case, the player should query that the spatial rendering capability is available.

Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos

To probe Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos support, use the Media Capabilities API with the following two parameters:

'channels: 16' - queries whether the device can decode Dolby Atmos, not just the underlying Dolby Digital Plus bitstream.
'spatialRendering: true' - extends the query to spatial rendering capability.

The example below demonstrates how to check whether Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos is supported for decoding and rendering.

async function canPlayWithMca(mimeType, spatialRendering = false, channels = null) {
  if (!('mediaCapabilities' in navigator)) return null;

  const audioConfig = {
    contentType: mimeType,
    spatialRendering: spatialRendering
  };

  if (channels !== null) {
    audioConfig.channels = channels;
  }

  const mediaConfig = {
    type: 'media-source',
    audio: audioConfig
  };

  return navigator.mediaCapabilities.decodingInfo(mediaConfig);
}

// Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos
const ddPlusAtmosSupport = await canPlayWithMca("audio/mp4; codecs=ec-3", true, 16);

if (ddPlusAtmosSupport?.supported) {
  // Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos is supported
}
...

Dolby AC-4 with Dolby Atmos

To probe Dolby AC-4 with Dolby Atmos support, use the Media Capabilities API with the spatialRendering parameter set to true.

The example below demonstrates how to check whether Dolby AC-4 with Dolby Atmos is supported for decoding and rendering.

async function canPlayWithMca(mimeType, spatialRendering = false, channels = null) {
  if (!('mediaCapabilities' in navigator)) return null;

  const audioConfig = {
    contentType: mimeType,
    spatialRendering: spatialRendering
  };

  if (channels !== null) {
    audioConfig.channels = channels;
  }

  const mediaConfig = {
    type: 'media-source',
    audio: audioConfig
  };

  return navigator.mediaCapabilities.decodingInfo(mediaConfig);
}

// Dolby AC-4 with Dolby Atmos
const ac4AtmosSupport = await canPlayWithMca("audio/mp4; codecs=ac-4.02.01.03", true);

if (ac4AtmosSupport?.supported) {
  // Dolby AC-4 with Dolby Atmos is supported
}
...

Defining Audio Presentation Priorities

Services delivering Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby AC-4 content may offer multiple audio experiences for the same content, including stereo, surround, and immersive presentations. The preferred ordering of available audio experiences can be defined in the manifest, allowing playback applications to select the highest-priority presentation supported by the playback environment.

The following example experience ladders illustrate one possible prioritization strategy for Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby AC-4 content, ordered from the highest to the lowest level of spatial resolution. These priorities are intended as examples and can be adjusted to meet service-specific content and experience requirements.

Dolby Digital Plus spatial experience ladder

Selection Order	Content Type	Target Outputs	Channels Value	Playback Experience
Selection Order	Content Type	Target Outputs	Channels Value	`spatialRendering=true`	`spatialRendering=false`
1	Immersive	A Dolby Atmos renderer/virtualizer or Dolby MAT (over HDMI)	16	Dolby Atmos	Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos decoded as Dolby Digital Plus - 5.1 channel based output, object metadata discarded.
2	Surround (5.1 or 7.1)	Discrete multichannel output (including HDMI) or a surround virtualizer	8 6	-	5.1 or 7.1 channel-based output
3	Stereo	Stereo speakers or headphones	2	-	Standard stereo output

Dolby AC-4 spatial experience ladder

Selection Order	Content Type	Target Outputs	AC-4 Type (Codec String)	Playback Experience
Selection Order	Content Type	Target Outputs	AC-4 Type (Codec String)	`spatialRendering=true`	`spatialRendering=false`
1	Immersive	A Dolby Atmos renderer/virtualizer or Dolby MAT (over HDMI)	02.01.04 02.01.03	Dolby Atmos	Channel-based downmix output, object metadata discarded
2	Surround (5.1 or 7.1)	Discrete multichannel output (including HDMI) or a surround virtualizer	02.01.01 02.01.02	-	5.1 or 7.1 channel-based output
3	Stereo	Stereo speakers or headphones	02.01.00	-	Standard stereo output

NOTE: Dolby AC-4 supports an encoding profile known as Immersive Stereo (IMS), which encodes surround and immersive audio into a stereo AC-4 bitstream with parametric audio data to optimize playback for headphone and on-device stereo speakers. Unlike formats such as Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos, Dolby AC-4 IMS does not require real-time object rendering or metadata processing during playback. As IMS is designed for stereo output devices, it is generally not used for multichannel playback scenarios in Smart TV applications.

Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos Playback

Once you have confirmed that the system supports Dolby Audio playback through the Media Capabilities API, and an appropriate track has been selected, playback through MSE follows the same pattern as any other audio format - there is no Dolby-specific playback API. The browser handles decoding and routing through the system audio stack transparently.

Web Players Supporting Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos

Note: The support indicated below reflects each player's ability to identify and select Dolby Audio streams from a manifest. Whether those streams are decoded and rendered as Dolby Audio depends on factors outside the player's control: browser capabilities, operating system audio stack, and hardware support.

Player	Dolby Digital Plus (DD+)	Dolby Atmos (DD+ JOC)	Dolby AC-4
Shaka Player	✓	✓	✓
dash.js	✓	✓	✓
hls.js	✓	✓	✓
RxPlayer	✓	✓	✓

For detailed guidance on a specific player framework, refer to the articles below. Each article covers Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos support, known limitations, and implementation notes.

References

ETSI TS 103 190-1: Digital Audio Compression (AC-4) Standard; Part 1: Channel based coding, available from https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/103100_103199/10319001/01.03.01_60/ts_10319001v010301p.pdf
ETSI TS 103 190-2: Digital Audio Compression (AC-4) Standard; Part 2: Immersive and personalized audio, available from https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/103100_103199/10319002/01.02.01_60/ts_10319002v010201p.pdf
ETSI TS 102 366: Digital Audio Compression (AC-3, Enhanced AC-3) Standard, available from https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/102300_102399/102366/01.04.01_60/ts_102366v010401p.pdf
ISO/IEC 14496-12 Information technology - Coding of audio-visual objects - Part 12: ISO base media file format, available from https://www.iso.org/standard/83102.html
ISO/IEC 23091-3 Information technology - Coding-independent code points - Part 3: Audio, available from https://www.iso.org/standard/73413.html
ISO/IEC 23009-1 Information technology - Dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) - Part 1: Media presentation description and segment formats, available from https://www.iso.org/standard/83314.html
RFC 2046: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) Part Two: Media Types, available from https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2046

Enabling Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos in web applications

Getting Started

Hardware Setup

Verifying Capabilities

Dolby Audio MIME Types and Manifest Parsing

Identifying Dolby Audio MIME Types in MPEG-DASH and HLS

MPEG-DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP)

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)

MIME Type Assembly in Streaming Players

Querying Capabilities for Dolby Audio

MediaSource Extension: isTypeSupported()

MediaCapabilities: decodingInfo()

Querying Support for Dolby Atmos

Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos

Dolby AC-4 with Dolby Atmos

Defining Audio Presentation Priorities

Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos Playback

Web Players Supporting Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos

References

Don't see what you're looking for? Visit our Forums

Join our community on Discord

Learn more

Enabling Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos in web applications

Internal

Information

Getting Started

Hardware Setup

Verifying Capabilities

Dolby Audio MIME Types and Manifest Parsing

Identifying Dolby Audio MIME Types in MPEG-DASH and HLS

MPEG-DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP)

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)

MIME Type Assembly in Streaming Players

Querying Capabilities for Dolby Audio

MediaSource Extension: isTypeSupported()

MediaCapabilities: decodingInfo()

Querying Support for Dolby Atmos

Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos

Dolby AC-4 with Dolby Atmos

Defining Audio Presentation Priorities

Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos Playback

Web Players Supporting Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos

References

Don't see what you're looking for? Visit our Forums

Related Articles

Join our community on Discord

Learn more