EBU and Fraunhofer IIS Conducted Live MPEG-H Audio Production Trial at Eurovision Song Contest 2018

The European Broadcasting Union EBU and Fraunhofer IIS have successfully conducted the first trial for live production of immersive and interactive sound using the MPEG-H TV Audio System at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Lisbon, Portugal. For the trial, the Fraunhofer sound engineers installed a height dimension to the impressive microphone setup in the Altice Arena, enabling them to produce an immersive and personalized audio mix live. Broadcasters and sound experts present at the venue could experience the enveloping and interactive MPEG-H sound.

Imagine that you had to compose a 3-minute song that would represent your country in the largest song contest, televised live to 200 million viewers - the world's largest live music broadcast event. You have exactly 3 minutes to conquer the preferences of professional judges and each country's TV audience, knowing that a large number of people (and the majority in some countries) would vote simply based on their sympathy for neighbouring countries, cultural affinity, or artist recognition, given that no country can vote for its own song.