This workshop presents the development and practical use of a set of immersive music production guidelines derived from empirical research with professional practitioners and subsequently tested and refined through production camps. The guidelines cover pre-production, recording, and mixing, and were developed iteratively by comparing established professional practice with what happened when artists, producers, and engineers used them in real production contexts.

The workshop focuses on how the guidelines should be used in practice. They are designed as a flexible decision-making framework rather than a fixed checklist. Participants will work through selected guideline areas, consider how they would apply, adapt, reject, or extend them in different production scenarios, and discuss how genre, room configuration, monitoring infrastructure, performer needs, and delivery requirements affect those decisions.

Examples from the presenter's doctoral research will show how the guidelines evolved through use, including spatial planning, source capture, object-bed and routing decisions, immersive monitoring, translation checks, and cross-format delivery. The workshop will conclude by showing how practitioners can incorporate the guidelines into their own workflows while documenting adaptations and developing project-specific practices.

About Marcela Rada
Marcela Rada is a doctoral researcher in Audio Engineering at the University of Surrey, UK. Her research focuses on workflows and guidelines for immersive music production, aiming to bridge creative practice with immersive audio technology. She holds a Master's degree in Music Production, Technology, and Innovation from Berklee College of Music, and a Bachelor's degree in Music with a major in Digital Audio Arts from the University of Lethbridge. She has lectured internationally on music production, immersive audio, and recording and mixing techniques, and has held academic and instructional roles at institutions including Algonquin College, the University of Lethbridge, and University of the Arts London. Her work has been presented at major academic and industry conferences worldwide, including AES, IBC, ADE, SXSW, and XP Music Futures. She is the recipient of the Best Student Paper Award at the AES Europe Convention in 2025.