South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung and American tech powerhouse Google are jointly developing a new spatial audio technology called Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF). The two companies have been working together on this 3D audio innovation since 2020 under an initiative dubbed “Project Caviar,” which aims to advance open and royalty-free solutions for next-generation video and audio.
According to Samsung Research’s Visual Technology Team lead, WooHyun Nam, IAMF is intended to make sound more true-to-life by enabling listeners to perceive audio coming at them from many directions. He explained that when applied to home entertainment speakers and soundbars, IAMF allows viewers to hear sounds as if objects are passing right over their heads. Additionally, you can also read about- OpenAI and Microsoft Sued for Alleged Copyright Violations in ChatGPT Training
In essence, the 3D spatial audio algorithm is engineered to track the user and recreate a convincing surround sound effect without requiring a complex setup of multiple speakers. This gives content a heightened sense of realism and immersion by artificially producing the feeling of lifelike, multidirectional audio.
Nam also revealed that IAMF incorporates artificial intelligence capabilities to analyze scenes and fine-tune audio quality on the fly, where needed. For example, he said it will balance sound mixes when loud and quiet elements occur simultaneously. The AI can also emphasize critical sounds like dialogue without any loss of detail or clarity. If you want you can also read- Microsoft Copilot: Your AI Sidekick for Software and Services
While Samsung has taken some time to fully adopt formats like Dolby Vision and Atmos, the tech leaders seem committed to accelerating 3D audio advancement with IAMF’s open-source approach. However, time will tell if the terminology gains enough consumer recognition to seriously challenge established brands like Dolby in the space.
