For the better part of a year, YouTube has allowed users to post 360-degree videos. Today, the company took that initiative further by launching immersive live streaming. 

YouTube announced in a blog post Monday that it would begin supporting 360-degree live streaming and spatial audio — the ability to listen to videos as you would if you were seeing the content in person.

For now, the company says the spatial audio will only be available with on-demand videos and via an Android smartphone used with headphones.

“What excites me most about 360-degree storytelling is that it lets us open up the world’s experiences to everyone,” Neal Mohan, chief product officer for YouTube, says in a blog post. “What were once limited experiences are now available to anyone, anywhere, at any time.”

The company will kickoff the new streaming capability by showcasing select performances at the Coachella music festival.

YouTube says it is partnering with other companies to make software compatible with 360-degree live streams and spatial audio available to content creators. Some of that technology will be available through YouTube Space locations for anyone to try.

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