Positional audio is an audio technique that ties sounds to specific sources within an environment, realistically simulating the things the listener would hear from their point of view. This means that sounds will always come from the expected position relative to the listener; if the listener or the source of a sound is moved, the sound changes in volume and angle to reflect the move. Spatial audio is another technique meant to immerse the listener into their content. It refers to the process of changing the sounds the listener hears based on the position of their head. If the listener turns their head, the audio perspective shifts and sounds may be heard more or less clearly through each ear; if the user turns their left ear towards a sound, the sound’s volume will increase on the left-hand side of their head and decrease on the right-hand side. Effective application of both positional and spatial audio enables the listener to pinpoint the location of sound sources in an environment as well as experience realistic shifts in the volume and direction of sounds in line with their movements.
