YouTube gets real with live 360-degree videos and immersive audio

YouTube is taking streaming one step further by adding spatial audio and live streaming to 360-degree videos

YouTube is taking streaming one step further by adding spatial audio and live streaming to 360-degree videos

YouTube first changed the way we consume media online by letting anyone upload videos to the site and share them with just a link to the webpage.

Now, YouTube is taking it one step further by adding spatial audio and live streaming to 360-degree videos introduced in March 2015.

Spatial audio is essentially the method of emulating surround sound systems through regular stereo speakers or headphones. Like video, even the sound changes depending on the frame you're looking at. For instance, if twig breaks on your left, the sound will be louder on the left earphone than on the right.

The other way YouTube is making videos seem more real, is by letting you stream live videos in 360-degree formats. They're also working with companies to make 360-degree cameras stream live to the platform. Try grabbing the frame and moving it around to change the things that fit into the frame. However, don't expect to play 360-degree high definition smoothly yet, unless you have a computer with monstrous RAM.

360-degree vs virtual reality

While VR puts you in another word with the ability to move around in the virtual space, 360-degree just gives you complete view from one point. So you can't move, but look around. Simply put, 360-degree doesn't give you view the content from a different perspective like VR does.