Augmented Acoustics to offer personalised sound experience with 5G

Augmented Acoustics, a French startup co-founded by three former Nokia employees, has developed what claims to be the first patented service that allows spectators at an event (concert, sport, theatre, cinema) to enjoy a high-definition and customisable sound experience in real-time.

Offered as an option, Supralive allows those with earphones to listen to the multi-track sound coming directly from the sound engineer’s console and go as far as making their own mix.

The personalised listening experience is designed to guarantee each spectator "the best seat" in terms of audio quality. The sound is adapted to the spectator’s desires but also to his or her specific auditory needs with the mobile app’s numerous audio settings which allow them to control the sound.

After successfully deploying Supralive at more than a hundred events in France and abroad, Augmented Acoustics has just taken a new step in its development by partnering with Nokia to migrate its solution to 5G. The goal is to be able to simultaneously offer Supralive to an unlimited number of spectators who are equipped with their smartphone, headphones, and a mobile application. By simultaneously addressing enthusiasts, the most demanding viewers, and people who are hard of hearing, Supralive is positioning itself as a new, inclusive and non-stigmatising solution for audiences.

“Through this collaboration with Augmented Acoustics we demonstrate 5G capabilities and new innovative use cases to enhance the consumer experience,” said Pascal Agin, head of 5G R&D, Mobile Networks at Nokia. “Thanks to the ultra-robust low-latency connectivity and network slicing powered by 5G, spectators in stadiums and arenas will enjoy a high-definition and customisable sound experience”.

Stéphane Dufossé, CEO of Augmented Acoustics, added: "Migrating Supralive to 5G is a fantastic opportunity for Augmented Acoustics. Making the Supralive service accessible directly via the spectators’ smartphone is clearly the future of our service and its potential will be multiplied, at concerts of course, but also in all use-cases where latency issues are a determining factor".

The world premiere of the Supralive 5G demo will take place at the Nokia 5G Smart Campus Event on November 15 at Nokia’s Paris-Saclay site.