Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1543070
46 S P R I N G 2 0 2 6 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y Immersive Audio for Broadcast Delivery b y C A S A s s o c i a t e K e v i n K o h r Stereo is dead—at least to the next generation. Jonathan Wales CAS recounts a revealing study where kids accustomed to AirPods were played the same mu- sic in stereo. Their reaction? "What's wrong with this?" The default expectation has shifted: Everyone now expects spatial audio. This seismic change dominated discussions at AES Long Beach 2025, where Tom McAndrew from Dolby Laboratories joined Emmy winners Jonathan Wales CAS and Alexandra Fehrman CAS, with fellow Emmy nominee Karol Urban CAS MPSE moderating. Their conversation tracked the evolution from 5.1's dominance through the device explosion that's reshaping delivery, to Dolby Atmos's emergence as both solution and standard for broadcast workflows. The landscape has transformed dramatically since MP3's ruled. Creative possibilities now span live concerts, narrative podcasts, true crime series, and meditation apps—all finding new expression through spatial formats. The Dolby Atmos Renderer has streamlined integration, while platforms like Audible push boundaries with spatially enhanced Harry Potter audiobooks that McAndrew hints will redefine audiobook production. Yet the fundamental challenge persists: translation across playback systems. Music mixers once worried about car speakers. Film mixers checked theatrical versus home systems. Today's matrix includes theaters, soundbars, smartphones, earbuds, over-ears, airplane systems, and Chinese vehicles with integrated streaming to backseat displays (Woah!). Dolby continues developing Atmos translations for each environment, while competing streamer platform specifications create fresh post-production headaches. Wales's experience mixing Midnight Mass entirely at home on JBL 708's illustrates adaptation in action. "Mixed literally in the environment people would hear it—designed specifically for Netflix. We went completely nuts." Director Mike Flanagan reviewed cuts on Apple headphones. COVID forced this workflow, but the results proved exceptional. The explosion of new devices in the market brings environmental chaos. When clients request quieter dialogue for intimacy, Fehrman educates them about reality: "Won't work—people have washing machines running, babies L-R: Karol Urban CAS MPSE, Jonathan Wales CAS, Alexandra Fehrman CAS, and Tom McAndrew