Microsoft Teams Now Supports Spatial Audio for Meetings

The Microsoft Teams desktop app now supports spatial audio for meetings. Microsoft believes the feature can help meeting participants keep track of who is speaking by better separating the voices of all users in the meeting.

“Teams Spatial Audio aligns the perceived audio location of each participant with their video representation to make it easier for users to track who is speaking, to understand better when multiple speakers are speaking at the same time, and to lower meeting fatigue and cognitive load,” Microsoft explained. In short, instead of using a single audio channel that only provides monophonic audio, spatial audio recreates what we experience during in-person conversations.

Spatial audio can be enabled in Settings > Devices in the Teams desktop app. The feature is currently only compatible with stereo speakers and wired stereo headsets, and Bluetooth headsets are currently not supported to a protocol limitation. Microsoft said that Bluetooth devices that support the next-gen Bluetooth LE standard will eventually be supported.

Microsoft also mentioned other limitations: Teams currently doesn’t support receiving music mode in spatial audio, and the feature is also not supported for users in listening mode connected to a satellite server. In meetings with more than 100 users, users in listening mode can be moved to a satellite server while users who speak do so via a central media server that does support spatial audio.

There’s no word yet on when spatial audio will be supported on the Teams web and mobile apps. However, Microsoft hopes that this feature will help to make video meetings more pleasurable for all participants. “While we cannot guarantee it will turn your next meeting into a posh event with fancy beverages and riveting small talk, we think you will find that Spatial Audio feels more natural and engaging,” the company said.