3 Ways Spatial Audio Can Transform The Future Of Digital Health – Forbes

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This article is Part 2 of a 3 Part Series on Spatial Audio and Wellbeing. 
In the first article, Spatial Audio Trend Sparks New Opportunities in Digital Health, we explored some of the history, nomenclature, and prior trends behind the world of spatial audio. 
In this article, 3 Ways Spatial Audio Can Transform The Future of Digital Health, we take a deeper dive into the potential health and wellness implications of spatial audio. We also look at some of the latest research, reasons behind the trends, and the potential impact on future audio content and products.

In 2021, Apple launched a shining star into the vast night sky of spatial audio by partnering with Dolby to create enhanced versions of their latest software, hardware and content releases. They also became the first company to hit a $3 trillion valuation. 
Since then, a number of ventures—large and small—have stepped into that spotlight, connecting the dots between new opportunities in technology and previously fragmented clusters of knowledge and research. While spatial audio is far from a new concept for longstanding industry giants and Apple competitors like Sony or Microsoft, the emerging market offers businesses and consumers a new lens through which they can see and start to experience the Amplified Future.
Sony 360 Reality Audio presentation
As we fly past CES and into the further reaches of 2022, other hardware enterprises like Amazon, Verizon, Motorola and Google GOOG are flying under their own spatial audio flags (and terminology). Despite Sony’s excellent products and all their experience gained from building high-end immersive game platforms, Apple managed to take centerstage in 2021. More significant for the future innovation is the ripple effect. The current trend is opening the doors to a vast array of new ventures, as well as other small companies who have been working in the space for years. 
Experienced but lesser-known contributors developing spatial audio solutions for commercial use include the immersive audio design lab HEAR360, B-to-B spatial audio specialists VisiSonics and Second-Lifer Phillip Rosedale’s virtual experience venture High Fidelity. Each offer interested businesses— from transportation to communications to consumer content—an array of hardware and software solutions to integrate and benefit from spatial audio. 
Will spatial audio, however, spark the same level of awe in our listening experience as seeing a shooting star? 
Will it help us see new constellations in an otherwise disconnected collection dots and untapped possibilities? 
Will the new evolution of spatial vastly improve our relationship between the digital and natural worlds in ways that go beyond novelty and improved entertainment experiences?
According to a 2019 peer-reviewed music and science research study for SEMPRE (Society for Education, Music, and Psychology Research) by David Greenberg and associates, the development of spatialized audio helps us more accurately recreate the nature of real-world listening. 
Spatialized audio is a more immersive and dimensional approach that mimics the way people hear music and sound in real life. And scientific studies like these are demonstrating that this new evolution of spatial audio could be good for consumer wellbeing as well.
Immersive and dimensional audio
The growing consumer desire to have enhanced natural listening experiences, as well as the need for better mental health and wellness solutions, has fueled new developments and research for spatial audio. 
Beyond a boost to the bottom lines of the audio content producers and hardware manufacturers, however, how will this new constellation of aspiring spatial audio stars lead to healthier products and experiences? 
Let’s take a look. 
For starters, the spatial audio spotlight has brought the market’s attention back to the importance of higher resolution audio and improved personal listening experiences. 
Acoustic technology expert Chris Vernon summed it up like this: “We are rediscovering what people have always known; just how important the quality of music and sound is. We have long known the benefits of sound and music, on emotional, cognitive, and physiological levels. Now we can measure that impact, as well as see the detrimental effects of poor-quality sound. The extra processing required for the human brain to ‘decode’ badly processed audio causes measurable stress, anxiety, and decreases cognitive and physical performances all-round.”
Zoom fatigue
Among other features, high-resolution audio has a higher sampling frequency, more dynamics, and a greater bit depth than conventional low-resolution audio, such as standard MP3 formats. That higher sampling frequency allows for the transmission of sound above 20 kHz (beyond the audible range of the human ear), which is cut off in the reproduction of low-resolution audio. 
According to a 2017 Japanese study published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology, the EEG measurement of alpha-band frequencies in the brain is greater when those inaudible high-frequency signals are retained. Higher level alpha states are often associated with the promotion of greater wellbeing. The study shows that high-resolution audio containing those inaudible high-frequency components has an advantage over similar sounding digital sources in which they are artificially cut off. The findings suggest that high-resolution audio induces a more relaxed state of attention, even without conscious awareness.
360 Sony Immersive Audio
Other studies have validated that listening to low-res and compressed audio—especially over long periods of time—creates an underlying level of stress on the brain and nervous system. Even when you chose to recalibrate by listening to relaxing music, guided meditations or other more therapeutic content, doing so through low-res, compressed, and 2D audio sources could be somewhat counterproductive.  
Without spatial audio in the mix, there has already been ample research over the past decade supporting the benefits of higher resolution audio and more dimensional listening experiences on the brain. This has been confirmed in a number of settings, be it when listening to music, moving about in a virtual metaverse, or having a group conference call or Zoom meeting.
Amazon, Apple Or Spotify: The Musical Race To Dominate Digital Wellness
Spotify, Apple and Amazon Music AMZN —the Big 3 Music DSPs (Digital Service Providers)—have already started offering millions of higher resolution recordings to their subscribers under variety of headings: HD Audio, Ultra HD Audio, HiFi, Lossless Audio and others. Vinyl sales continue to rise for audiophiles who want to avoid the issues of low-fi digitalization altogether. Nanotechnology, along with other advancements in design science and acoustic engineering, are allowing hardware manufacturers to reproduce better and more full-range audio through smaller products, like earbuds and multi-purpose hearables that sit comfortably inside our ears. 
In addition to direct benefits and enhanced listening experiences made possible by spatial audio, the current spotlight sparked by Apple’s move, combined with the revelation of potential health benefits and the flood of investments in the space, are helping catalyze a multi-industry movement toward higher resolution audio, which could ultimately result in greater wellbeing for the consumer. 

Could spatial audio itself be part of the solution, helping us combine a richer listening experience with a reduction of audio-based stressors on the human brain? 
Does listening in spatial audio versus listening in mono or stereo have any direct measurable benefit to the wellbeing and performance of the listener?
From an oversimplified technical point of view: current spatial audio (3D) technology is our attempt to recreate—from stereo (2D) recordings or synthesized sound—a more fully dimensional listening experience that is natural to the development of how we experience music and sound in the real world. 
Apple Spatial Audio Feature with Apple AirPod
As with higher resolution audio, “spatial sound” formats bring us one step closer to filling in those gaps of missing information in digital audio reproduction that our brain would otherwise have to work overtime to resolve. With spatial, however, it is a different kind of information that the brain is looking for? Our brain struggles to make up for the information that’s lost when we cut the multi-dimensionality of our real-world soundscapes, including voice and music, to digitally reproduce them in mono or stereo.
In a 2017 research report from Vanderbilt University Medical School and published in the peer-review journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Christopher Stecker, Ph.D. states, “It’s not just localizing sounds; it’s really knowing where we are…understanding the mechanisms of that will help us to understand what happens when auditory spatial awareness goes wrong and how to assess it and maximize it.”
The researchers suggest that brain-based measurements of the spatial perception of sound could help people suffering from hearing loss and improve signal processing in hearing aids and cochlear implants. Anne Marie Tharpe, Ph.D., chair of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt, confirmed that these findings could be critical for the optimization of hearing technologies used by those with auditory disorders.
Music background. 3D render.
Other emerging research is providing evidence that spatial audio applications can be effective for short-term stress reduction and even have the potential to supplement clinical music interventions. Spatial audio is one solution to help fill in those missing gaps in the 2D digital reproduction of music or voice that leave our brains a bit less satisfied, if not stressed, tired and confused.
Addressing issues of low-resolution audio and spatial disorientation in video conferencing, Immersitech CEO Jim Poore says, “Spatial audio gives users the proximity orientation where your brain kind of knows that you hear it from the right, left, or centre. It’s such a simple thing, but when everything is monotonous your brain has to deconstruct the different streams coming in from all the different people. That makes your brain work considerably harder and that’s one of the main reasons why you see a lot of the stuff on Zoom fatigue.”
SSI Sphere Project
A 2021 white paper from Spatial Sound Institute (SSI) founder Paul Oomen and his team at The Works Research Institute in Amsterdam offers a deeper dive into The Effects of Spatial Sound on Human Wellbeing. According to the study, emerging research into spatial sound as a medium, in conjunction with recent technical developments in spatial sound processing and acoustic holography, are providing new insights into the principles of sound and how to apply those principles to well-being.
The authors state that spatial projection of sound could offer a way to help restore and maintain balance in cell organisms, implying potential applications for treatment and prevention of conditions associated with disease and trauma. Other studies cited within the article suggest that spatial coherence of sound waves may improve homeostasis in the human body, leading to improvement of the physiological and psychological state of the listener.
Sony Headphones
A 2021 abstract cited in the SSI research and authored by Professor Rona Geffen proposes new and noninvasive methods using Geometric Sound (a subset of Spatial Sound) for the treatment of both physical and psychological illnesses, with an emphasis on stress-related conditions and neurological impairments, including depression, anxiety and impairments related to head injuries and trauma.

When we look beyond the edges of the trending spatial spotlight, we can envision potential improvements in our leisure-based music listening and extensive exposure to voice processing. We can begin to unveil new possibilities in which audio content (music, video, spoken word, wellness content, phone calls, etc.) and personal sound reproduction products (earbuds, headphones, hearables, speakers, VR, hearing aids, etc.) deliver audio in a way that naturally reduces stress and improves well-being, all while making the actual listening experience more dynamic, immersive and pleasurable. 
Psychologist, musician and Cambridge University researcher David Greenberg recently shared the following vision with me: “The bridge between music and digital health has the potential to produce a massive net positive on the lives of millions around the world. Spatial audio and immersive environments are a promising frontier in making this bridge a reality.” 
And this reality is starting to take shape in critical areas across a number of industries and opportunities. The engineering team at VisiSonics is adding spatial audio technology to airline flight control systems to help pilots better manage the multiple audio-based navigation signals they have to monitor simultaneously so they can reduce stress and stay more alert and focused during takeoff and landing. HEAR360 is helping the blind better navigate their way through the day using the head tracking features and Bose bone-conducting audio glasses. 
London-based music label Platoon has commissioned SSI Founder Paul Oomen and award-winning sound designer Tom Middleton to create science-based and therapeutic spatial audio content to combat anxiety and improve sleep. Immersive sound startup Spatial and wellness music brand HealthTunes have partnered with the digital health innovation lab Catalyst to help frontline healthcare workers reduce stress in the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
We still have much to learn in these areas, and it will take time to implement new research findings into consumer audio products at scale. At the same time, there are many ways in which companies and individuals can benefit. The growth in opportunity, including increases in productivity and well-being, has made it even more important for more businesses to consider adding a CSO (Chief Sound Officer) to their ranks or advisory team. 
The new spotlight on spatial audio has already catalyzed the market demand and incentivized new research. In addition, COVID-19—by escalating the need for non-pharmaceutical solutions for health and wellness, especially in the areas of stress management and mental health regulation—has further fueled the fire.

One advantage spatial audio could have in the mass market over other forms of sound enhancement is that, when well produced, the sound quality difference between spatial (3D) and stereo (2D) may be more immediately apparent to the average listener than improvements in audio resolution. Consumers with untrained ears may not readily hear the difference between a lower resolution MP3 recording and an Ultra HD or lossless audio version of the same piece of music. This could also be part of the reason that music DSPs haven’t seen revenue benefits by offering recordings of the songs with higher audio resolution. 
360 by Deezer Campaign “Sound You Can Feel”
The challenge in consumers hearing those differences in audio resolution may be part of the reason well-intended wellness platforms haven’t been hiring audio specialists versed in more comprehensive health implications of audio. It may also explain why the level of audio quality in consumer content, including music, has stayed relatively flat and has even gone down, in some cases, since the launch of digital audio.
As previously mentioned, the same holds true for voice and communication technologies and platforms. Although consumers may be feeling more tired or stressed out after a long day on Zoom, conference calls, or talking on their cell phone—in part due to the low-level stress on their brains created by the triple threat of 2D (or monaural), compressed and low-res audio—they simply may not hear the difference at the time. But the immediate notable sound difference possible with spatial audio could help catalyze a trend toward better audio solutions, including spatial, across a variety of industries.
The difference in spatial audio becomes even more apparent in highly immersive environments like VR, where audio can dictate as much as 50% of the experience and psychological impact. There will be no metaverse to speak of without the inclusion of spatial audio. These highly immersive experiences are also becoming increasingly important in the field of wellness and the treatment of both physical and mental health conditions. 
Why is this level of immediately recognizable differentiation so critical to creating a tipping point toward more rewarding and healthier listening experiences? The book Amplified makes the analogy between the way we consume music and the way we choose to consume food. Consumers are much more likely to eat food that is healthier if it tastes notably better to them than the less healthy option. When making choices about their sonic diet,” the same holds true. If music consumers hear and feel a combination of immediate gratification and fulfillment, they will more likely choose that option in the future.
Business of Audio
With well-produced spatial audio recordings, listeners are able to not only hear the difference; they actually feel a difference. This may be most apparent when someone listens to a spatial audio version of music they love. 
In the July 2021 launch of spatial audio on Apple Music, co-head of Artist Relations Zane Lowe expressed it this way: “I’m fascinated to know how I might be emotionally moved by my favorite songs in a different way with Spatial Audio. Because it’s all going through my ears and triggering something, right? That’s what dawned on me when I was listening to these songs in Spatial: I was listening to these songs that I knew really well, but I was feeling something different. So, it’s not even just about the way it’s going to end up sounding, it’s very much how songs are going to feel.”
As of September, just three months after Apple’s launch, over 40M people had already tried spatial audio on Apple Music alone. More people are demanding better listening experiences, and spatial audio is already proving to be a viable path to serving that demand. The bonus for the listener is that they may be receiving added health benefits without having to ask. The untapped advantage for digital wellness and audio platforms—one long ago realized by the entertainment business—is that they can offer better user experiences and greater value to their customers. 

The long-awaited improvements in commercial sound quality standards coveted by audio and sound health experts are ready at our door. Until now, the investment into and development of visual technologies has dramatically overshadowed the value of sound, leaving investment and R&D into audio years behind and holding back a potential flood of opportunities a for growth and impact. As Chris Vernon says, “When it comes to sound and music, we may be at the pivot point not unlike that of CGI just before the creation of Toy Story.” 
Sony 360 Reality Audio
The current spatial audio trend may be the wave that breaks open that floodgate and provides a range of pivotal opportunities, including in the fields of digital health and wellness. Spatial audio is no longer a concept limited to the conversations between researchers and audio enthusiasts. It has entered pop culture and isn’t going anywhere soon.
As spatial audio becomes an industry standard for companies and platforms touting quality content and products, and research reveals more benefits and applications, we have the opportunity to do more than improve listening experiences for a select few. We have the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of individuals on a massive scale. 
In Part 3 of this 3-Part article, Spatial Audio & Hearables: The Next Frontier in Precision Medicine, we will explore how the spatialized audio, personalized sound, and the Hearables Revolution will transform the future of music as precision medicine.

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