Microsoft Soundscape for PC

★ ★ ★ Microsoft Soundscape Overview

What is Microsoft Soundscape? Microsoft Soundscape is an app that uses spatial audio to help users navigate their surroundings effortlessly. It places audio cues and labels in 3D space, making it sound like they are coming from the direction of points of interest, parks, roads, and other features in the user's surroundings. The app can be used in the real world or the virtual world to help users build a picture of a place with Street Preview. Soundscape is designed to live in the background and provide ambient awareness, allowing users to use it in conjunction with other apps.

Software Features and Description

1. Microsoft Soundscape will place audio cues and labels in 3D space such that they sound like they are coming from the direction of the points of interest, parks, roads and other features in your surroundings.

2. If at any time you have any questions about Soundscape, please refer to the Help & Tutorials section available on the main menu or if you require further help then you can contact the Disability Answer Desk on 1-800-936-5900 which is a free of charge service.

3. Switch between using Soundscape in the real world, or the virtual world, to help you build a picture of a place effortlessly with Street Preview.

4. You can place an audio beacon on a point of interest that you would like to track such as your destination, a point to return to or a landmark you are familiar with.

5. - As you walk, Soundscape will automatically call out the key points of interest, roads and intersections that you pass.

6. - "Ahead of Me" describes points of interest in front of you, for example when walking down the street.

7. - An audio beacon can be placed on a point of interest, and you will hear it as you move around.

8. - "Around Me" describes nearby points of interest in each of the four cardinal directions, helping with orientation.

9. Immerse yourself in your surroundings and navigate effortlessly with Soundscape spatial audio.

10. Therefore, feel free to use it in conjunction with other apps such as podcasts, audio books, email and even GPS navigation.

11. Soundscape is designed to live in the background and provide you with effortless ambient awareness.

12. Liked Microsoft Soundscape? here are 5 Lifestyle apps like Word To Go Plus - Document Writer for Microsoft Office Word; Microsoft Family Safety; Zillow Real Estate & Rentals; Pinterest;

Download and install Microsoft Soundscape on your computer

GET Compatible PC App

App	Download	Rating	Maker
Microsoft Soundscape	Get App ↲	614 4.51	Microsoft Corporation

Or follow the guide below to use on PC:

Select Windows version:

Windows 10
Windows 11

Install Microsoft Soundscape app on your Windows in 4 steps below:

Download an Android emulator for PC:
Get either Bluestacks or the Nox App >> . We recommend Bluestacks because you can easily find solutions online if you run into problems while using it. Download Bluestacks PC software Here >> .

Install the emulator:
On your computer, goto the Downloads folder » click to install Bluestacks.exe or Nox.exe » Accept the License Agreements » Follow the on-screen prompts to complete installation.

Using Microsoft Soundscape on PC [Windows 10/ 11]:

Open the Emulator app you installed » goto its search bar and search "Microsoft Soundscape"
The search will reveal the Microsoft Soundscape app icon. Open, then click "Install".
Once Microsoft Soundscape is downloaded inside the emulator, locate/click the "All apps" icon to access a page containing all your installed applications including Microsoft Soundscape.
Now enjoy Microsoft Soundscape on PC.

Download a Compatible APK for PC

Download	Developer	Rating	Current version
Get APK for PC →	Microsoft Corporation	4.51	5.1.1

Download on Windows 11

For Windows 11, check if there's a native Microsoft Soundscape Windows app here » ». If none, follow the steps below:

To get started, Download the OpenPC software »
- Upon installation, open OpenPC app » goto "Playstore on PC" » click "Configure_Download" button. This will auto-download and install PlayStore on your computer.

To use Microsoft Soundscape,
- Login to the PlayStore we just installed
- Search for "Microsoft Soundscape" » then Click "Install".
- Microsoft Soundscape will now be available on your Windows start-menu.

Minimum requirements	Recommended
8GB RAM SSD Storage Processor: Intel Core i3, AMD Ryzen 3000 Architecture: x64 or ARM64	16GB RAM HDD Storage

Get Microsoft Soundscape on Apple macOS

Download	Developer	Reviews	Rating
Get Free on Mac	Microsoft Corporation	614	4.51

Download on Android: Download Android

Microsoft Soundscape functions

- Automatic callouts of key points of interest, roads, and intersections as the user walks

- Audio beacons that can be placed on a point of interest and heard as the user moves around

- "My Location" feature that describes the user's current location and direction they are facing

- "Nearby Markers" feature that describes nearby places the user has marked

- "Around Me" feature that describes nearby points of interest in each of the four cardinal directions

- "Ahead of Me" feature that describes points of interest in front of the user

- Can be used with stereo headsets such as bone conduction headsets, Apple AirPods, and in-ear open headphones

- Help & Tutorials section available on the main menu for any questions or further assistance

- Disability Answer Desk available for free of charge assistance at 1-800-936-5900.

✔ Pros:

- The concept of a sound navigation aid is innovative and exciting.

- The app has the potential to be helpful for visually impaired individuals.

☹ Cons:

- The app is often too slow or late in announcing intersections in downtown Manhattan.

- It would be helpful to have further categorization of callouts.

- The extreme volume difference between the voice and music makes it difficult to use the app while listening to music.

- The app struggles to recognize individual stores within outdoor shopping outlets and malls.

- The app is not functional without a network connection and cannot determine your location when offline.

- There is no way to download regions for offline navigation, and the app cannot navigate along a previously recorded route.

Top Pcmac Reviews

Great idea, poorly implemented

By Hafík (Pcmac user)

The idea of sound navigation aid is ingenious. However, this app comes short in almost every aspect of its implementation. The app is not functional without a network connection. No way to download regions for offline navigation. The app can't even determine your location when you're offline. The app is not able to navigate along a previously recorded route. It can only navigate to a single point -beacon. There is neither a way to automatically navigate along a string of predefined beacons. Markers are great, however, you never know how close you need to be to a given market to hear about its proximity. For some markers you really want to be close, for others, you just may want to know that they are near. The app claims to be mostly for people with impaired vision. It doesn't have to be. It could be used to navigate in dense forests, in the dark, in the fog or snow storm. Sound navigation clearly has much larger potential. Actually, one has to wonder if this kind of sound navigation is not severely limiting audio stream a person with reduced vision needs to proced in order to stay safe in a busy city environment. The constant sound distraction coming from this app could prevent its user from, let's say hearing a incoming car when crossing a street. What is also very frustrating is that there is nobody listening to user feedback. Well. That's a normal large corporation way.
Incredible concept and worth trying

By Sfxmaker (Pcmac user)

....in that way it’s a 5 star app. But it’s not perfect yet. It gets confused a lot which way you’re facing. (probably a hardware issue). Ideally it should work with the phone in my pocket but the phone’s compass doesn’t work well that way....the hardware issue. The interface is a little confusing and it’s not always clear which app mode you should select by default and when / why you would use one of the other modes. One suggestion: This app is very useful when you are in an unfamiliar place, especially in a place where you should keep your phone out of sight. Being able to utilize headset remote functions to control the app would be helpful. i.e. tie the headset remote fast forward function to trigger a one shot what’s around me when running in what’s ahead of me mode
Promising but needs work

By MuxaLuxa (Pcmac user)

Testing out for a visually-impaired loved one. Concept is amazing and very exciting, but still has a ways to go. Often too slow/late on announcing intersections in downtown Manhattan, which is disappointing as this is the most appealing feature of the app for navigation. Would be nice to be able to further categorize callouts. Biggest request: Please please please enable audio ducking or some kind of volume control for the voice! VIP like listening to music etc while walking just like the rest of us, and it’s not currently possible with extreme volume difference between voice and most music. Also, PLEASE consider pairing with or implementing Bose AR support in the near future (Bose Frames, etc)—with that increased spatial accuracy, this could be an amazing pairing!
Great concept but has many issues

By Lyra M. T. (Pcmac user)

I am visually impaired and thought I’d try out this app. It’s a great concept but here are some problems I’ve noticed. First, I tried using it at an outdoor shopping outlet, but Soundscape wouldn’t recognize individual stores within the outlet and would only direct me to the outlet itself and the shops on the very outside of it. Another issue I had was with malls. I used it at my local mall and it cannot pinpoint the stores within the mall. I tried to set my own beacon in a specific store, but the app doesn’t work in a multi-level building. I was on the second floor and the app didn’t recognize that and didn’t direct me to stairs. As a visually impaired person, I know that navigating through a mall can be difficult and this app isn’t much help.