MPEG-H Audio: The future of 3D audio entertainment
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The audio world is rapidly evolving, and in the midst of this evolution, MPEG-H sound is the keyword you shouldn’t lose sight of. This blog post will guide you through the world of this audio system and why it represents the future of 3D audio entertainment.
What is MPEG-H 3D Audio?
First, let’s clarify what exactly MPEG-H Audio is.
This innovative audio standard is based on the MPEG-H 3D Audio standard from ISO/IEC MPEG. “MPEG” stands for the Moving Picture Experts Group, a subgroup of the globally recognized standardization organization ISO. It is responsible for an impressive list of media standards, including well-known formats such as MP3, MPEG-4 and AVC/H.264.
You may know H.265 as high efficiency video coding.
MPEG-H Audio gives sound enthusiasts access to first-class 3D sound and a wide range of advanced features. The ISO standard ensures that audio technologies are developed at an international level to prevent fragmentation of technologies and developments, enriching future listening experiences on both speakers and even headphones.
MPEG-H 3D Audio naturally includes 3D sound and also a special function, namely audio objects.
Immersive sound: more creative room than stereo
It goes far beyond the conventional stereo experience. In this exciting world of 3D audio, a variety of codecs, formats, technologies and software solutions are available to enable artists, sound engineers and audio enthusiasts to experience sound in a whole new dimension. This solution makes nuanced creative and artistic intent possible.
But the 3D audio revolution is not limited to the technical side. It also opens up new creative territory, with a wide range of design possibilities and enhanced playback systems. Sound engineers can now place sound objects precisely in space to create an immersive listening experience.
MPEG-H Audio and Next Generation Audio (NGA): The future of audio objects
If you’re wondering how MPEG-H Audio fits into the exciting world of Next Generation Audio (NGA), you’ll be pleased to learn that it plays a central role. The basis of 3D audio playback formats such as MPEG-H Audio and “Dolby Atmos” play and have the leading position in the NGA movement. But before we dive deeper, let’s clarify what NGA actually means.
The world of audio objects
Next Generation Audio opens up a whole new dimension of audio content. It enables unrivaled flexibility in the production and distribution of such content. A key aspect of NGA is the ability to create, transmit and play audio content in different ways.
You can opt for traditional audio channels (e.g. stereo, 5.1 surround), use scene-based approaches (e.g. ambisonics) or opt for object-based audio (objects). Object-based audio involves individual sound elements that can be arranged horizontally and vertically, with position-related metadata playing an important role in audio descriptions.
During playback, these audio objects can be flexibly adapted to the respective playback system.
There are therefore a number of speaker and audio presets used during rendering, which are used during speaker setup based on the audio metadata. We will come to the various features such as commentaries and program dialogues later. However, you will look in vain for these in 4K YouTube videos. But what are the details for the sound?
MPEG-H 3D in television
What makes MPEG-H Audio really fascinating is its broad integration into various television standards around the world.
Examples: South Korean TV and Brazilian TV
In particular, ATSC, DVB, TTA (Korean television) and SBTVD (Brazilian television) are three standards that should be mentioned.
But it is not only in South Korea that MPEG-H Audio has gained a foothold. In Brazil, this audio standard has already made a lasting impression. Here, it has revolutionized terrestrial HD TV services by bringing personalized and immersive sound directly into viewers’ homes and living rooms.
A significant milestone in Brazil was the first broadcast of TV programs with MPEG-H Audio via ISDB-Tb in September 2019. MPEG-H Audio has been used in regular broadcasts in Brazil since November 2021.
MPEG-H audio standard in streaming
The MPEG-H standard was developed not only to enhance the audio experience in traditional radio and television broadcasts, but also with a clear focus on integration into streaming applications. This focus on streaming has paved the way for groundbreaking developments in the field of digital audio entertainment to transmit immersive sound.
The best-known example of an MPEG-H Audio implementation is Sony’s “360 Reality Audio” music format. It is based on MPEG-H.
360 Reality Audio offers listeners an immersive surround sound experience, giving them the feeling of being surrounded by the music. It enables a precise arrangement of audio objects in space, resulting in an intense and dynamic listening experience.
The future of MPEG-H Audio
MPEG-H Audio is not only a current standard, but also the future of audio enjoyment. It is the only mandatory audio system of Brazil’s TV 3.0 standard, marketed there as DTV+ — and that case is no longer an announcement: President Lula established DTV+ as the country’s future television format by decree on 27 August 2025, Globo launched Brazil’s first DTV+ pilot station in Rio de Janeiro in April 2025, and in June 2026 DTV+ moved into commercial operation, deliberately timed for the Soccer World Championship. Globo has since been transmitting 24/7 in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasília, with further regions to follow. The DTV+ standard also mandates that every receiver support MPEG-H Audio over HDMI; first devices from Aquário, Intelbras and Vivensis are in Brazilian retail. MPEG-H is therefore running terrestrially at scale for the first time — in front of the largest sports audience there is. It will also be introduced in a new transmission standard in China.
What makes MPEG-H Audio special is its NGA features. It supports immersive audio, including channel-based, object-based and scene-based transmission and combinations thereof. It also enables interactivity and personalization of sound sources and ensures that produced audiomix content can be delivered flexibly and universally.
MPEG-H Audio: FAQ
MPEG-H: The technology for all end devices
MPEG-H Audio is characterized by its remarkable compatibility with a wide range of devices. Whether on a smartphone, home theater or other device, MPEG-H Audio offers a rich and spatial sound that takes the listening experience to a new level. Additionally, it supports open production formats and enables more personalized audio listening experiences through interactivity.
Audio description is something else.
The audio revolution: 3D sound and music streaming
MPEG-H is an open audio standard through which audio data can be transmitted in high quality. Perfect for use with any speakers or a soundbar with any speaker configuration.
Comparison with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Plus (DD+)
It is important to understand the similarities and differences between formats such as MPEG-H Audio and other audio formats such as Dolby Atmos. Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) is an example of an internet-enabled audio format.
The comparison shows where the strengths of MPEG-H Audio lie.
Standardization and testing
MPEG-H Audio has been standardized in various countries and regions. To ensure that the quality and performance of MPEG-H Audio are at the highest level, extensive testing is carried out.
MHAPi — producing MPEG-H 3D Audio
The MPEG-H Authoring Suite (MAS) 5.0
An outstanding feature of the MPEG-H Audio System from Fraunhofer IIS is its unique personalization function with the Author Tool. It allows the creation of fully customizable dialog separation, individual and customizable audio description, support for multiple languages and even the interactive positioning of objects dialog bitstream tracks.
All independent of the subsequent speaker configurations of the devices at the end of the chain. This allows users to customize their experience according to their individual preferences and requirements.
Version MAS 5.0 of the MPEG-H Authoring Suite simplifies and accelerates the production of MPEG-H masters. It now covers the entire production, delivery and playback chain of the MPEG-H Audio System and includes an updated version of the MPEG-H Info Tool, the MPEG-H Encoding, Decoder and Muxing Tool and the brand new MPEG-H VVPlayer.
The New Tools
Three new additions to the existing tool collection ensure that you can now analyze and playback MPEG-H audio content:
- MPEG-H VVPlayer (MHVP): play the encoded MPEG-H mp4 files with or without video.
- MPEG-H Encoding and Muxing Tool (MHEX): Encode your MPEG-H master file and optionally combine it with a pre-encoded video stream.
- MPEG-H Info Tool (MHIT): Analyze an MPEG-H master file to get an overview of all file-related and metadata-related information.
The essentials
The complete set contains all the necessary tools and components to create MPEG-H audio content. Use the authoring options to add metadata to your audio files and convert various file formats to MPEG-H Audio.
- MPEG-H Authoring Plug-in (MHAPi): Create object or channel-based MPEG-H Audio productions.
- MPEG-H Authoring Tool (MHAT): Create MPEG-H metadata for existing audio material without the need for a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
- MPEG-H Conversion Tool (MCO): Convert MPEG-H compatible content masters between different file formats.
- MPEG-H Production Format Player (MPF): Check the quality of files containing video and associated MPF audio as well as BWF/ADM files.
Here are the links to the download: https://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/en/ff/amm/dl/software/mas.html and the support for Pro Tools: https://www.avid.com/de/resource-center/mpeg-h-audio