Spatial Journalism

A Guide to Creating Spatial Audio Podcasts

Illustration of a succession of identical rainbow-outlined heads layered over a set of 3D glowing sound waves

Illustrations by Yoshi Sodeoka

Spatial audio is changing the way we experience recorded sound, making it possible to add entirely new layers of sonic presence to narrative storytelling mediums. As the emerging field continues to come into focus, standards are being defined in real time — making it a crucial time to experiment and share information across the space. 

To better understand the capabilities of the medium, R&D has been collaborating with the engineering team behind The Daily to experiment with the full pipeline of spatial audio production for podcasters. We’ve recorded and mixed select audio content in various spatial audio formats, focusing on developing mixing techniques that put the listener at the center of the story. To solve current playback limitations and get to know the head-tracking capabilities that now come standard with many Apple products, we also developed an internal iPhone test app. We also built a web audio player, which we hope to make publically available in the near future.

Below, you can listen to one of our recent experiments with spatial audio. This example was built with recordings from a NYT Shorts episode based on a story by Stephen Hiltner. It enables listeners to experience the chirping and swooshing sounds of the Everglades as Hiltner paddles to his next campsite:

By Jon Cohrs, Chris Wood, Willa Köerner

LISTENING INSTRUCTIONS: We recommend listening to spatial audio episodes of The Daily on a mobile phone with headphones. 

  • iPhone users can hit play above to listen to a Dolby Atmos spatial audio mix. If you have AirPods (3rd gen), AirPods Pro or AirPods Max you’ll be able to listen to the mix with head tracking. Rotate your head to hear the mix from different angles. 
  • Android users will hear a Mach1 spatial audio mix. For this, we recommend you rotate your phone or place the phone in your pocket and rotate your body to hear the mix from different angles. 
  • If you’re on a desktop computer, move the green ball around to hear the mix from different angles. 

If you're having issues with head-tracking or rotation, check out our brief test demonstration in the player above.

With the support of Online News Association’s Journalism 360 grant, we’re sharing our approaches to recording, mixing, and distributing in this new medium so that other journalists, podcasters and creators can build on our techniques.

For ease of navigation, our guide is broken down into four sections, linked below.

Spatial Audio Guide Sections

A line of silhouetted heads is repeated into the distance, with outlines of sonic waves pulsing above and below in 3D space. The heads are outlined in neon rainbow and cast a subtle glow. The background is black.
Key Concepts in Spatial Audio

Read a brief overview of the history of the medium, get notes on the current state of spatial technology and learn the key concepts and formats of spatial audio.

Illustration showing the outlines of two silhouetted heads with a pulsing purple orb in between. The heads are outlined in white against a black background, and are rendered inside of a white cube.
Tips for Capturing and Recording Spatial Audio

Get a detailed rundown of the audio formats and recording techniques we’ve used to successfully produce spatial audio. If you’re a podcaster interested in producing narrative spatial audio for the first time, this resource will help you get started.

A series of identical heads wearing headphones are rendered in rainbow outlines, glowing against a black background with 3D outlines of white sound waves behind.
Approaches to Mixing Spatial Audio

See inside the processes we’ve found most effective for mixing spatial audio — including in-depth guides on using Dolby Atmos and Mach1 for spatial mixing.

Illustration showing silhouetted heads zooming into the distance. The heads are outlined in neon green against a black background, and red sound waves seem to pulse from the foreheads.
Options for Distributing Spatial Audio

Learn how we’ve published our spatial audio podcasts and get a sense for how you can embed Dolby Atmos, Mach1 and ambisonic spatial content on the web.

Producing Spatial Audio Podcasts

A guide to producing spatial audio podcasts.

Notes on Using This Guide

This resource is intended to help those with an intermediate (or higher) knowledge of audio production, as we rely on some foundational techniques and best practices for recording and mixing audio. 

It’s also worth noting that this is not a be-all, end-all guide to spatial audio; rather, it’s intended to share some of what has worked for us as we’ve experimented with the medium. We encourage you to use this resource as a jumping-off point as you experiment for yourself and push the boundaries of the field.

Lastly, note that spatial audio can be understood primarily as an aesthetic evolution in sound, and how we aestheticize our work can have ethical implications — especially when working in a journalistic or documentary space. As you experiment with this new medium, we encourage you to consider what it means to make your audio more immersive, and how this change will affect both your story and your listeners.

If you’re experimenting with spatial audio, or if you find this resource helpful, reach out to rd@nytimes.com. We’d love to hear from you.

Related Projects

Spatial AudioKey Concepts in Spatial Audio

Spatial AudioTips for Capturing and Recording Spatial Audio

Spatial AudioApproaches to Mixing Spatial Audio