Audio Description is becoming a significant part of television and film production.
What is it, why does it matter to you, and how are you supposed to deal with it?

Imagine watching a film with your eyes closed. Who just entered the room? What was in the letter? Why did everyone suddenly go quiet? For people who are blind or visually impaired, Audio Description can make the difference between simply hearing a programme and actually experiencing the story alongside everyone else.

So why does this matter to you? European legislation requires audiovisual media services to become progressively more accessible, with Audio Description explicitly part of that framework. And the requirements are already finding their way into production. 

At a SOUND DISCOVERY industry day at TV 2 – initiated and facilitated by Danish Sound Cluster – users, Audio Description professionals, broadcasters and technology developers came together to look at what this means in practice.

Nick Dunkerley sums up what we learned: why Audio Description matters, how it is produced today, why the current process is slow and expensive, and how the industry can make it work at scale. And is there a perhaps there is a silver lining.

Who Are My Conversational Partners? Turn-Taking-Based Identification in Multi-Talker Scenarios

by Leila Eslami

In multi-talker environments, hearing aids face a challenge beyond noise reduction: identifying which talker the user intends to engage with. This presentation focuses on a turn-taking-based approach that uses voice-activity patterns to identify conversational partners. I will present the Conversational Alignment Score (CAS), its generalization to conversations with different numbers of talkers, and recent results showing how identification accuracy depends on the amount of observed conversational activity. I will also briefly discuss head movement as an additional behavioral cue that may support faster and more robust conversational partner identification.

by Asjid Tanveer

This study shows how portable headcaps (mobile EEG) can track which speaker a person is listening to in multi-talker environments. Using a contrastive learning framework, we use a deep learning three model pipeline where the framework matches EEG brain signals directly to speech patterns across three listening scenarios. The model outperforms traditional decoding methods and works in a subject-independent manner, offering a practical path forward for smart hearing aids.

Research presentations on stage followed by interactive Q&A with the attendees on the floor

Music Training for Hearing Impaired

by Jesper Andersen – Associate Professor and Lecturer at The Royal Danish Academy of Music

Abstract to be announced.

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Signals in Conversation: Multimodal Speech and Gaze Dynamics in Polyadic Turn-Taking

by Mark Douradao – PhD at Aalborg Univerrsity and GN Group

Conversations are inherently multimodal: participants coordinate not only through speech, but also via gaze, timing, and subtle behavioral cues. This talk presents data-driven insights from natural four-person conversations recorded with synchronized speech, gaze, and motion tracking in both quiet and noisy conditions,  focusing on how these signals can predict turn-taking outcomes, including who speaks when, how turns are yielded or retained, and whether overlaps occur.  

The findings illustrate how gaze and speech jointly support smooth interaction in co-present communication and point to opportunities for future technologies, including conversational agents, hearing aids, and communication technologies, to better align with the realities of natural group dynamics. 

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A Machine Learning-based Surrogate Model for Sund Field Prediction Based on Plane Wave Superposition

From Parts to Products: Hybrid and Modular System-Level Analysis for Component Design

By Hossein Soleimani

Modern engineering demands robust predictability when integrating complex components into systems, particularly in vibroacoustics. This talk explores designing components based on system-level responses while preserving the freedom to analyze isolated parts experimentally or numerically. Attendees will discover how these frameworks minimize design iterations and enhance reliability across industrial applications.

2025 PURIFI

2024 INVISIO

2023 ICEpower

2022 DPA Microphones

2021 Dorte Hammershøi / Stefania Serafin

Carsten Olesen – President, HARMAN Consumer Audio

Carsten Olesen is a valued public speaker for Industry specific events with an extensive knowledge of the Consumer Audio market. He is based at the HARMAN EMEA Headquarters located in Amsterdam, in The Netherlands, and holds both engineering and business administration degrees.

Carsten Olesen started his career with HARMAN in 1999. He started as a Brand Director for HARMAN International, then moved to the Sales organization, where he was responsible for Commercial Strategy, Execution of Business Plan, Strategic Account Development, and Commercial and Distribution Policy.

In January 2009 he became the Commercial Director for HARMAN International in the EMEA Region. In 2012 he moved to the position of GM & VP of the EMEA Region. Under his leadership, the EMEA organization has undergone massive growth, as has the Consumer Audio Market.  

In June, 2019, Mr. Olesen was promoted to the position of President of the Consumer Audio Division. In this role, Carsten leads Global Consumer Audio business including the Engineering and Design functions. In 2020, he won the prestigious International TCG Leadership Award from the Grand Jury, comprised of the top executives of the leading tech retailers across Europe.

LOCATION: STUDIO HALL

Meet the engineers behind Harman’s audio innovation

Step inside the world of cutting-edge audio engineering with this exclusive workshop hosted by Harman. Meet the engineers behind some of the most advanced consumer and professional audio products on the market today.

• Explore how Harman develops premium sound experiences

• Discover Harman’s involvement in research on hearing health, including areas like tinnitus mitigation and auditory wellness

• Learn about the challenges and breakthroughs in audio signal processing, acoustic design, and embedded systems

• Get insights into working with global audio brands under the Harman umbrella like JBL and AKG

• Engage directly with engineers, ask questions, and see real-world product development up close

Whether you’re an aspiring engineer, audio enthusiast, or industry professional, this is a unique chance to connect with the minds shaping the future of sound.

LOCATION: STUDIO 3

Bridging product data and perception

FORCE Technology is now launching “EAR”, an online platform designed for consultants, manufacturers, and the general public. EAR stands for Environmental Acoustics & Reverberation, and the site currently features tools for evaluating product characteristics using auralization, a room acoustics estimation calculator based on EN ISO 12354-6, and more.

In this demo, you’ll be guided through the different parts of the platform, which range from tools suitable for laypeople to advanced users. We’ll also briefly touch on the motivation behind the project and explain how you can gain access to a trial license.

LOCATION: NEW HALL

Three of the most promising and innovative sound startups in Denmark will compete for great prizes. With help from you in the audience the jury will choose a winner.

 The Startups

• StreamWerk by Mikkel Eskesen
• HÆMP by Camilla Roll-Lund and Mikki Gabriel Simonsen
• Zeta Diagnostics by Kristian Klok Pedersen 

 The Jury

• Torben Vilsgaard – CEO at Danish Sound Cluster
• Flemming Sørensen – Invester Relations Specialist at Keystones
• Pauli Minnaar – Founder & CEO at IDUN Audio

LOCATION: STUDIO HALL

Peter Gerstoft is a Danish-American scientist and engineer specializing in ocean acoustics, seismology, and signal processing. He is a Distinguished Data Scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego and an adjunct professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC San Diego and DTU, Copenhagen.

Gerstoft began his career in acoustics and vibrations at Odegaard & Danneskiold-Samsøe (1987–1992). He then served as a Senior Scientist at the NATO SACLANT Undersea Research Centre in La Spezia, Italy, from 1992 to 1997. Between 1999 and 2000, Gerstoft worked as a Senior Seismic Acoustic Officer with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. He has been a Data Scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography since 1997.

Since 2013, he has held an adjunct faculty position in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC San Diego, where he teaches courses on seismology, data assimilation, and machine learning for physical systems.

LOCATION: STUDIO HALL

Designing sound as an interactive partner

We mostly meet sound as something played at us in the form of alerts, media, announcements. My work designs digital sonic experiences that respond to humans, reacting moment to moment to how people move, act and perform, with applications ranging from movement rehabilitation to augmented live music performance. 

This session asks what we gain when sound becomes a two-way exchange, and how to systematically design that exchange so the technology stays in service of the people using it.

Expanding experiences with multisensory stimuli

Live music brings people together, yet concerts often rely on hearing and familiar ways of participating. This workshop explores how haptic feedback, visualizations, spatial audio, and audience interaction can offer more ways to experience and shape a performance.

Working with performers and participants with diverse sensory abilities, we will discuss, create and evaluate inclusive concert experiences where accessibility becomes part of the artistic design.

An overview of the funding landscape, with a chance to get feedback and support on your own project ideas.

Explore how startups and SMEs have secured funding through programmes such as Innofounder, InnoBooster, EU funding programmes and other soft-funding opportunities.

This session is also an opportunity to pitch your own project ideas, explore potential collaborations, get feedback, and connect with relevant leads. We will also discuss the possibility of establishing an ongoing network or community around project funding and collaboration.