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Immersive audio is a multi-dimensional approach to creating soundscapes that envelop listeners with a life-like experience where sound is perceived as coming from all around. For example, if a scene features a helicopter flying overhead, the listener will hear the sound moving from behind, passing above, and continuing to the front.

Now, imagine the same sound effect without visuals. It’ll take you to another world—the world of imagination. Technologies like spatial audio, binaural sound, and surround sound systems are used heavily nowadays to craft three-dimensional auditory environments that ensure a more real-life-like experience. The sense of realism, in turn, creates an unparalleled level of engagement.

Truth is, immersive audio has changed the entertainment industry—from movies to television shows, online streaming, audio-only music, and non-music platforms. Today, every whisper, explosion or musical note feels like real life. Such soundscapes simply envelop the audience, and make the viewing (and listening) experience more intense, turning them into active participants who are emotionally involved with the story.

From theatres to homes

Immersive audio is not restricted to movie theatres anymore. Headphones, today, are mostly designed for immersive audio experience.

Through interaural time difference (ITD) technology, headphones send sound to one ear slightly earlier than the other if the sound source is closer to one side of the head. With the intensity level difference (ILD), an acoustic shadow is created to make sound less loud in one ear than the other which is supposedly far away from the sound source. Besides, the shape of the ear affects how sound is received above 1,000 Hz which helps our brain to determine direction and distance.

Why should brands use immersive audio?

Immersive audio can enhance engagement for any brand if it is used properly for communications and commercials. Sound evokes emotions, making us recall memories which, in turn, could potentially influence behaviour by impacting the emotional state.

Emotional experiences always leave a lasting impact, which is more likely to be retained by our brains. Naturally, commercials and branded content, backed by immersive audio, are a no-brainer for brands to create a bond with their consumers.

Immersive audio is becoming a must-use technology for companies not just in the entertainment industry but across automobiles, education, healthcare, gaming, retail and other consumer-facing industries simply because it creates more engaging, interactive and personalised content.

• Richer narrative, better engagement: Brands in the travel industry always show exotic places in their commercials to get eyeballs. Now, imagine the same commercial with the sounds of gentle waves, the chirping of birds and babbles of a stream. The second advertisement gives a sensory preview where the audience is an active participant. That’s simply better engagement which leads to better brand recall and loyalty.

• Experiential marketing: The use of immersive audio helps brands go for experiential marketing. By using immersive audio soundscapes, a sports brand can simulate the atmosphere of a stadium. An automobile brand can easily create a real-life-like atmosphere where a potential customer can experience a drive with the sound of the engine, and ambient noises, for a virtual test drive. The result, undoubtedly, would be rewarding for any brand.

• Demonstration and tutorials: Immersive audio makes product demonstrations and how-to guides more engaging. A speaker brand can only be understood better with a demonstration that gives a sense of every feature. That’s only possible with immersive audio.

• Emotional connection: Brands in wellness and elder care need to connect with their customers emotionally and ensure a feel-good actor. That’s only possible with the simulation of life-like narratives backed by immersive soundscapes. This also helps such brands build longer-term relationships with their customers with emotional connections.

Engagement on-the-go

One of the things that has emerged lately is non-music on-the-go entertainment, which is primarily dominated by audio series, or episodic audio drama. Here, the role of immersive audio is undeniable.

Audio series are like television series or web series minus the visuals. Immersive audio creates life-like atmospheres that take the listeners into a world of imagination where they craft the characters and scenes as per their creative psyche. Without immersive audio, this would fall flat.

It’s just the start

To be sure, the true potential of immersive audio is still unfolding. The auditory experiences created with immersive audio will get sophisticated with time as technology advances and evolves.

At the same time, consumer expectations will grow for more engaging, interactive and personalised content. Naturally, digital storytelling will have to go through more transformation to meet consumer expectations.

Immersive audio will be the key differentiating factor for brands to create a competitive edge.

(Suyog Gothi is Head of India Business at Pocket FM.)