Podcasts are in vogue. In terms of content, there’s almost everything already, but what about the technical developments? That’s right: 3D audio<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/FB_1200x630-3-aimg.jpg","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"18724","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/Twitter_1024x512-4.jpg","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"6506","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[22,23,25],"class_list":["post-2828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-unkategorisiert","tag-news-en","tag-overview-en","tag-storytelling-en"],"acf":{"remove_from_blog_overview":false,"alternative_title":"","previewimg":18722,"text":"Increasingly popular in recent years, the podcast medium is part of everyday life for many in 2021. The podcasting and audio drama industry has seen significant growth, with a particular focus on the capabilities of 3D audio technologies and their applications in immersive storytelling. \r\n\r\nThe concept of an auditory information broadcast is anything but new \u2013 think radio broadcast. And now the 3D podcasting?\r\n\r\nThere\u2019s now a podcast on just about every topic, so there\u2019s no need to worry about the supply of content. Fortunately, there is now new momentum with 3D Spatial Audio technology. Even for podcasts!\r\n\r\nRecently [iHeartpodcast network](https:\/\/www.iheart.com\/podcast\/1119-iheart-3d-audio-77097007\/) creating a little hype with reports on [engadget.com](http:\/\/engadget.com), [gearnews.de](http:\/\/gearnews.de) and [theverge.com](http:\/\/theverge.com). They have expanded production capabilities and have dozens of projects planned for this year.\r\n\r\nWill 3D audio now reach podcasts, radio and audio drama? Right now the topic is creating a buzz again with the Sony Playstation 5, Apple Airpods Pro and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. So let\u2019s take a look at what binaural 3D sound means for platforms like Spotify, Soundcloud and others.\r\n\r\n### Update\r\n\r\n* 2021: [Merkelphone](https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/en\/portfolio\/merkelphone-3d-sound-story-audio-drama\/) is now online, a radio drama I produced entirely in 3D audio with head-tracking. Find out what happenes in the home of world\u2019s most powerful female\r\n\r\n* 2022:3D podcast does not guarantee immersion. How does one recognize a good podcasting\r\n\r\n* 2023: Dolby Atmos is now supported by Audible. Why it\u2019s not a good idea to mix audio plays with Dolby Atmos will follow shortly. Stay tuned for our upcoming episode where we will delve deeper into the intricacies of mixing audio plays with Dolby Atmos.\r\n\r\n[image id=\"16408\"]\r\n\r\n## What is 3D Audio Podcasting?\r\n\r\n3D audio podcasting is a revolutionary technology that allows listeners to experience immersive audio content in a three-dimensional space. Unlike traditional podcasting, which relies on stereo audio, 3D audio podcasting uses binaural recording and playback techniques to create a more realistic and engaging listening experience. \r\n\r\nThis technology allows listeners to pinpoint the source of sounds in 3D space, creating a more immersive and interactive experience.\r\n\r\nImagine listening to an episode where you can hear footsteps approaching from behind, or the rustle of leaves to your left, as if you were right there in the scene. This level of immersion is achieved through the use of specialized microphones that mimic the way human ears perceive sound, capturing audio from multiple directions. \r\n\r\nWhen played back through headphones, this creates a spatial audio effect that tricks the brain into thinking the sounds are coming from specific locations around you.\r\n\r\nFor listeners, this means a richer and more engaging experience, whether they are tuning into a gripping audio drama, an insightful interview, or an educational podcast. The ability to create a sense of presence and place within the audio content opens up new possibilities for storytelling and audience engagement.\r\n\r\n## Advantages of Spatial Sound for Podcasts\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s almost obvious that spatial audio is an asset to 3D podcasts: immersive audio content allows a new way for listeners to find themselves in the middle of the action, whether it\u2019s an interview, a story, or a radio play. As in many other areas, 3D audio offers more possibilities in terms of storytelling, immersion, and conception. \r\n\r\nTime for this cutting edge technology to be played on the big screen? Additionally, the use of various materials in 3D audio production can significantly impact the quality and realism of the immersive experience.\r\n\r\nSo much for the typical buzzwords of similar articles. But in this blog, we take it a step further. Time to analyze the true added value for 3D podcasts from a technical, creative, and market perspective.\r\n\r\n### Spatial narration and embodiment\r\n\r\nIn classical radio plays, the listener is usually only a silent observer of the stories. You passively follow the action and are provided with additional information by an additional narrator. But with 3D Audio you have much more the impression to embody a part of the scene. \r\n\r\nThe brain mentally creates a three-dimensional image of the scenery and thus understands where the protagonists are around you.\r\n\r\nWith head tracking even more, but more about that world at the end of this blog post.\r\n\r\n### Immersion with Headphones \u2013 what does that mean?\r\n\r\nThe fact that we can now arrange the sounds spatially makes it easier for the brain to process this information quickly. A so-called abstraction level falls away. In a podcast \u2013 which is classically produced in mono or stereo \u2013 we use headphones to localize the speaker: in our heads. \r\n\r\nBut this contradicts our natural listening habits. If we meet with our friends \u2013 after Corona \u2013 we don\u2019t hear their voices in our heads either, but listen and localize their talk in the room.\r\n\r\nThis makes immersive audio games more pleasant to listen to in the long run, to put it simply. Because the brain is not constantly busy abstracting where the voices are to be spatially classified. This science phenomenon is increasingly known as Zoom Fatigue. \r\n\r\nIf we have other voices in our heads all day, it is tiring. But if they are externalized, i.e. perceived outside our head, the problem seems to be solved. This immersive experience can also be leveraged in marketing to create more engaging and memorable campaigns.\r\n\r\n### Who has something to say to listeners here?\r\n\r\nThe use of a narrator\u2019s voice as a voice-over can still offer added value at certain points. My [Heat-Map Case Study](https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/en\/360-heatmap-spatial-vs-static-sound\/) has already shown that the combination of spatial soundtrack for protagonists and off-speakers in mono prevents confusion. \r\n\r\nThis is because it provides an innovative way for consumers to understand whether a person is part of the scene and thus is more spatially locatable. Or whether it is a narrator\u2019s voice depicting an in-head localization.\r\n\r\nFor instance, Julien Marcilly, the CEO of AddUp, has emphasized the importance of clear narration in enhancing the 3D audio experience.\r\n\r\n## 3D Audio Podcast Overview\r\n\r\nIn fact, iHeartpodcast network inc, one of the largest media companies in the U.S., has recognized the market potential of spatial audio as the future. The company recently announced that it is starting to invest in this new kind of 3D binaural audio for its listeners. \r\n\r\nBut other content productions are also increasingly jumping on this bandwagon \u2013 including yours truly for years:\r\n\r\nThe following list is not exhaustive and will probably grow in the future. But with my colleagues from HearOn I have an ear on it. Update: I wrote an entire article with [dozens of 3d podcasts right here](https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/en\/spatial-audio-podcast-story-ultimate-content-overview\/).\r\n\r\n[newsletteroptin text=\"Learn directly about new productions via my newsletter\"]\r\n\r\n## 3D Audio Podcast is not an immersion guarantee\r\n\r\nNow I really don\u2019t want to be the sound guy who always has to badmouth everything. But for me, it\u2019s really about making people aware of the industry standards and practices:\r\n\r\n> *If it says 3D audio on it, it doesn\u2019t mean that 3D audio is in it!*\r\n\r\nThere are multiple questions to be asked: What is immersion and what is good immersion or bad immersion? It is always difficult to measure. You really have to pay attention and the consumers unfortunately have few possibilities to really differentiate. The only thing that helps is to listen carefully to a 3d podcast talk!\r\n\r\n### How do you recognize good 3D audio?\r\n\r\nWhat you heard quite well in the WDR radio play is that the speakers played nicely, but for me, it doesn\u2019t quite fit the soundscape. It\u2019s as if the team recorded it in the studio \u2013 just like they did \u2013 and then added a 3D audio software effect afterward. \r\n\r\nThen they threw some reverb on top of it with virtual specializers that put the surround sound in the room. My complaint is that this is done so that the products can say \u201cit\u2019s a 3D audio radio play\u201d.\r\n\r\nOf course, I pay a lot more attention to that, but I don\u2019t find that software approach entirely believable. The actors just perform differently than if they were really in the screenplay. They can act or speak as well as they want. That\u2019s why I\u2019d be interested to hear what other listeners have to say about these stories.\r\n\r\nYou can listen to the demo \u2013 in German \u2013 at [Metaverse Podcast Episode 23 by Thomas Riedler](https:\/\/metaverse-podcast.de\/e023-spatial-sound-im-metaverse\/).\r\n\r\n### 3D Audio Storytelling\r\n\r\nYou have to be brave and go out of the studio sometimes that\u2019s what makes it special. I have special technology and redundancy procedures for that ways. The whole concept has to tell itself in 3D audio as well. Otherwise, it just sounds as if you\u2019ve moved 3D audio objects around quite randomly in post-production. \r\n\r\nIf the storytelling would also work in stereo, it\u2019s better to do the project in stereo. [Here](https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/en\/immersive-storytelling-3d-spatial-audio\/) I\u2019ve covered immersive storytelling with binaural audio, in detail.\r\n\r\nEffective 3D audio storytelling can also enhance marketing efforts by creating more immersive and engaging content.\r\n\r\nThis knowledge is super important when it comes to setting virtual worlds to music.\r\n\r\n* How realistic do you want them to sound?\r\n\r\n* How believable do I want them to be?\r\n\r\n* And most importantly, how can I support the story with 3D audio technology?\r\n\r\nMy approach does not only convince audio engineers, but even for normal people the difference is serious, as Thomas Riedler describes:\r\n\r\n> *\u201cI also want to emphasize that again. The difference between these two examples was very clear: You use exclusive spatial audio technology and concepts. That\u2019s why the world we just heard in this Traktor example sounds totally real. As if I were really in it. In this WDR radio play, you were somehow also there and felt emotionally moved somehow. But you notice that it seems so inserted into the room, that it doesn\u2019t seem connected. Once you realize these differences in the video you just showed, it\u2019s really striking!\u201d*\r\n\r\n[image id=\"16410\"]\r\n\r\n## But beware: It\u2019s not that simple\r\n\r\nThose podcasts that already work with 3D audio do so mostly on the basis of binaural audio. This works well and is definitely better than normal stereo or even mono. But this is where most rookies fall right into the first trap without pushing the needle forward.\r\n\r\nFor example, Oluseun Taiwo, the CEO of Solideon, has highlighted the importance of understanding these complexities for successful 3D audio projects.\r\n\r\n### Curse and blessing with stereo\r\n\r\nThe playback platforms such as Podigee, Chimpify and Stitcher usually do not support more than two audio channels. But you must not make the mistake of thinking the 3d podcast production is stereo. This format can only be played back on headphones and is not suitable for loudspeakers for listeners. \r\n\r\nThis unnecessarily restricts the target group and overlooks the future market opportunities of smart speakers, soundbars, and [automotive](https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/en\/automotive-audio-3d\/) car hi-fi.\r\n\r\nIn addition, there is no possibility of later personalization. The algorithms that generate the three-dimensional surround sound for the human ears (keyword [HRTF](https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/en\/personalized-spatial-audio-hrtf\/)) are generic. \r\n\r\nThat is, the calculation is based on the mathematical average of our head size and ear shape. In the future, our individual parameters will be taken into account during playback. As is already the case today with the Sony WH-1000XM4, for example.\r\n\r\n### This is how professional 3D audio production works in the industry\r\n\r\nThe challenges mentioned above can be overcome with the right partner and adherence to industry standards. In addition, there is science for the next wow effect with [Next Generation Audio](https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/en\/next-generation-audio\/). \r\n\r\nIn the meantime, Apple or Samsung, for example, offer the head-tracking enabled headphones already mentioned. But what is the added value?\r\n\r\nIn combination with audio content that is produced on an object basis, listeners even have the experience of moving around the sound scene. So the whole spatial sound sphere is adapting to the head movement just like in real life. This takes the audio experience to the next level and is creating an absolutely unique selling point, also for podcasts.\r\n\r\nAnd if we are already naming loud buzzwords here anyway. This is sustainable knowledge. In fact, at the team VRTonung, we can ensure that productions are future-proofed to serve other media with the advent of soundbars and smart speakers. \r\n\r\nWe can find out how this can be implemented for your next project during a free consultation together. Looking forward to it.\r\n\r\n[Find out how 3D Podcast works now](https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/en\/contact\/)\r\n\r\n## The Future of Immersive Audio in Podcasting\r\n\r\nThe future of immersive audio in podcasting is exciting and rapidly evolving. With the rise of 3D audio technology, podcasters are now able to create more engaging and interactive content that transports listeners to new and imaginative worlds. \r\n\r\nAs the technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of 3D audio in podcasting, from immersive storytelling to interactive educational content.\r\n\r\nCompanies like iHeart and Apple are already investing in this technology, recognizing its potential to revolutionize the podcasting industry. With their support, we can anticipate a surge in high-quality 3D audio podcasts that push the boundaries of what is possible in audio storytelling. \r\n\r\nImagine episodes where listeners can explore different scenes by simply turning their heads, or interactive episodes where the story changes based on the listener\u2019s choices.\r\n\r\nThe future of 3D audio podcasting looks bright, with endless possibilities for creative expression and audience engagement. As more podcasters adopt this technology, listeners can expect to hear even more amazing stories and experiences in the years to come. \r\n\r\nWhether you\u2019re a fan of thrilling audio dramas, in-depth interviews, or educational content, the future of podcasting promises to be more immersive and captivating than ever before.\r\n\r\n[ytvideo id=\"4Kudnf5R-fg\"]\r\n\r\n###Let's talk about your project\r\n\r\nWant to use 3D audio in a real project, not just understand it in theory?\r\n\r\n[Get in touch \u2192](https:\/\/www.vrtonung.de\/en\/contact\/)\r\n","related_articles":[5807,7265,2971,2652]},"yoast_head":"\n