Following the announcement of a new pair of speakers compatible with 360 Reality Audio, Sony is further investing in its intriguing sound technology by expanding the 360 Reality Audio Ecosystem with video streaming capabilities and content creation tools. Previously, 360 Reality Audio faced some obstacles in the way of becoming widely adopted, such as a lack of devices that support it and a scarcity of compatible content. With everything Sony is putting in place around it, though, that may be about to change.
Sony's 360 Reality Audio was unveiled in 2019 as a technology designed to let artists and creators produce music that places instruments in a spherical space. The result for listeners, according to Sony, is an experience that rivals live concerts or recording sessions in music studios. Currently, about 4,000 songs are available to listen to using Sony's 360 Reality Audio technology, and the innovations Sony is ushering in may help those numbers grow in the near future.
Sony has revealed live performance video content utilizing 360 Reality Audio sound through the Artist Connection app, with a performance by Zara Larsson kicking off the service. The company also introduced the 360 Reality Audio Creative Suite, content creation software that Sony says will make it easy for artists to create 360 Reality Audio. Finally, Sony said it will license headphones personalization technology as well as smartphone and automotive vehicle tech to allow other companies to create devices that are compatible with 360 Reality Audio.
Is Sony's 360 Reality Audio Legit?
Before now, 360 Reality Audio was essentially handcuffed by its extremely limited availability. The only speaker compatible with the technology was the Amazon Echo Studio and Tidal one of the few streaming services that offered compatible music. In other words, there wasn't much of an opportunity for mainstream users to actually experience 360 Reality Audio unless they had a specific collection of devices and services.
With the expansion of an ecosystem built directly around 360 Reality Audio, though, that is sure to change. Sony's new wireless speakers have the potential to be Sonos competitors thanks to their stellar features and specifications on paper. And by giving musicians the tools needed to actually create music that utilizes 360 Reality Audio, there will likely be a significant bump in compatible songs. It may take time, but Sony seems committed to making this new tech work.
The jury is still out, though, on whether it actually will work. It's going to take adoption of the technology on a much larger scale — not to mention positive reviews of the tech itself — to solidify 360 Reality Audio as a major force in the music industry. There's a chance that this is exactly what will happen, though there's no telling what the timetable may be. As of now, it's just too early to say for certain if 360 Reality Audio is here to stay.
Source: Sony