i3DMusic intends to enable enhanced playback of existing musical content on up to date and emerging 3D audio systems. I3DMusic will create a new class of audio playback systems for mono, stereo, and 5.1 content by combining specifically designed audio source separation techniques and sound spatialization algorithms into real-time and interactive products, targeted for sound engineers, DJs and consumers.

Audio source separation is a technology facilitating the unmixing of audio files that contain several audio sources. If perfectly achieved, a mix of files can be reverse-engineered and the original tracks recovered. Spatialisation refers to sound rendering techniques that enable the reproduction of spatial properties of individual sound sources (angle, height, distance) and their environment (reflections off the walls of the real or virtual room, reverberation).

Existing systems do not separate the sources, but rather give the possibility to isolate or spread some spatial slices of the signal (for example, take the part of the signal contained in the centre). This leads to poor spatialization and limited interaction possibilities. These systems, generally called “upmixing” systems, are contained in several professional products. The upmixing process is also sometimes used in consumer products (for example in sound cards, HiFi). The i3DMusic project proposes a different approach: it will provide the access to sources contained in the signal, for example a voice, the drums, a solo instrument, then to manipulate it in space in real time.