Google announced the launch of spatial audio for on-demand YouTube videos giving depth and distance to sound the way it has done with video with 360-degree videos. This appears to be the next step in the video service’s foray into improved virtual reality technology.

YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan says, “To make sure all creators can tell awesome stories with virtual reality, we’ve been working with companies across the industry. We’re working with companies like VideoStitch and Two Big Ears to make their software compatible with 360-degree live streams or spatial audio on YouTube and more will be available soon.”

“What excites me most about 360-degree storytelling is that it lets us open up the world’s experiences to everyone,” he adds. “Students can now experience news events in the classroom as they unfold. Travelers can experience faraway sites and explorers can deep-sea dive, all without the physical constraints of the real world. And today’s kids dreaming of going to a basketball game or a concert can access those experiences firsthand, even if they’re far away from the court. What were once limited experiences are now available to anyone, anywhere, at any time.”

There’s a YouTube playlist for “immersive videos with spatial audio” available here so you can try it out on your Android device. There are six videos on the list.

YouTube intends to make 360-degree live streaming and spatial audio technologies available at all its YouTube Space locations. These are in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, New York, São Paulo, Berlin, Mumbai, and Paris.

Image via YouTube