Agora launches two audio solutions for enhancing the age of workplace hybridity

Agora, Inc., the platform for real-time engagement APIs, is announcing the launch of two audio solutions designed to improve the experience of virtual meetings. AI Noise Suppression, a background noise removal solution, and Agora 3D Spatial Audio, an immersive, dynamic audio solution, are both customer-driven products built to enhance the digital experience, according to the company.

As hybrid workplaces  become the new norm, Agora’s AI Noise Suppression aids in cultivating a distraction-free audio experience for employees without good acoustical background conditions. Whether it be background noise, echo, or sound reverberation, AI Noise Suppression leverages deep-learning models to filter out background noise for a clear audio output.

“Hybrid working models have meant that employees work from various locations, leading to several issues. Often, quiet meeting rooms/spaces are unavailable, meaning calls can occur in less-than-perfect audio conditions,” explained Patrick Ferriter, VP of product at Agora. “Meetings are then less productive due to distractions from external noises and echo.”

Agora’s AI Noise Suppression recognizes human speech and analyzes audio feed to efficiently correct miscellaneous noise, leading to less distraction and better productivity in virtual meetings. The solution can be integrated with just a few lines of code, featuring cross-platform support and global scalability.

“AINS is a specific noise suppression algorithm based on deep-learning models capable of noise reduction,” said Ferriter. “It eliminates background noises such as dogs barking, construction sites, and lawnmowers from microphones and speakers, ensuring distraction-free calls. It also removes background chatter from other people speaking in the room based on your individual voice pitch.”

The launch of Agora’s 3D Spatial Audio centers around embracing natural audio experiences in real-time, producing sound how it would be heard in the real world—with just a few lines of code.

Using theater-like effects for voice, video, and streaming products, 3D Spatial Audio allows users to set the local and remote user’s spatial position so that sound reflects experience changes in the distance, position, and orientation of other users. The solution provides the highest fidelity of 3D audio, supporting 48 kHz full-band sampling, with low latency and low power consumption.

“We have customers who host virtual events, and using traditional 2D audio means voices and sounds are projected from the same distance through a single loudspeaker. This creates a confusing and unnatural listening experience, leading to a lack of engagement,” said Ferriter. “Also, video meetings are often a flat experience lacking the spatial audio cues that help our minds comprehend who is talking when and to whom; as a result, we become less productive. 3D Spatial Audio allows meeting attendees to locate or identify who's speaking, making the whole experience more engaging and productive.”

Agora 3D Spatial Audio can be used for creating a more personal digital experience, for education spaces to enrich the learning experience, for meetings and conference calls to emphasize the main speaker’s audio, or for producing a dynamic music experience.

Both Agora’s AI Noise Suppression and 3D Spatial Audio are available for Web, Windows, Android, MacOS/iOS, Electron, Flutter React Native, and Unity.

For more information on Agora’s audio solutions, please visit https://www.agora.io/en/.