Podcasts are about to become much more immersive if iHeartMedia succeeds. Following last year’s success 13 days of Halloween, the parent company of iHeartRadio plans to produce more 3D (or binaural) audio programs. It is working with Blumhouse Television to build this series with several 13-day programs orchestrated around the holidays. In addition, companies are co-producing a podcast called The Mantawauk Caves, while iHeartRadio will release bonus 3D episodes for some shows, including The Ron Burgundy Podcast, throughout the year.
Overall, the company expects to produce about a dozen 3D audio podcasts this year. In addition, it plans to host live binaural radio events on its network of stations, with notices for listeners to use headphones for the full effect. According The Verge, iHeartMedia has built three studios in which to record 3D audio.
The idea behind binaural audio is to make you feel like you’re in the same space as the action, with sounds, speakers and instruments flowing in your ears from places that look different. The technology is not exactly new – binaural recording techniques and surround sound have been around for decades – although perhaps it is becoming more common.
A number of recent TVs and speaker systems support 3D audio, as do Amazon and Sony with some of their products. Along with podcasts and music, some visual media were created with binaural audio in mind. The PlayStation 5, for example, can provide 3D audio (the Maiden visual demonstration for Resident Evil Village uses the technique with a disturbingly large effect). The BBC, in turn, launched an episode of Doctor who with 3D sound.