Large multi-channel spatial audio systems have historically been a playground for universities and well-funded studios, but only a dream for independent composers.

Similarly, “parallel computers” were locked in research facilities where only a few musicians ever gained access to the computational power to convolve hundreds of separate audio streams with spatially specific room impulse responses. Mobile devices in the hands of audiences can quickly configure themselves into these kinds of systems at very affordable (and distributed) cost and little effort, making powerful and expressive spatially distributed musical platforms accessible to anyone today. We describe some software systems and artistic works that have been recently developed to explore some of the spatial audio capabilities of the mobile device browser platform.

Spatially Distributed Sound Computing and Rendering using the Web Audio Platform