Kakao Entertainment said on the 17th that it has signed a partnership with Sony and will pursue business collaboration using Sony's immersive audio technology "360 Reality Audio."
360 Reality Audio is an immersive audio technology that places individual sounds—such as vocals, instruments, and effects—within a 360-degree space to precisely render distance and direction. Listeners can experience the sensation of being surrounded by an artist's live performance, while music creators gain broader possibilities for expression and creation.
As the first project under this collaboration, the two companies will present a special stage using 360 Reality Audio at "The 17th Melon Music Awards (MMA2025)," to be held at 5 p.m. on Dec. 20 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. MMA is a leading K-pop awards ceremony that highlights the year's musical achievements based on Melon's data, user voting, and expert evaluation, and it has drawn attention each year for creative stage production. This special stage will deliver a more immersive and vivid music experience to K-pop fans around the world through a live online broadcast.
With this partnership as a starting point, the two companies plan to discuss various forms of collaboration, including content production using 360 Reality Audio centered on the music business. Kakao Entertainment operates a multi-label system to plan and produce music intellectual property (IP) and runs music and album distribution, as well as entertainment IP-based services such as Melon and the global K-culture fan platform Berriz.
Sony said it expects K-pop fans around the world to enjoy a more immersive music experience through 360 Reality Audio.
Kakao Entertainment plans to continue seeking a range of collaborations that can create global synergy by leveraging Sony's innovative technology, starting with MMA2025.