AES Europe 2026

Immersive music is at a critical point in its development.
While production tools, workflows, and distribution models have begun to stabilise, the market remains fragile, and long-term adoption is far from guaranteed.

New immersive audio formats are now entering a field where creators, labels, and platforms have only recently started to commit resources and build confidence. This raises a fundamental question: does the introduction of additional formats strengthen immersive music, or does it increase uncertainty at a time when the market can least afford it?

This panel-based workshop focuses on immersive audio formats for music and explores whether current challenges are best addressed through new formats, or through innovation and improvement within existing ones.

Topics for discussion include:
- What are the most pressing problems facing immersive music today?
- Do emerging formats solve these problems, or risk fragmenting production, distribution, and listening experiences?
- How does format uncertainty affect investment, release strategies, and creative willingness, especially in smaller markets?
- What are the potential consequences if industry stakeholders decide that immersive music is too complex or too risky to prioritise?
- How do issues such as translation between loudspeaker-based and headphone listening fit into this broader picture?

The session is designed as an open, moderated discussion with panelists from production, research, mastering, education, and technology development.