Clustering audio objects

A method for clustering audio objects, comprising:

• identifying a plurality of audio objects, wherein an audio object of the plurality of audio objects is associated with respective metadata that indicates respective spatial position information and respective rendering metadata;
• assigning audio objects of the plurality of audio objects to categories of rendering metadata of a plurality of categories of rendering metadata, wherein at least one category of rendering metadata comprises a plurality of types of rendering metadata to be preserved;
• determining an allocation of a plurality of audio object clusters to each category of rendering metadata, wherein an audio object cluster comprises one or more audio objects of the plurality of audio objects having similar attributes;
• rendering audio objects of the plurality of audio objects to an allocated plurality of audio object clusters based on the metadata that indicates spatial position information and based on the assignments of the audio objects to the categories of rendering metadata.