Introduction to the Issue on Spatial Audio

The papers in this special issue focus on spatial audio technology and applications for its use. Spatial audio is an area that has gained in popularity in the recent years. Audio reproduction setups have evolved from the traditional two-channel stereophonic setup towards multi-channel loudspeaker setups. Advances in acoustic signal processing even made it possible to create surround sound listening experiences as well as attempts to create binaural real life listening experiences using traditional stereo speakers and headphones. Finally, there has been an increased interest in creating different sound zones in the same acoustic space. At the same time, the computational capacity provided by mobile audio playback devices has increased significantly. These developments enable new possibilities for advanced audio signal processing, such that in the future we can record, transmit and reproduce spatial audio in ways that have not been possible before. In addition, there have been fundamental advances in our understanding of 3D audio.