EIC-backed Sound Particles helped create the soundscape of Dune, a film awarded Best Sound
- ›Portuguese start-up Sound Particles, supported by the European Innovation Council, supplied 3D audio software used on Denis Villeneuve’s Dune.
- ›Dune won the 2022 Academy Award for Best Sound and the BAFTA for Best Sound where Sound Particles’ tools were used to build effects such as ships and vehicles.
- ›Sound Particles develops particle-based 3D audio tools that represent each particle as a 3D sound source captured by virtual microphones.
- ›The EIC funding aims to bring more realistic immersive audio tools to film, gaming and entertainment but practical adoption faces technical, workflow and standards hurdles.
Sound Particles, the EIC and an Oscar for Best Sound
Sound Particles, a Portuguese start-up that received support from the European Innovation Council, supplied audio software that was used in the production of Denis Villeneuve's film Dune. The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound in 2022. The production team employed Sound Particles’ tools to create complex effects such as the sounds of ships and other vehicles used by characters. Dune also received the BAFTA Award for Best Sound at the 75th British Academy Film Awards held in mid-March.
What the company’s software contributed on Dune
According to the information published by the European Innovation Council, Dune’s sound team used Sound Particles’ software to populate scenes with virtual sound sources and to capture those sources with virtual microphones. The company says this approach allowed sound designers to create richer and more dramatic soundscapes for vehicles and environments. The EIC highlights the contribution as a success story for an EU-supported innovator working in audio technology.
| Item | Detail | Source or note |
| Film | Dune | Production credited with using Sound Particles software |
| Awards | Oscar for Best Sound 2022 and BAFTA Best Sound (75th ceremony) | Awards won by the film where the software was used |
| Company | Sound Particles | Portuguese start-up backed by EIC funding |
| Use case | Creation of sounds for ships and vehicles and general 3D soundscapes | Reported by EIC |
How the technology works in plain terms
Why 3D audio matters and where it is already used
Three dimensional audio is valuable for immersive experiences because it can position sound sources with height and depth as well as lateral placement. The gaming industry has been an early adopter of 3D audio for interactive environments. In film and linear media the potential is similar but practical adoption has lagged because many production tools and workflows remain rooted in stereo or 2D spatial approaches.
EIC support and the claim of productivity gains
The EIC funded the Sound Particles project with the explicit aim of developing new 3D audio production tools. The Commission materials state the technology could enable a "great increase in productivity in the whole audio sector" by allowing the creation of richer and more realistic soundscapes. EIC support is a form of public validation and financial backing that can help a start-up scale its engineering, sales and partnerships.
That said, the claim that a single technology will deliver broad productivity gains should be treated with caution. Real productivity improvements depend on adoption across studios and vendors, integration with existing digital audio workstations, training of sound teams, and alignment with distribution formats. The audio industry has a complex toolchain and many legacy pipelines. Converting a technical advantage into sector wide efficiency requires ecosystem work as much as better code.
Technical and market challenges to wider adoption
There are several non trivial barriers that determine whether a tool like Sound Particles becomes widely used beyond headline credits. They include technical compatibility with standard DAWs, consistent handling of metadata for spatial audio across platforms, render quality for different output formats and real time performance demands in interactive applications. Licensing models and integration with existing post production contracts also influence uptake.
Context in the EU innovation ecosystem
The European Innovation Council supports high risk deep tech projects through grants and blended finance instruments. The EIC pathway is designed to nurture technologies from research prototypes toward commercialisation. Projects that touch creative industries such as film and gaming can benefit from public funding to bridge the so called valley of death between prototype and market adoption. EIC backing helps with visibility and investor interest but it is not a guarantee of commercial scale.
Sound Particles is part of a broader cluster of audio and media tech start-ups in Europe. Portugal has a growing tech scene and a number of successful audio technology companies. EU funding programmes that support training, standards work and cross sector partnerships can amplify a single company’s impact if those resources are deployed to address the system level frictions described above.
What to watch next
The immediate takeaway is that EIC-backed Sound Particles contributed to a visible, award winning production. The next test is commercial scaling. Watch for indicators such as adoption by multiple post production houses, plug-ins or integrations for major DAWs, licensing deals with game engines and streaming platforms, and any public interoperability work with standards bodies. Independent case studies measuring time saved in real productions would be the strongest evidence of the productivity gains the EIC materials promise.
In short, the association with an Oscar winning film is a helpful publicity milestone. It signals that the technology can meet the demands of high end sound designers. Converting that technical validation into broad industry transformation will require sustained technical integration and ecosystem building across tools, standards and skills.