Michael Romanowski is a six-time GRAMMY Award winner, eleven-time nominee, and one of the most respected mastering engineers working in music today. Based in Berkeley, California, he is the chief mastering engineer at Coast Mastering and a recognized pioneer in immersive audio mastering, with a career spanning more than three decades and over 4,000 albums.
Since designing his first surround studio in 2001 and adding height channels in 2015, Michael has been at the forefront of developing and refining immersive sound practices. His early work in Dolby Atmos, well before the official launch of Dolby Music, positioned him as a key figure in shaping how spatial audio is produced and experienced.
A career across music and film
His extensive list of credits includes mastering work for major names such as Alicia Keys, Earth, Wind & Fire, Prince, and Bonnie Raitt, as well as soundtracks for major films like Star Wars, Dune, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Among other accolades, he won a GRAMMY for his immersive mastering work on Justin Gray’s album IMMERSED.
In addition to his mastering work, Michael is a sought-after consultant and advisor for major technology companies including Dolby, Sony, Fraunhofer, and Google, helping to build and refine the creative tools that define today’s immersive production environments. He has shared his knowledge at AES, NAMM, SXSW, Tape Op, Potluck Con, AES Mexico, and AES Europe, and contributed to publications such as Mix Magazine and Electronic Musician.
Romanowski is a key figure in the American music industry and serves as a National Trustee for The Recording Academy (the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards), where he co-chairs the committee for immersive audio. He teaches and frequently gives presentations at international audio conferences such as AES, NAMM, and Sonic Days.
Listen to IMMERSED
Explore Justin Gray’s IMMERSED, featuring Michael Romanowski’s GRAMMY-winning immersive mastering.
A practical conversation with Michael and John
Michael Romanowski is a good friend and supporter of Sonic Days, and his approachable attitude toward the audience and the entire community is a great asset to the conference. This year, together with John Scanlon from Dolby Creator Lab, he will focus on a practical discussion regarding immersive mastering workflows, creative and technical considerations, and the realities of delivering Dolby Atmos releases across today’s music platforms and playback devices.
John is Senior Manager of Dolby Creator Lab Global Education, where he develops learning resources for educators, artists, and creative professionals. Together, they will explore what changes between stereo and Dolby Atmos mastering, how to prepare an Atmos mix for delivery to a mastering engineer, and common misconceptions in immersive music production. The session includes opening and discussing sessions, as well as listening to some of Michael’s favourite work.
Bring your questions and join the conversation.
Mastering Music for Dolby Atmos
Michael Romanowski · Coast Mastering
John Scanlon · Dolby Creator Lab
Thursday 19 November 2026 · 14:00–15:00 CET
Room 3.27 — Conference Room · Sonic College, Kolding
Explore the session and add it to your programme. Sonic Days is free to attend.