Sony identifies 8 key trends for today's audio broadcast

James Leach, Head of Pro Audio at Sony Europe, brings together 8 key trends that explain the present of the broadcast industry when it comes to producing, delivering and consuming audio content.

Sony, a company that has been offering solutions for professional audio for more than 70 years, has analyzed the current situation of the sound ecosystem of the broadcast field in order to extract 8 principles born from the transformation that the industry has undertaken in recent years. For the company, these pillars have been redefined by the drive of digital technology, the growing popularity of streaming and the demand for a higher audio quality.

Leach identifies as the first element of his article digital audio as standard, a transition that has facilitated the development of new formats and standards for the broadcasting industry, such as DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) and DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale), which offer superior audio quality and more robust signal transmission. The list continues with the immersive audio formats, increasingly used by the industry to differentiate its content; the AI and machine learning, capable of identifying and isolating noise, improving voice quality and even generating background music that matches the tone of the content; the cloud audio production, which enable offshore collaboration and facilitate the management and distribution of content, and advanced microphone and recording technologies, with beamforming microphones or spatial audio mixing as great novelties.

Leach also includes three other keys in his list that have a lot to do with public preferences, his new consumption model and values: streaming and audio on demand, a phenomenon that has allowed new quality and audio standards to be established and has led to the development of new audio codecs and compression algorithms; sustainable and analog audio technologies, which include the use of low-power transmitters or energy-efficient audio processors, and finally, interactivity and user participation, a renewed approach that brings with it personalized audio streams, interactive voice responses and augmented reality audio.

"Trends in broadcast audio technology are driving significant changes in the sector, improving the quality, accessibility and interactivity of audio, along with video content. As digital technology continues to evolve, broadcasters must adapt to these trends to remain competitive and meet the changing demands of their audiences. The future of sound broadcasting promises to be more immersive, personalized and sustainable, offering exciting possibilities for both content creators and consumers," he concludes. Leach.