The Next Frontier of Streaming: Meeting the Demand for Premium Sound

Streaming services have become the primary way for consumers to watch entertainment content. Not surprisingly, as video quality increases, viewers’ expectations for audio quality rise as well. DTS is helping streaming providers meet that consumer demand through technology solutions like the DTS:X and programs like IMAX Enhanced. We asked Sven Mevissen, Xperi’s director of streaming and content technologies, about the state of streaming audio quality.

How are consumer choices and expectations around audio impacting streaming?

Consumer expectations for audio have evolved significantly, and they’re shaping how streaming platforms prioritize sound. Today’s viewers want more than just convenience: They expect easy access to premium experiences, consistency across platforms and high-fidelity on every device. As streaming has become the dominant way people watch content at home, those expectations now directly influence how services invest in audio quality.

We’re seeing a clear shift: Audiences who once relied on cinemas or Blu-ray for premium sound now expect that same level of immersion through streaming. This aligns with broader technological advancements — from stronger streaming infrastructure and higher video resolutions to major progress in both consumer and professional audio.

The evolution has been dramatic. In the mid-1990s, streaming audio was limited to low-bitrate mono or stereo presentations. Today, platforms can deliver fully immersive formats with multi-channel fidelity at bitrates unimaginable 30 years ago. Innovations like adaptive bitrate streaming have also enabled services to tailor audio and video quality based on where and how a viewer is watching — whether on a mobile device or an 85-inch UHD TV with HDR and immersive audio.

In short, audio expectations are part and parcel of consumers’ broader demand for quality, convenience and a seamless premium experience across all their devices.

What opportunities exist for streaming platforms to differentiate?

Streaming platforms have a significant opportunity to stand out by offering premium audio experiences across the full spectrum of consumer setups — from basic TV speakers to high-end home theaters. Viewers increasingly recognize and value high-quality sound, and studios want to ensure their content is delivered in its best possible form, not limited to standard HD video and basic stereo mixes.

This is where advanced audio technologies create real differentiation. By adopting codecs like DTS:X and adhering to established delivery standards, platforms can ensure that audiences with capable equipment receive a truly cinematic experience at home. These technologies allow studios and services to showcase content with the intent, immersion and dynamic range it was created for.

At the same time, convenience remains essential. Many viewers simply want to watch their favorite shows in the easiest way possible, whether that’s on a living-room TV or a mobile device. Our solutions account for that too — ensuring that even on a phone, the audio experience is optimized and consistent.

This approach enables streaming platforms to differentiate themselves by elevating premium playback where it’s supported, while still delivering a seamless, high-quality experience everywhere else. This balance of performance and accessibility is where the biggest opportunity lies.

What is the best way for content to be presented in the context of a highly fragmented device and service/platform environment? How can the industry ensure a consistent audio experience across this ecosystem, and why does that matter to consumers?

It starts with ensuring that the technology embedded inside each device performs as intended.

Streaming has many variables — bandwidth fluctuations, device performance and different playback environments. Adaptive bitrate technology helps manage those shifts so quality stays consistent as you move from strong to weak connectivity. That’s typically discussed in the context of video, but the same principles apply to audio as well.

On the creation side, content must be prepared once but optimized for every environment: movie theaters, projectors, phones, older TVs and high-end UHD TVs. Each use case is different, but consumers should always get the best version possible.

That’s why scalability and flexibility matter. Audio has to translate across devices, rooms and personal listening preferences. We even factor in human variability — our DTS Clear Dialogue technology addresses differences in how people perceive speech intelligibility. Personalization is becoming an essential part of content preparation because no two listeners hear the same way.

What role does DTS play in helping studios, streaming platforms and OEMs deliver on higher expectations for audio quality?

We focus on ensuring content can be delivered in a way that’s optimized for the playback environment and personalized for the listener.

Our technology enables studios and streaming services to distribute content at the highest possible quality and with strong alignment to creative intent. This means preserving the nuanced soundscapes, spatial positioning and dynamic range that sound engineers carefully craft in the studio. Whether it’s the subtle rustle of leaves in a nature documentary or the thunderous impact of an action sequence, what reaches the listener’s living room faithfully reflects the creator’s original vision. Our codecs maintain this fidelity even under bandwidth constraints, preserving the immersive details that make premium content stand out.

We work directly with device manufacturers to implement and certify our technology. Certification ensures that when DTS-enabled content reaches a device, it plays back exactly as it should. Consumers expect that level of performance from DTS, and we partner closely with OEMs to maintain it.

Whether we’re supporting content creators or device makers, the goal is the same: deliver a premium, reliable, high-quality home entertainment experience.

Streaming audiences have never had higher expectations than they have today. As video quality improves and viewing shifts across devices and environments, consumers crave consistently clear, premium sound every time they press play.

For studios, OEMs and streaming platforms, that expectation creates both pressure and opportunity. Delivering high-quality, reliable audio across a fragmented ecosystem requires technology that can adapt, scale and preserve creative intent — no matter where content is consumed. The right solutions bridge that gap, ensuring a premium audio experience that meets rising demand and strengthens your brand’s market position.

See the technologies that deliver consistent, high-quality sound across devices.