Immersive Music Production Workflows: An Ethnographic Study of Current Practices

Rada M, Mason R, Sena ED. Immersive Music Production Workflows: An Ethnographic Study of Current Practices. In: Convention Paper. Audio Engineering Society; 2025. Paper 10229. Available from: https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=22911

@inproceedings{Rada2025_22911,
  author = {Rada, Marcela and Mason, Russell and Sena, Enzo De},
  title = {{Immersive Music Production Workflows: An Ethnographic Study of Current Practices}},
  note = {Paper 10229},
  year = {2025},
  month = may,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  url = {https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=22911}
}

TY  - CPAPER
TI  - Immersive Music Production Workflows: An Ethnographic Study of Current Practices
AU  - Rada, Marcela
AU  - Mason, Russell
AU  - Sena, Enzo De
M1  - Paper 10229
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/05/12
UR  - https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=22911
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - This study presents an ethnographic analysis of current immersive music production workflows, examining industry trends, tools, and methodologies. Through interviews and participant observations with professionals across various sectors, the research identifies common patterns, effective strategies, and persistent obstacles in immersive audio production. Key findings highlight the ongoing struggle for standardized workflows, the financial and technological barriers faced by independent artists, and the critical role of collaboration between engineers and creatives. Despite the growing adoption of immersive formats, workflows still follow stereo conventions, treating spatialization as an afterthought and complicating the translation of mixes across playback systems. Additionally, the study explores the evolving influence of object-based and bed-based mixing techniques, monitoring inconsistencies across playback systems, and the need for improved accessibility to immersive production education. By synthesizing qualitative insights, this paper contributes to the broader discourse on immersive music production, offering recommendations for future research and industry-wide best practices to ensure the sustainable integration of spatial audio technologies.
ER  -