The pocket-sized mic is billed as the first smartphone microphone certified for Eclipsa Audio, with ambisonic, binaural, and stereo capture from a four-capsule array.
Sony has launched the ECM-AX10, a compact microphone that lets creators record spatial audio on their phones. Sony says it’s the first smartphone mic anywhere to earn Eclipsa Audio certification, the format used for immersive sound on YouTube.
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Eclipsa Audio is an open-source spatial audio format developed by Google and Samsung, built on the Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF) specification created with other contributors through the Alliance for Open Media and released under a royalty-free licence. Because the underlying specification is open, files can be made with freely available tools rather than proprietary software. YouTube has accepted Eclipsa Audio uploads since January 2025, and Samsung’s 2025 TV and soundbar range was among the first hardware to support playback. Google and Samsung also set up a certification and brand licensing program to give manufacturers and buyers some assurance of quality, which is the program the ECM-AX10 now passes through.
Inside the ECM-AX10 is a purpose-built spherical module holding four omnidirectional capsules, which pick up sound from all around the phone. Sony’s spatial audio processing then turns that signal into a recording with a convincing sense of where sounds sit and how far away they are, aimed at making everyday video feel more immersive. The mic weighs roughly 24g and plugs straight into a phone’s USB-C port, so there are no cables or extra power sources to manage.
Three recording modes cover different delivery needs. Ambisonics is the route to publishing in Eclipsa Audio on YouTube, and it works with Sony’s Spatial Audio Video Tool app. Binaural mode draws on the same proprietary technology behind Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, producing a three-dimensional mix tuned for headphones, which is useful when a platform doesn’t support Eclipsa Audio. Stereo is the conventional option for videos that will be played over headphones or speakers.
Sony’s Spatial Audio Video Tool app ties the process together on the phone itself, letting creators shoot, review, trim, and export spatial audio content without moving to a computer. The ECM-AX10 isn’t locked to that app, though, and works with general recording and video apps as well as Sony’s own.
The microphone was developed and tuned by engineers at Sony PCL.
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