Episode 126 (SXSW 2026 Panel – Audible Dimensions)
Summary
In this episode of the Immersive Audio Podcast, we travel to Austin, Texas, for the 2026 edition of the SXSW festival to present the panel – Audible Dimensions: Expanding Story Through Spatial Audio.
This panel explores the latest innovation in immersive sound technology and practical application from three different perspectives: software and hardware capabilities of hosting platforms, the spatial audio formats, and content production workflows that bring these experiences to life.
In this session, Dolby also shares how they’ve evolved Dolby Atmos to support new types of extended reality experiences with the new Dolby Atmos Immersive Media Production Suite. Learn more and request early access at professional.dolby.com/daimps.
As storytelling expands into extended reality media, such as immersive films, VR, MR, AI glasses and location-based installations, spatial audio is emerging as one of the key narrative forces. With today’s advanced head-mounted display technology, audiences expect not just 3D visuals but equally rich immersive sound that conveys presence, space and movement.
This episode recording is supported by our friends at Nomono.
This panel features:
Monica Bolles – Creative Lead/Owner at Resonant Interactions has been working with spatial audio since 2011, beginning with her local planetarium’s 15.1 surround system. As both technician and artist, she collaborates with composers and artists to realise immersive spatial works and also creates her own large-scale multimedia installations. Her work has featured at events like the Conference of World Affairs and Virginia Tech’s Cube Fest. She co-hosts the Immersive Audio Podcast and NOTAM’s Spatial Audio Meetups. Monica regularly curates, moderates, and presents on spatial audio at festivals and conferences, including New Visions Festival, SXSW, IRCAM Forums, Ableton Loop, IMERSA Summit, and NIME. She runs Resonant Interactions, a company focused on immersive experience design and music production.
Eric Cheng – Director of Immersive Media at Meta Reality Labs is an award-winning photographer, creative technologist, and Director of Immersive Media at Meta Reality Labs. Having produced 8 Emmy-nominated VR films and experiences, Eric is at the forefront of exploring emerging media formats. Before joining Meta, Eric was Director of Aerial Imaging at DJI and Director of Photography at Lytro. In a previous life, Eric was on the ocean as a professional underwater photographer, during which he published widely, led expeditions to remote locations on the planet, and gave talks about the intersection of technology and storytelling at events including TEDx, EG, TTI/Vanguard, DEFCON, CES, SXSW, and others. He is a passionate advocate for ocean conservation, having served on the Board of Directors of Shark Savers (now part of WildAid) and the Board of Advisors of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Eric holds degrees in computer science from Stanford University, where he also studied classical cello performance. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two sons.
David Gould currently leads the Content Creation and Distribution Solutions team at Dolby, responsible for the professional ecosystems that enable the creation of spectacular entertainment content in Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. Prior to joining Dolby in 2012, David was a Senior Product Manager at Avid Technology, where he was responsible for Pro Tools software – the industry standard Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). David started his career in London as a recording engineer at Abbey Road Studios, specialising in orchestral film scoring; he joined Avid in 2005, where he held various positions in technical sales before moving into product management.
Victor Agulhon – Co-founder & CEO at TARGO, the multi-award-winning and 4 x time Emmy®-nominated immersive documentary studio. TARGO creates the future of immersive entertainment, producing industry-leading non-fiction experiences for virtual, mixed and augmented reality and spatial computers, including Vision Pro, Meta Quest, and GalaxyXR. As a member of the Television Academy’s Emerging Media Peer Group, he helps make immersive technologies more accessible to the film and television industry. He also coaches young entrepreneurs to accelerate their growth and build companies more quickly.
Show Notes
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Credits
This episode was produced by Oliver Kadel and Emma Rees and included music by Rhythm Scott.
