The Radio Academy Festival and Dolby

THE RADIO ACADEMY FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES A UNIQUE SONIC SHOWCASE IN DOLBY ATMOS

The Radio Academy is delighted to announce it is bringing an astonishing range of new audio experiences to The Radio Academy Festival 2025 with the support of Dolby Labs.

At the Festival, on September 17th at the Royal College of Physicians in London’s Regent’s Park, Dolby will take over the venue’s historic 17th century Dorchester Library and transform it into a state-of-the-art immersive audio showcase.

The Dolby Library will share extraordinary sonic arrangements and world class acoustic art, created and mixed in Dolby Atmos, giving content producers access to immersive audio and expanding their creative canvas into three dimensions. The Dolby Library will transport festival goers to a mesmerising sensory experience.

The Dolby Library’s programme, hosted by Stephanie Hirst from Hits Radio, will include work by leading audio creatives Wisebuddah, Emmy award-winning sound designer Nick Ryan and Media Art Xploration, and broadcaster and psychologist Dr Sian Williams alongside neuroscientist Dr Catherine Loveday.

● Introduction to Dolby Atmos
Join Dolby for an introduction to Dolby Atmos immersive sound and learn how accessible Dolby’s tools and technologies are. In this half hour session, we’ll cover the basics of Dolby Atmos and what you need to get started. Whether you are a producer, director, editor, mixer, commissioner, this session will have something for you.

● The Psychology of Sonic Branding by Wisebuddah
Wisebuddah and Genelec present The Psychology of Sonic Branding, an immersive audio experience mixed in Dolby Atmos within Wisebuddah’s new 9.1.4 studio at their Soho HQ. This session delivers a captivating ‘mini movie for your ears,’ narrated by some of radio’s brightest stars, celebrating the power of sound and sonic branding. Join us to explore how cutting-edge technology, creative writing, and breathtaking composition combine to create the next generation of audio storytelling. It’s not a panel or talk, it’s a piece of audio art designed to be felt as much as heard.

● An exclusive preview of Sonic Sunset by Nick Ryan and Media Art Xploration.
For the first time in Dolby Atmos, Sonic Sunset brings its immersive listening experience to the Radio Academy Festival. A collaboration between British and American artists, this project is born from a passion and respect for immersive audio, uncovering its ability to connect people emotionally to three distinct and endangered ecosystems: the rainforests of Borneo, the skies over southern India, and the deep Subarctic waters. Audiences will embark upon an audio-odyssey, guided by the notes of renowned scientists and vocal artists. Sonic Sunset was developed by Nick Ryan Studio and Media Art Xploration.

● Immersive audio and the human brain. Join broadcaster and psychologist Dr Sian Williams and cognitive neuroscientist Professor Catherine Loveday to find out how immersing ourselves in music changes the way we think and feel.

Richard Addis, Music Engineer, from Dolby says:
”We are thrilled to be part of the Radio Academy Festival for 2025 and to be showcasing the amazing work already being created by Radio Academy members. As the landscape of audio becomes ever more competitive, we’re seeing huge appetite for more engaging and immersive listening experiences, and importantly, ones that can meet the audience wherever they are, be it at home, or on the move. Dolby Atmos is enabling that demand to be met technologically and creatively. We’re excited to share what we and our partners have been working on, and for the audience to learn how they too can get involved.”

Matt Fisher from Wisebuddah says:
“We're buzzing to join the Radio Festival alongside Dolby and other industry pioneers to showcase how sound can be truly immersive and transformative. At Wisebuddah, we believe audio is the most emotional and immediate medium, and our session brings this to life through a unique sonic story - a mini movie for your ears that celebrates the beauty and power of sound.”

Nick Ryan from Nick Ryan/MAX says:
“We are thrilled to share an exclusive preview of Sonic Sunset at the Festival before it is premiered at Museum of Science, Boston. Take the journey to listen anew to the environment, feel the impact of human activity, and consider what is at stake. “

Radio Academy MD Dixi Stewart and Festival Executive Producer Chris North say:
"The Radio Academy Festival is all about championing the people and technologies shaping our broadcasting world and redefining the art of sound. This exciting installation with Dolby means we can now fully inhabit radio's theatre of the mind and deeply immerse ourselves in the exhilarating future of audio."