For those who are blind or low-vision, a band’s music video is basically just another mp3. Working with X Ambassadors and their keyboardist Casey Harris (who is blind), as well as Microsoft technologists, we created an “audio-only music video” that revolutionizes the concept of a music video — via spatialized audio powered by Windows Sonic, binaural field recordings, custom sound effects, stems from the band’s original recording for “Boom,” and mobile devices’ internal gyroscopes. Our app, “Boom,” gives fans two distinct sonic narratives to explore via field recordings from both Ithaca, NY and Bushwick, Brooklyn (important locations to the band). Users can move their mobile device to go on a sonic journey with the song’s protagonist, as his feet go “boom boom boom”...

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Platinum-selling rockers X Ambassadors have wide appeal among international alt-rock fans. The band contains two brothers, Sam (frontman) and Casey Harris (keyboard), who grew up in Ithaca, NY before getting their break while living in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NYC. Casey is blind. As for the technical aspects of the project: Binaural audio is a method of recording using two microphones, which results in a 3D stereo sound for listeners, when they use headphones. Windows Sonic is Microsoft’s spatialized audio platform, which allows for recordings to be mixed in 3D. Mobile phones and tablets have internal gyroscopes that can be used to create responsive, spatialized audio experiences.

To our knowledge, this is the first “music video without video” — a piece of content that treats audio the same way we treat visuals in our storytelling. With Windows Sonic, we used existing technology that powers a different Microsoft app (Soundscape; used to help the blind navigate the world around them) and mobile devices’ internal gyroscopes to help create a rich narrative. We allowed users to choose from two different versions of the “video,” adding a “Choose Your Own Adventure” feeling to the exploration; they could also customize their listening experience by choosing how loud they wanted the ambient sounds to be in the final mix. A fader bar in the app gave them control over their experience. The “Boom” app is the first creative content from a band that specifically caters to blind fans, and explodes the concept of what a music video can be.