Spatial audio system for playing location-aware dynamic content

A method of presenting a soundscape in an environment space using a plurality of speakers, which speakers are in a distributed arrangement throughout the environment space, which environment space is a physical area or other space in which any portion or aspect of the soundscape can be sensed or experienced by a person, the method comprising:

• accessing a computer-readable spatial audio file defining a digital representation of the soundscape to be presented in the environment space, the digital representation of the soundscape defining:
• a plurality of sound elements to be output in the environment space over time;
• location information defining a location or range of locations for each sound elements to be output;
• and
• timing information defining a time or range of times for each sound element to be output;
• accessing a spatial map indicating a spatial location of each speaker distributed throughout the environment space;
• for each sound element to be output in the environment space over time:
• correlating the location information for the respective sound element with the spatial map for the plurality of speakers to identify one or more of the speakers affected by the respective sound element based on the locations of the controllable media output devices in the environment space;
• and
• controlling the one or more speakers affected by the respective sound element to output audio signals associated with the respective sound element.

A system for presenting a scene in an environment space, the system comprising:

• a plurality of controllable media output devices, which controllable media output devices are in a distributed arrangement throughout the environment space, which environment space is a physical area or other space in which any portion or aspect of the scene can be sensed or experienced by a person;
• and
• a spatial scene engine including at least one processor configured to:
• access a digital representation of a scene to be presented in the environment space, the digital representation of the scene defining:
• a plurality of scene elements to be presented in the environment space by the plurality of controllable media output devices over time;
• scene element location information defining a location or range of locations for each scene element to be presented;
• and
• timing information defining a time or range of times for each scene element to be presented;
• access spatial information for each of the plurality of controllable media output devices, which spatial information at least comprises a spatial map that indicates respective locations of the controllable media output devices distributed throughout the environment space;
• and
• for each scene element to be presented in the environment space over time:
• correlate the scene element location information for the respective scene element with the spatial map for the plurality of controllable media output devices to identify one or more of the controllable media output devices affected by the respective scene element, based on the locations of the controllable media output devices in the environment space;
• and
• control the one or more controllable media output devices affected by the respective scene element to generate a human-perceptible output in the environment space.