Patent ID: 8744247

Claim:
A method of processing audio data for at least one of spatializing and loudness domain audio processing using processing hardware, the method comprising: receiving in the processing hardware audio data streamed from a battery operated and/or processing power limited audio playback device, the audio data being for rendering by the audio playback device; accepting in the processing hardware metadata from the audio playback device related to one or both of the spatializing and the loudness domain audio processing of the audio data; and data processing the audio data in at least the processing hardware for at least one of spatializing and loudness domain audio processing using at least some of the accepted metadata to generate processed output, wherein the loudness domain audio processing comprises determining a measure of the specific loudness of the audio data, and wherein the spatializing comprises spatializing the audio data for playback by the audio playback device to provide a listener with the experience of listening to audio coming from a set of loudspeakers at a respective set of locations in a listening room, even if the listener is in fact listening to the audio media data with earphones, or with a simple set of stereo loudspeakers; and streaming processed audio data in the processed output from the processing hardware to the audio playback device for in real time playback by the audio playback device, wherein the processing hardware is external to the audio playback device, and wherein the metadata includes information obtained at the audio playback device, and includes a set of one or more parameters related to the at least one of spatializing and loudness domain audio processing of the media data or to the environment of the audio playback device, such that the audio data from the audio playback device is played back in real time on the audio playback device in at least one of spatialized form and loudness domain audio processed form.