Sony To Launch 360 Reality Audio Format With 1,000 Songs

Launching

SONY CORPORATION has announced the upcoming launch of its 360 REALITY AUDIO format, which it describes as "an immersive audio experience utilizing object-based spatial audio technology," with about 1,000 songs in the new format being made available to listeners in the U.S, EUROPE, and other territories in the late FALL on several streaming services, including AMAZON MUSIC HD, DEEZER, NUGS,NET, and TIDAL1, with SONY also working on streaming solutions for the format with NAPSTER. 360 REALITY AUDIO was initially announced at CES 2019 in JANUARY.

The ecosystem for the new format includes labels SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP, and WARNER MUSIC GROUP, LIVE NATION, and other companies. Specifications for the format are being created with FRAUNHOFER IIS. Among the artists featured in the initial batch of 1,000 songs will be PHARRELL WILLIAMS, MARK RONSON, BILLY JOEL, and BOB DYLAN, as well as over 100 live cuts from artists including CHARLI XCX and KODALINE. The format an be heard on headphones from most manufacturers when used with a smartphone and participating streaming service; as for speakers, those systems with a SONY decoder will be needed to play back the songs.

"360 Reality Audio is a proof point that innovation never stops," said SONY ELECTRONICS (NORTH AMERICA) Pres./COO MIKE FASULO. "The confluence of deep technical roots, tireless artists and forward-thinking hardware and semiconductor partners illustrates the tremendous draw of this radical new way to make music even more moving. Together with valued industry partners, SONY has architected the most powerful, realistic music experience for listeners and a new medium for artists to create."

The technology will be demonstrated at SONY SQUARE in NEW YORK OCTOBER 16-20.

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