Object-Based Audio

An audio production and delivery paradigm in which speech, music, effects, and ambience are transmitted as discrete objects with metadata describing their role and relationships, rather than as a single mixed stream. The receiver renders the final mix, enabling per-listener personalisation — adjusting dialogue-to-background ratios for hearing loss, isolating a single narrator, or simplifying scene complexity for aphasia. BBC R&D and EBU have developed OBA prototypes such as Responsive Radio that demonstrate substantial accessibility potential.