En marzo de 2025, escribí el artículo «Mapa Evolutivo del Audio Inmersivo: Tecnologías, Empresas y Tendencias hacia 2030»
Un año después, el panorama ha experimentado cambios sísmicos. Lo que en 2025 era expansión, en 2026 se ha transformado en fricción y validación.
Hemos pasado de la curiosidad tecnológica a una crisis de interoperabilidad que exige una nueva arquitectura de adopción. Aquí está el análisis actualizado de un mapa cuyo ADN operativo ha mutado en apenas doce meses.
Anatomía de una crisis
Entre 2025 y los primeros meses de 2026, varios eventos clave sacudieron la industria del audio, dejando al descubierto un problema estructural: cuando los flujos de trabajo dependen de entornos cerrados y de grandes actores corporativos, toda la cadena queda vulnerable a cambios súbitos e imprevisibles que afectan directamente el trabajo profesional.
Cierre de Dear Reality (julio de 2025)
Dear Reality especialistas en plugins binaurales y renderizado 3D de la serie dearVR cesaron sus operaciones independientes el 31 de julio de 2025 como parte de una consolidación estratégica bajo Sennheiser Group.
No se trató de una quiebra, sino de una integración corporativa. Sennheiser incorporó los activos estratégicos de Dear Reality, incluyendo bibliotecas HRTF, algoritmos de upmixing y la arquitectura de renderizado, en su AMBEO ecosistema, junto con su experiencia técnica acumulada, patentes y criterios de diseño.
Como fase de transición, las versiones heredadas de dearVR, incluyendo PRO 2 y MICRO, se ofrecieron de forma gratuita antes de la desactivación definitiva de los sistemas de licencias en 2026. (https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us/immersive/dear-reality)
La reacción de la comunidad fue ambivalente. Por un lado, muchos productores descargaron las versiones liberadas a través del boletín de AMBEO, asegurando acceso indefinido sin gestores de licencias.
Por otro lado, surgieron preocupaciones que impactaban directamente los flujos de trabajo de producción, sobre cuánto tiempo estos plugins seguirían siendo confiables dentro de proyectos activos. En mi caso, era una de las suites que más recomendaba y utilizaba en mi propio flujo de trabajo.
Con el fin del soporte el 31 de julio de 2025, los plugins entraron en un estado cercano al abandonware*.
Siguen siendo operativos, pero sin mantenimiento ni actualizaciones. Esto los deja expuestos a futuras incompatibilidades con nuevas versiones de macOS o Windows y posibles cambios en los formatos VST y AU. En consecuencia, funcionan hoy, pero su estabilidad a mediano plazo ya no está garantizada.
*Abandonware es un término que combina “abandoned” (abandonado) y “software”, y se popularizó en los años noventa para describir programas que ya no se vendían ni eran soportados por sus desarrolladores. Se utilizaba especialmente en el ámbito de los videojuegos antiguos, que quedaban fuera del mercado debido a la rápida obsolescencia del hardware, la desaparición de las empresas que los crearon o la falta de interés comercial en mantenerlos activos. Antes de la aparición de tiendas digitales como Steam o GOG, muchos de estos productos permanecían en un limbo: no podían comprarse legalmente, pero tampoco estaban disponibles de forma oficial.
Insolvencia de Native Instruments (enero de 2026)
En enero de 2026 Native Instruments GmbH que agrupa marcas como iZotope, Plugin Alliance y Brainworx, inició formalmente procedimientos preliminares de insolvencia.
Este paso no implica una quiebra o liquidación inmediata, sino una fase de estabilización supervisada judicialmente. La empresa continúa operando bajo la supervisión de un administrador independiente, con un período inicial de 90 días para negociar con los acreedores, evaluar opciones de recapitalización, venta parcial o fusión, y presentar un plan de viabilidad. Si este proceso fracasa, podría escalar hacia una insolvencia total con venta forzosa de activos.
Un poco de contexto histórico ayuda a comprender la situación actual.
En abril de 2021, la empresa Francisco Partners adquirió aproximadamente el 76 % de Native Instruments.
Tras esa operación, se creó la empresa holding Soundwide, integrando a Native Instruments, iZotope y Plugin Alliance bajo una única estructura. La operación se estructuró como un leveraged buyout, es decir, una adquisición financiada en gran parte con deuda que debía ser pagada con los ingresos futuros del propio grupo.
La estrategia buscaba consolidar marcas y generar sinergias, especialmente en torno a la Kontakt ecosistema, su plataforma central de sampling, mientras se optimizaban los recursos técnicos, el desarrollo y la estructura comercial bajo una única gestión.
En el plano estratégico, la integración prometía eficiencia, expansión y mayor competitividad.
Sin embargo, implicaba asumir una carga financiera dependiente de las proyecciones de crecimiento en un mercado que, entre 2023 y 2025, empezó a mostrar señales de desaceleración y saturación.
Al mismo tiempo, se produjeron rondas de despidos, tensiones internas y cambios en la dirección ejecutiva. La combinación de alta deuda, crecimiento moderado y reestructuraciones internas condujo a una fragilidad financiera, que culminó con los procedimientos legales iniciados en enero de 2026.
A diferencia del caso de Dear Reality, no se trata de un cierre específico, sino de un panorama mucho más amplio de incertidumbre.
- La legendaria firma de producción de audio iZotope, conocida por Ozone y RX, continúa operando con normalidad, aunque circulan hipótesis sobre una posible venta futura o escisión.
- Plugin Alliance keeps its licenses active but has moderated its commercial pace.
- The core of Native Instruments Kontakt Maschine Komplete remains functional although with postponed updates.
The most sensitive point is the structural dependency on the Kontakt ecosystem where hundreds of third party developers base their instruments and libraries on this infrastructure.
If servers or activation systems were affected the impact would reach a wide network of producers and studios relying on that platform to sustain their projects.
Within the professional community an immediate reaction of alert emerged especially due to the fear of orphan licenses.
Although the company communicated operational continuity many studios began reviewing their pipelines diversifying tools and reducing dependency on closed environments.
The absence of Native Instruments at the NAMM 2026 reinforced the perception of instability and coverage in specialized media accelerated the debate on financial sustainability in the pro audio sector.
Beyond the specific case the signal is clear. Today even companies considered industry pillars can undergo deep restructuring processes.
In 2026 the technical stability of small producers can no longer be thought of in isolation it is directly linked to the corporate strength of the ecosystems they depend on.
Massive Layoffs Meta Reality Labs (January 2026)
At the beginning of January 2026, Reality Labs, the Meta division dedicated to XR/VR/AR, executed a significant staff reduction, affecting approximately 1,000 to 1,500 employees (about 10% of its workforce).
The measure was communicated internally on January 13 through a memo from Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, CTO of Meta, and was framed within a strategic shift that reduces the commitment to the immersive metaverse and prioritizes artificial intelligence, lightweight wearables (such as Ray-Ban Meta glasses), and more accessible spatial computing devices.
Since 2021, following the rebranding of Facebook to Meta, the company had invested tens of billions of dollars in Quest hardware, Horizon Worlds, and the development of persistent virtual environments.
However, adoption was lower than projected, and Reality Labs’ accumulated losses exceeded 70 billion dollars.
In parallel, the accelerated growth of generative AI reoriented the corporate focus. Wearables with multimodal AI integration showed greater commercial traction than large-format VR headsets.
The consequences for the spatial audio ecosystem were direct:
- Reduction in XR Audio R&D Part of the team dedicated to 6DoF audio, advanced Ambisonics, y volumetric rendering was dismantled or absorbed into other areas.
Experimental advanced spatialization features in Quest remained in beta or were discontinued. - Simplification of the Quest Roadmap The focus shifted from research into volumetric soundscapes and personalized HRTF to more basic implementations, such as passthrough for existing formats (e.g., Dolby Atmos) and spatialized stereo experiences.
- Cancellation of Demos and Partnerships Technical events and demonstrations planned for 2026, including presentations linked to immersive audio in Latin America, were canceled or redesigned. Independent studios and developers relying on collaborations with Meta had to reconfigure their pipelines.
- Migration Toward Open Alternatives Many VR developers began diversifying their tools, adopting engines like Steam Audio or solutions integrated into Unity y Unreal, reducing direct dependency on Meta’s proprietary infrastructure.
The case of Reality Labs does not imply the end of immersive audio in VR, but it does mark a shift in scale. The “big bet” corporate model for a fully immersive metaverse is losing ground to more pragmatic hybrid solutions: AI + lightweight wearables + moderate spatialization.
For audio professionals, the lesson is similar to the Native Instruments and Dear Reality cases:
Technical innovation depends increasingly on corporate financial decisions.
Closed ecosystems can shift priorities rapidly.
Designing resilient workflows requires diversification and interoperable standards.
In 2026, the risk is no longer just in technological obsolescence, but in the strategic volatility of Big Tech.
New Harman Acquisition (May 2025)
Masimo Corporation, recognized for its non-invasive medical monitoring technology (such as SET pulse oximetry), decided to completely divest its consumer audio division.
On May 6, 2025, it announced the sale of Sound United to HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. The transaction included historic hi-fi and home theater brands:
Bowers & Wilkins
Denon
Marantz
Polk Audio
Definitive Technology
HEOS, Classé, and Boston Acoustics
Sound United began operating as a strategic unit within Harman’s Lifestyle division, along with approximately 2,500 specialized employees.
The logic is not just about adding brands but about consolidating a vertical ecosystem where hardware software and distribution align with a single corporate architecture.
In structural terms this is not a crisis like the Native Instruments or Reality Labs cases but rather a process of concentration. However the underlying effect is similar fewer independent players and greater market centralization within tech conglomerates.
For the immersive audio ecosystem this implies that the evolution of playback hardware from the living room to the automobile will increasingly depend on strategic decisions made by global groups. The trend is clear less fragmentation greater vertical integration and accelerated convergence between mass consumption automotive and immersive experiences.
Disputes: Dolby vs. Xperi Licensing Slow Immersive Audio Standardization (2025-2026)
Laboratorios Dolby y Xperi Corporation (owners of DTS:X y HD Radio) were involved in intellectual property conflicts that directly impacted the adoption speed of IAMF (Immersive Audio Model and Formats), a standardized framework for immersive audio developed within the MPEG ecosystem.
Its goal is to enable the distribution and playback of spatial sound, based on objects and scenes, in a more flexible and open manner than completely proprietary systems.
The critical point was not technical, but rather legal and commercial; how to license, integrate, and monetize immersive technologies that compete for the same space in televisions, soundbars, automobiles, and streaming platforms.
Dolby Laboratories Position: Technical Control and Licensing
Dolby Laboratories’ stance involves a highly controlled ecosystem centered around Dolby Atmos.
Dolby bases its position on a robust patent portfolio covering core aspects of object-based audio: spatial rendering, dynamic metadata management, and certified professional tools.
By considering these elements part of its protected intellectual property, the company maintains that any implementation using similar principles, especially in the structuring, transport, and interpretation of spatial metadata, must be subject to licensing.
This reduces the possibility of developing parallel, cross-platform solutions without formal agreements.
In practice, the active defense of this framework limits the creation of bridges or conversion tools that would allow the free or automatic transformation of DTS content into Atmos workflows.
For users, studios, and manufacturers, this means that integration with the Atmos pipeline is not merely a technical decision, but a contractual one.
Operating within the ecosystem implies accepting its certification and licensing conditions, which dictates the margin for experimentation, adaptation, or reuse of content between formats.
Xperi's Position: Regulatory Parity and Balance in the Immersive Market
From Xperi’s perspective, the core of the conflict revolves around defending its ability to compete on a level playing field within the immersive market.
As the owner of DTS:X, a hybrid system combining traditional channels with spatial objects, the company maintains that its technology offers a technically viable and commercially competitive alternative to other dominant formats. Its primary argument has been that certain licensing agreements in the sector, particularly with television and automotive manufacturers, effectively limit DTS:X’s market access.
Xperi has contended that some contractual practices favor exclusive integrations or economic conditions that, in practice, hinder the adoption of alternative solutions. In this context, the company has sought parity conditions in patent pools and licensing frameworks under FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) principles.
The stated objective is to prevent the market architecture from being determined by closed vertical agreements and to ensure that manufacturers and users can choose between different immersive systems without disproportionate contractual barriers. In structural terms, Xperi’s stance does not seek a license-free environment, but rather one where access to technological infrastructure does not depend on power asymmetries between patent holders.
2026 Resilience Checklist
In such a volatile ecosystem, the question is not whether immersive audio is the future, but how to survive its present. Here is my guide for producers and studios:
1. What should we do as producers today?
Assess and organize the software we use
Perform a complete review of all software and identify which plugins, tools, or services depend on online activation, external servers, or physical dongles to function (for example, Native Instruments, DearVR, or other systems requiring a connection or specific hardware).
Always have a backup plan: keep local copies, offline keys, and license backups. Whenever possible, have alternatives that do not depend on online activations or a single provider, so you don’t get locked out if something fails.
Do not depend on a single brand or toolset. Use alternatives when possible and save copies of your work in standard formats (such as WAV, Ambisonics, or ADM-BWF) that can be opened without proprietary software.
Investment in metadata knowledge
Train deeply in metadata: do not just learn how a program moves objects, but understand how they are organized, how they are transferred between programs, and how they are maintained when exporting and playing back across different systems.
Understand that today the value lies not only in creating a more attractive mix, but in ensuring that metadata is transferred correctly and without loss between different programs, systems, and platforms (such as YouTube or mobile apps).
Explore formats such as ADM-BWF (used in Dolby Atmos) and new standards like IAMF or Eclipsa, and understand how to incorporate them into the current workflow.
2. Is it worth migrating?
Yes, if your final client is mass-market or web-centric
If you produce for platforms such as YouTube, VR, web, or mobile devices, adopting IAMF is almost necessary due to costs, compatibility, and future projections.
IAMF or Eclipsa allow for dynamic audio adaptation, use more efficient encoding, and work across different devices without having to export many different versions. This reduces costs and makes content more flexible.
Although it requires learning and adjustments at first, in the long run, it allows you to work with more freedom and spend less as production volume increases.
No, if your niche is cinema / premium / high fidelity
If you work in commercial cinema, streaming platforms, Dolby Atmos-equipped theaters, or high-quality projects, Dolby Atmos remains the most widely used standard both technically and contractually.
In this case, IAMF serves as a complement: Dolby Atmos remains the master version, and other formats are used to adapt and distribute content across different environments.
Account for the total cost from the beginning: an Atmos project can cost up to three times more than a conventional one when you factor in tools, licenses, and learning time. Include this in the budget to avoid surprises.
3. How to create a workflow (pipeline) that resists changes and failures?
Work with a single master file from which all versions originate.
Design the workflow based on an open, high-quality master format. Work in third-order Ambisonics or a format with standard objects and metadata, such as ADM-BWF or IAMF.
From that main file, generate the different delivery versions:
Dolby Atmos, for cinema or premium distribution.
IAMF or Eclipsa, for web, streaming, and interactive content.
Binaural, for headphone listening, VR, or mobile devices.
Do not mix solely within a closed format or rely on a single software for the final version. Doing so makes it difficult to reuse or adapt content for new platforms.
Automate and verify processes. Do not rely solely on what you hear.
Incorporate analysis systems that monitor the technical consistency of the project, not just the sonic aspect. Use automated tools, including AI, to check the phase between channels or objects, spatial positions, and verify that metadata remains correct throughout the process.
Implement automatic checks before every final render (for example, spatial consistency analysis, presence of critical metadata, and compatibility with target platforms) to reduce human error and rework.
Do not just keep the final audio. Also save the different versions of configuration files, metadata, and quality control reports. These elements are part of the project and allow you to reconstruct, correct, or adapt the work in the future without starting from scratch.
4. Which standards to prioritize?
IAMF / Eclipsa: for democratization and the web
If the focus is on the web, interactive content, or mass-market platforms, it is advisable to adopt IAMF (for example, Eclipsa), as it is designed to better adapt to those diverse environments and devices.
IAMF is an open and flexible standard for immersive audio. It allows for working with objects and dynamic metadata, adapting the sound to different devices, making it a very suitable option for content not intended for cinema.
Dante / AES67: for live stability
If you work with live sound, permanent installations, or networked systems, it is advisable to use networking standards such as Dante or AES67, as they allow for stable and compatible audio transmission between different equipment.
Dante allows for the creation of stable and scalable audio networks. AES67, on the other hand, ensures that equipment from different brands can communicate with each other, reducing errors and issues in critical environments.
Personalized HRTF based on each individual’s physical characteristics.
Prioritize tools that allow for personalized listener profiles, such as adapted HRTF systems (for example, Embody), so the mix is perceived more realistically by the listener.
Adjusting the HRTF to each listener allows immersive audio to be perceived with greater precision and naturalness, especially in headphone-based experiences like VR or gaming.
In this context, the immersive audio industry is not collapsing, but rather undergoing a profound reconfiguration.
The cases of corporate integration, insolvencies, mass layoffs, and licensing disputes reveal a common pattern: the technical infrastructure upon which producers, developers, and studios rely is increasingly concentrated in the hands of conglomerates with their own financial and strategic agendas. And we already know the results this yields in other industries.
The movement is twofold. On one hand, there is greater vertical integration: hardware, software, codecs, and distribution are converging within controlled ecosystems. On the other, there are growing tensions surrounding open standards, interoperability, and licensing models.
The question is no longer simply which format sounds better or which tool is more efficient, but rather under which corporate and contractual framework one can work with stability in the medium term.
Where are we headed? Everything indicates that the market will trend toward less fragmentation and greater concentration, especially in mass consumption and the automotive sector. In parallel, the professional sector will seek resilience through tool diversification, the adoption of standards capable of functioning seamlessly across different environments, and a reduction in dependency on single platforms.
Immersive audio will continue to grow, but it will do so in an environment where technical sovereignty, the ability to control one’s own workflow, will be just as important as sonic innovation.
