Audio Collaborative 2020 - The Next Decade of Audio Technology

Focusing on the positives during what has certainly been a challenging time to date, Audio Collaborative will offer a range of thought-provoking panels and presentations discussing the future of audio, outlining the many opportunities in this space.

Taking place 14:00 – 18:00 GMT on the 4th and 5th November, the two-day exclusive event will promise to share industry insights and provide the opportunity to engage with global brands, all of which has been made possible with the support of Futuresource’s many sponsors, including Title Sponsor Qualcomm, as well as Audinate, Sonarworks, Xperi, DSP Concepts, Flexound, Cambridge Audio and USound.

One of the panel sessions we look forward to hearing from is titled “The Next Decade of Audio Technology,” presented by Futuresource Consulting’s Principal Technology Analyst Simon Forrest. Panellists include Dave Berol - Senior Solution Audio Engineer at Amazon, Andreas Ehret - Director of Technology Marketing at Dolby, Mervi Heinaro – CEO at Flexound, Stefan Meltzer – Chief Business Development Manager at Fraunhofer and Adam Levenson – Senior Director of Business Development at Waves Audio.

The panel will primarily focus on audio production, machine learning and AI, voice interfaces and audio product development. See below a breakdown of key questions to be explored:

Audio Production and Reproduction

• How are spatial/immersive audio formats developing to integrate with sensor technologies?
• Can we mix immersive audio in real-time on end devices to suit a live and dynamic playback environment? What innovation is required to achieve this?
• If we consider the example of an AR headset, might we introduce locally-created “objects” into the soundscape? How does this alter the balance between studio production and live on-device? And are existing immersive audio formats capable of handling this?
• What additional applications or market opportunities will the next generation of immersive/spatial audio enable in the next five years?
• How is the industry developing the tactile elements of audio/visual experiences and what benefits does this bring?
• How must audio production and playback techniques develop to accommodate tactility? Are additional tools, storage and transmission schemes required?
• Are there advantages in decoupling the physical sensations from the audio experience? Would new codecs and/or compression schemes be necessary to achieve this?
• In the same sense as Active Noise Cancellation, might the same techniques be applied to vibration?

Machine Learning and AI

• What enhancements will machine learning bring to the audio industry in future?
• What applications and/or features of audio products would be impossible without machine learning (or AI)?
• Are there any new market opportunities explicitly enabled by AI?
• How do you see the balance changing between edge and cloud for machine learning in audio? And what impact does this have on the capabilities and features of audio products?

Voice Interfaces

• What challenges must be solved to improve the utility of voice interfaces? Which of these are the most important?
• How should the industry move from the “command and control” interface towards more conversational assistants?
• Could we achieve “voice-first” interfaces in the next few years? What barriers must be overcome, and how does the audio industry intersect?
• Should we move towards intelligent interjection, where the voice assistant initiates a conversation?

Audio Product Development

• Power consumption is always a concern with products such as Bluetooth speakers, true wireless and hearable products. What advancements in audio technology will happen during the decade that will enhance longevity?
• Might there be a time where batteries can be eliminated in audio products and energy harvesting provides a solution? What developments are necessary to enable this? Is a hybrid approach more likely?
• Are there opportunities for standalone hearables, independent from an attached smartphone? What advantages does this bring?

Future developments in the market; creating opportunity through new technologies

• What innovations will come to fruition – and perhaps even be considered commonplace - within the next decade?
• Are there any new markets for audio that will be unlocked this decade through advancement of techniques and technologies?
• What might products and consumers be doing with audio in 2030? How will the landscape have changed? Will the overall experience be markedly different to today?

Need to revisit the topics covered, or happened to miss any of the sessions on either day? As part of your ticket, all presentations and panels will become available as on demand content shortly after the event.

If you’re interested in attending, please visit the events page to register your virtual space.

About the author

Kayley Bright

Kayley Bright is the Associate Director of Marketing for Futuresource Consulting, leading Futuresource’s inhouse marketing team. Kayley begun her career in marketing ten years ago following the completion of her English Literature degree at Loughborough University. Since then, her keen interest in content creation, combined with a love for art, led her to pursue a career in marketing to support with creative brand building and business growth. In her spare time Kayley is a pencil portrait artist, who is currently working on transferring her skillset to the world of digital art!