Will Waters, principal product manager, Audinate, reflects on some of the biggest developments in the world of broadcast audio in 2023.
What industry trends have particularly stood out for you in 2023, and why?
Audio production in the cloud is emerging as a promising avenue, as seen at the IBC this year, where many manufacturers presented their innovative solutions for cloud-based production. The potential for cloud-based audio production is vast, offering significant opportunities for both manufacturers and broadcast teams.
Dante Connect is a software application suite that facilitates cloud-based broadcast production and is a powerful platform for A1s and mixing engineers, combining the familiarity, ease of use and tight synchronisation of Dante audio with seamless connectivity to centralised production tools running on cloud instances.
What impact are you seeing those trends having on the media and entertainment industry?
There’s a long and rich roadmap planned for Dante Connect, including support for additional cloud providers and the release of Remote Monitor, which allows broadcasters to listen to a compressed audio stream from the cloud over the internet via a web browser. Several popular cloud-based tools like SSL, Waves Cloud MX mixer, and Riedel Communications’ Simplylive Production Suite are already capable of ingesting Dante audio, and many more are under development. All of these facets make a compelling case for broadcasters to consider migrating toward cloud-based production workflows.
The future of broadcasting lies in the ability to manage complex, overlapping productions from a centralised location, and Dante Connect can help in making this future a reality.
How do you see those trends developing further in 2024?
Amid the broadcasting industry’s ongoing challenges with achieving universal connectivity across diverse vendors and devices, Dante presents itself as a noteworthy option in this landscape. While the industry has witnessed numerous connectors hailed as groundbreaking solutions only to be phased out soon after, Dante offers a reliable and consistent approach.
As the industry increasingly moves towards cloud-based production for the benefits of flexibility, cost distribution, and catering to evolving consumer trends, Dante’s compatibility can play a crucial role in facilitating smoother transitions. Rather than solely relying on potential regulatory interventions for standardisation, the proactive adoption of Dante may offer a practical means of harmonising connections. It aligns with the industry’s evolving needs and the ongoing trend of dispersing costs, enhancing flexibility, and accommodating changing consumption patterns, potentially making it a valuable asset for the future.
Do you expect to see any new trends within the industry in 2024, and what will they be?
In 2023, we witnessed a significant surge in the adoption of artificial intelligence applications, setting the stage for what is likely to be a year of further advancements in AI-based solutions for broadcasters in 2024. As consumer demands continue to evolve, there’s a growing need to deliver more content to an expanding array of platforms and channels without breaking the budget.
In this dynamic landscape, where audience consumption habits are constantly changing, we should anticipate the emergence of novel ways and channels for media consumption in the coming year. To meet these evolving demands and to do so cost-effectively, broadcasters must become increasingly agile in their approach to content creation, curation, and distribution. Additionally, the ability to seamlessly integrate endpoint devices with software-based applications will be crucial, allowing broadcasters to maintain flexibility and efficiency while adapting to new consumption trends. This multifaceted challenge will undoubtedly be a top priority for the industry in the year ahead.
