I’m facing a problem while trying to achieve spatial audio effects in my iOS 18 app. I have tried several approaches to get good 3D audio, but the effect never felt good enough or it didn’t work at all. Also what mostly troubles me is I noticed that AirPods I have doesn’t recognize my app as one having spatial audio (in audio settings it shows "Spatial Audio Not Playing"). So i guess my app doesn't use spatial audio potential. First approach uses AVAudioEnviromentNode with AVAudioEngine. Chaining position of player as well as changing listener’s doesn’t seem to change anything in how audio plays. Here's simple how i initialize AVAudioEngine import Foundation import AVFoundation class AudioManager: ObservableObject { // important class variables var audioEngine: AVAudioEngine! var environmentNode: AVAudioEnvironmentNode! var playerNode: AVAudioPlayerNode! var audioFile: AVAudioFile? ... //Sound set up func setupAudio() { do { let session = AVAudioSession.sharedInstance() try session.setCategory(.playback, mode: .default, options: []) try session.setActive(true) } catch { print("Failed to configure AVAudioSession: \(error.localizedDescription)") } audioEngine = AVAudioEngine() environmentNode = AVAudioEnvironmentNode() playerNode = AVAudioPlayerNode() audioEngine.attach(environmentNode) audioEngine.attach(playerNode) audioEngine.connect(playerNode, to: environmentNode, format: nil) audioEngine.connect(environmentNode, to: audioEngine.mainMixerNode, format: nil) environmentNode.listenerPosition = AVAudio3DPoint(x: 0, y: 0, z: 0) environmentNode.listenerAngularOrientation = AVAudio3DAngularOrientation(yaw: 0, pitch: 0, roll: 0) environmentNode.distanceAttenuationParameters.referenceDistance = 1.0 environmentNode.distanceAttenuationParameters.maximumDistance = 100.0 environmentNode.distanceAttenuationParameters.rolloffFactor = 2.0 // example.mp3 is mono sound guard let audioURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "example", withExtension: "mp3") else { print("Audio file not found") return } do { audioFile = try AVAudioFile(forReading: audioURL) } catch { print("Failed to load audio file: \(error)") } } ... //Playing sound func playSpatialAudio(pan: Float ) { guard let audioFile = audioFile else { return } // left side playerNode.position = AVAudio3DPoint(x: pan, y: 0, z: 0) playerNode.scheduleFile(audioFile, at: nil, completionHandler: nil) do { try audioEngine.start() playerNode.play() } catch { print("Failed to start audio engine: \(error)") } ... } Second more complex approach using PHASE did better. I’ve made an exemplary app that allows players to move audio player in 3D space. I have added reverb, and sliders changing audio position up to 10 meters each direction from listener but audio seems to only really change left to right (x axis) - again I think it might be trouble with the app not being recognized as spatial. //Crucial class Variables: class PHASEAudioController: ObservableObject{ private var soundSourcePosition: simd_float4x4 = matrix_identity_float4x4 private var audioAsset: PHASESoundAsset! private let phaseEngine: PHASEEngine private let params = PHASEMixerParameters() private var soundSource: PHASESource private var phaseListener: PHASEListener! private var soundEventAsset: PHASESoundEventNodeAsset? // Initialization of PHASE init{ do { let session = AVAudioSession.sharedInstance() try session.setCategory(.playback, mode: .default, options: []) try session.setActive(true) } catch { print("Failed to configure AVAudioSession: \(error.localizedDescription)") } // Init PHASE Engine phaseEngine = PHASEEngine(updateMode: .automatic) phaseEngine.defaultReverbPreset = .mediumHall phaseEngine.outputSpatializationMode = .automatic //nothing helps // Set listener position to (0,0,0) in World space let origin: simd_float4x4 = matrix_identity_float4x4 phaseListener = PHASEListener(engine: phaseEngine) phaseListener.transform = origin phaseListener.automaticHeadTrackingFlags = .orientation try! self.phaseEngine.rootObject.addChild(self.phaseListener) do{ try self.phaseEngine.start(); } catch { print("Could not start PHASE engine") } audioAsset = loadAudioAsset() // Create sound Source // Sphere soundSourcePosition.translate(z:3.0) let sphere = MDLMesh.newEllipsoid(withRadii: vector_float3(0.1,0.1,0.1), radialSegments: 14, verticalSegments: 14, geometryType: MDLGeometryType.triangles, inwardNormals: false, hemisphere: false, allocator: nil) let shape = PHASEShape(engine: phaseEngine, mesh: sphere) soundSource = PHASESource(engine: phaseEngine, shapes: [shape]) soundSource.transform = soundSourcePosition print(soundSourcePosition) do { try phaseEngine.rootObject.addChild(soundSource) } catch { print ("Failed to add a child object to the scene.") } let simpleModel = PHASEGeometricSpreadingDistanceModelParameters() simpleModel.rolloffFactor = rolloffFactor soundPipeline.distanceModelParameters = simpleModel let samplerNode = PHASESamplerNodeDefinition( soundAssetIdentifier: audioAsset.identifier, mixerDefinition: soundPipeline, identifier: audioAsset.identifier + "_SamplerNode") samplerNode.playbackMode = .looping do {soundEventAsset = try phaseEngine.assetRegistry.registerSoundEventAsset( rootNode: samplerNode, identifier: audioAsset.identifier + "_SoundEventAsset") } catch { print("Failed to register a sound event asset.") soundEventAsset = nil } } //Playing sound func playSound(){ // Fire new sound event with currently set properties guard let soundEventAsset else { return } params.addSpatialMixerParameters( identifier: soundPipeline.identifier, source: soundSource, listener: phaseListener) let soundEvent = try! PHASESoundEvent(engine: phaseEngine, assetIdentifier: soundEventAsset.identifier, mixerParameters: params) soundEvent.start(completion: nil) } ... } Also worth mentioning might be that I only own personal team account

Does Phase support creating new sound events at runtime? Is that implemented in the plugin for Unity as well? Does Phase support Unity's addressable system, are they compatible?

My team and I have created an iPhone application that receives and utilizes sensor data from a separate raspberrypi-powered device. The iPhone app does not function without the use of the sensor data. How will the App Reviewers be able to test the application when submitting to the App Store?

Hi, I'm looking to implement PHASEStreamNode in Unity, but the current provided PHASE library for Unity doesn't contain this new typos of nodes yet. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/phase/phasestreamnode When you will be looking into releasing the beta of the Unity Plugins as well? This is very important for spatial audio in Unity to be consistent with Apple's standards. Best, Antonio

Hey, I've developed a new audio-based navigation technology for my Master's project at Imperial College London. The main aim of it is to take away the need for an annoying voice based prompt to interrupt your music ("Turn left in 300 yards"). Instead I've created a more natural interaction where the listener's music is binaurally spatialised to provide less annoying directional information. I've tested the product with many users and the feedback has been really positive! I just wondered whether anyone knew someone at Apple that I could have a chat with about this technology? I think it would work great if it was linked to Apple Maps, especially now with the integration of head-tracking into the Airpod Pro's.

Hello, We are trying to use an audio calling functionality for visionOS with no success since the update of visionOS. We do not used CallKit for this flow. We set the AudioSession as followed: [sessionInstance setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayAndRecord mode:AVAudioSessionModeVoiceChat options: (AVAudioSessionCategoryOptionAllowBluetooth | AVAudioSessionCategoryOptionAllowBluetoothA2DP | AVAudioSessionCategoryOptionMixWithOthers) error:&error_]; We are creating our Audio unit as followed: AudioComponentDescription desc_; desc_.componentType = kAudioUnitType_Output; desc_.componentSubType = kAudioUnitSubType_VoiceProcessingIO; desc_.componentManufacturer = kAudioUnitManufacturer_Apple; desc_.componentFlags = 0; desc_.componentFlagsMask = 0; AudioComponent comp_ = AudioComponentFindNext(NULL, &desc_); IMSXThrowIfError(AudioComponentInstanceNew(comp_, &_audioUnit),"couldn't create a new instance of Apple Voice Processing IO."); UInt32 one_ = 1; IMSXThrowIfError(AudioUnitSetProperty(self.audioUnit, kAudioOutputUnitProperty_EnableIO, kAudioUnitScope_Input, audioUnitElementIOInput, &one_, sizeof(one_)), "could not enable input on Apple Voice Processing IO"); IMSXThrowIfError(AudioUnitSetProperty(self.audioUnit, kAudioOutputUnitProperty_EnableIO, kAudioUnitScope_Output, audioUnitElementIOOutput, &one_, sizeof(one_)), "could not enable output on Apple Voice Processing IO"); IMSTagLogInfo(kIMSTagAudio, @"Rate: %ld", _rate); bool isInterleaved = _channel == 2 ? true : false; self.ioFormat = CAStreamBasicDescription(_rate, _channel, CAStreamBasicDescription::kPCMFormatInt16, isInterleaved); IMSXThrowIfError(AudioUnitSetProperty(self.audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat, kAudioUnitScope_Input, 0, &_ioFormat, sizeof(self.ioFormat)), "couldn't set the input client format on Apple Voice Processing IO"); IMSXThrowIfError(AudioUnitSetProperty(self.audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat, kAudioUnitScope_Output, 1, &_ioFormat, sizeof(self.ioFormat)), "couldn't set the output client format on Apple Voice Processing IO"); UInt32 maxFramesPerSlice_ = 4096; IMSXThrowIfError(AudioUnitSetProperty(self.audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_MaximumFramesPerSlice, kAudioUnitScope_Global, 0, &maxFramesPerSlice_, sizeof(UInt32)), "couldn't set max frames per slice on Apple Voice Processing IO"); UInt32 propSize_ = sizeof(UInt32); IMSXThrowIfError(AudioUnitGetProperty(self.audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_MaximumFramesPerSlice, kAudioUnitScope_Global, 0, &maxFramesPerSlice_, &propSize_), "couldn't get max frames per slice on Apple Voice Processing IO"); AURenderCallbackStruct renderCallbackStruct_; renderCallbackStruct_.inputProc = playbackCallback; renderCallbackStruct_.inputProcRefCon = (__bridge void *)self; IMSXThrowIfError(AudioUnitSetProperty(self.audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_SetRenderCallback, kAudioUnitScope_Output, 0, &renderCallbackStruct_, sizeof(renderCallbackStruct_)), "couldn't set render callback on Apple Voice Processing IO"); AURenderCallbackStruct inputCallbackStruct_; inputCallbackStruct_.inputProc = recordingCallback; inputCallbackStruct_.inputProcRefCon = (__bridge void *)self; IMSXThrowIfError(AudioUnitSetProperty(self.audioUnit, kAudioOutputUnitProperty_SetInputCallback, kAudioUnitScope_Input, 0, &inputCallbackStruct_, sizeof(inputCallbackStruct_)), "couldn't set render callback on Apple Voice Processing IO"); And as soon as we try to start the AudioUnit we have the following error: PhaseIOImpl.mm:1514 phaseextio@0x107a54320: failed to start IO directions 0x3, num IO streams [1, 1]: Error Domain=com.apple.coreaudio.phase Code=1346924646 "failed to pause/resume stream 6B273F5B-D6EF-41B3-8460-0E34B00D10A6" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=failed to pause/resume stream 6B273F5B-D6EF-41B3-8460-0E34B00D10A6} We do not use PHASE framework on our side and the error is not clear to us nor documented anywhere. We also try to use a AudioUnit that only do Speaker witch works perfectly, but as soon as we try to record from an AudioUnit the start failed as well with the error AVAudioSessionErrorCodeCannotStartRecording We suppose that somehow inside PHASE an IO VOIP audio unit is running that prevent us from stoping/killing it when we try to create our own, and stop the whole flow. It used to work on visonOS 1.0.1 Regards, Summit-tech

I'm looking for a sample code project on integrating Spatial Audio into my app, Tunda Island, a music-loving, make friends and dating app. I have gone as far as purchasing a book "Exploring MusicKit" by Rudrank Riyam but to no avail.