A method comprising: identifying, by a headend device, one or more mobile devices, each of the one or more mobile devices is separate from the headend device, includes a speaker, and is available to participate in a collaborative surround sound system; configuring, by the headend device, the collaborative surround sound system to utilize the speaker of each of the one or more mobile devices as one or more virtual speakers of the collaborative surround sound system; receiving, by the headend device, mobile device data from one of the identified one or more mobile devices that specifies a power level of the corresponding one of the identified mobile devices; rendering, by the headend device, audio signals from an audio source such that when the audio signals are played by the speakers of the one or more mobile devices the audio playback of the audio signals appears to originate from the one or more virtual speakers of the collaborative surround sound system, the rendering being based on a power level of the identified mobile device so as to control playback of the audio signals from the audio source to accommodate the power level of the mobile device; and transmitting, by the headend device, the processed audio signals rendered from the audio source to each of the one or more mobile devices participating in the collaborative surround sound system; characterising in that: the method further comprises determining whether the power level of the corresponding one of the mobile devices is sufficient to complete playback of the audio signals rendered from the audio source; and the rendering of the audio signals comprises reducing an amount of power required by the corresponding one of the mobile devices to play the audio signals if the power level of the corresponding one of the mobile devices is insufficient to complete playback of the audio signals. identifying, by a headend device, one or more mobile devices, each of the one or more mobile devices is separate from the headend device, includes a speaker, and is available to participate in a collaborative surround sound system; configuring, by the headend device, the collaborative surround sound system to utilize the speaker of each of the one or more mobile devices as one or more virtual speakers of the collaborative surround sound system; receiving, by the headend device, mobile device data from one of the identified one or more mobile devices that specifies a power level of the corresponding one of the identified mobile devices; rendering, by the headend device, audio signals from an audio source such that when the audio signals are played by the speakers of the one or more mobile devices the audio playback of the audio signals appears to originate from the one or more virtual speakers of the collaborative surround sound system, the rendering being based on a power level of the identified mobile device so as to control playback of the audio signals from the audio source to accommodate the power level of the mobile device; and transmitting, by the headend device, the processed audio signals rendered from the audio source to each of the one or more mobile devices participating in the collaborative surround sound system; characterising in that: the method further comprises determining whether the power level of the corresponding one of the mobile devices is sufficient to complete playback of the audio signals rendered from the audio source; and the rendering of the audio signals comprises reducing an amount of power required by the corresponding one of the mobile devices to play the audio signals if the power level of the corresponding one of the mobile devices is insufficient to complete playback of the audio signals. the method further comprises determining whether the power level of the corresponding one of the mobile devices is sufficient to complete playback of the audio signals rendered from the audio source; and the rendering of the audio signals comprises reducing an amount of power required by the corresponding one of the mobile devices to play the audio signals if the power level of the corresponding one of the mobile devices is insufficient to complete playback of the audio signals.