Most contemporary immersive audio production workflows are centered on discrete channel-based loudspeaker formats such as 7.1.4. These formats are rarely experienced by most consumers and listeners, particularly in music playback. In practice, spatial audio is predominantly delivered via binaural reproduction. Beyond headphones, head-tracked loudspeaker array systems now enable convincing binaural reproduction in a practical, listener-centric manner, unlocking spatial audio over loudspeakers for ordinary listeners. This positions binaural reproduction not as a secondary translation, but as the core delivery format for immersive audio consumption.
Creating primarily for fixed speaker layouts can impose creative and technical constraints often resulting in restrained spatial design when content is later rendered binaurally. This workshop advocates a binaural-centric approach to spatial audio creation, treating binaural as the main deliverable, while preserving compatibility with discrete channel-based systems. Through discussion and practical examples, we will explore how designing with binaural in mind enables more expressive, perceptually robust, and immersive experiences across both headphone and loudspeaker-based binaural playback, without relying on traditional 7.1.4-centric production models.
