Introduction to 3D Audio

Criteria for depth, height, and movement in immersive environments

Spatial audio is an evolution of traditional sound, aiming to simulate how we perceive acoustic space by adding depth, height, and motion. Technologies such as binaural audio and object-based audio systems combine acoustics, psychoacoustics, and processing to deliver immersive experiences across multiple applications and playback environments.

Below, we introduce the fundamentals, formats, capture and modeling techniques, as well as the programming principles required to implement three-dimensional audio, providing a technical reference for professionals and developers working on advanced spatial workflows.

Spatial audio has transformed the way we experience sound, offering immersion across contexts such as music, film, videogames, and mixed reality. Unlike stereo sound, it reproduces how we perceive acoustic sources within (three-dimensional) space.

Binaural

One of its most common forms is binaural sound.

This technique seeks to simulate the way our ears, head, and torso alter the propagation of sound before it reaches the eardrums. This behavior, described by the head-related transfer function (HRTF), is essential for recreating realistic and immersive sound scenes with added depth, height, and movement, enabling accurate perception of spatial position.

Spatial audio provides new creative possibilities in advanced sound creation and reproduction, allowing the listener to perceive sources around them as if they were part of the acoustic environment, significantly increasing the realism.

Perspective/Applications

Beyond entertainment, spatial audio has applications in immersive education, auditory rehabilitation, environment simulation and emotional therapy. 3D environments enable the recreation of realistic scenarios where sound behaves coherently with position, distance, and motion.

This technology represents a shift in how we perceive and understand sound. Its integration into digital experiences is redefining how we interact with auditory information, extending sound beyond simple reproduction toward truly spatial communication.

The head-related transfer function (HRTF) describes how the shape of the human body —including head, ears, and torso— alters sound before it reaches the inner ear. Understanding HRTFs is essential for achieving realistic three-dimensional spatialization.