How do you keep up with the latest research and developments in speech and audio coding?

1 Follow journals and conferences

One of the best ways to stay updated on the current trends and innovations in speech and audio coding is to follow the publications and presentations of the leading researchers and organizations in this domain. Some of the most relevant journals and conferences include IEEE Transactions on Audio, Speech, and Language Processing, IEEE Signal Processing Letters, IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, and International Speech Communication Association Conference. You can subscribe to their newsletters, alerts, or RSS feeds to get notified of new issues and events.

2 Join online communities and forums

Another way to learn from the experts and peers in speech and audio coding is to join online communities and forums where you can exchange ideas, ask questions, and get feedback. Some of the popular platforms for this purpose are Stack Overflow, Quora, Reddit, LinkedIn, and ResearchGate. You can also follow the blogs, podcasts, and social media accounts of influential researchers and practitioners in this field, such as Koen Vos, James D. Johnston, and Akihiko Sugiyama.

3 Take online courses and workshops

If you want to deepen your knowledge and skills in speech and audio coding, you can take advantage of the online courses and workshops offered by various universities, institutes, and platforms. Some of the examples are MIT OpenCourseWare, Coursera, edX, Udemy, and Speech Processing for Machine Learning. These courses and workshops can help you learn the fundamentals, applications, and challenges of speech and audio coding, as well as the latest techniques and tools.

4 Experiment with open-source software and datasets

One of the best ways to practice and improve your speech and audio coding abilities is to experiment with open-source software and datasets that are available for free or at a low cost. Some of the examples are Opus, Speex, CELT, FLAC, Audacity, LibriSpeech, TIMIT, and VoxForge. You can use these software and datasets to test, compare, and modify different speech and audio coding algorithms, formats, and standards.

5 Attend webinars and events

Another way to keep up with the latest research and developments in speech and audio coding is to attend webinars and events that are organized by reputable institutions, companies, and associations. Some of the examples are IEEE Signal Processing Society Webinars, Fraunhofer IIS Webinars, Audio Engineering Society Events, and Speech Technology Magazine Events. You can register for these webinars and events to learn from the speakers, network with the participants, and discover new opportunities.

6 Read books and papers

Finally, one of the most classic and effective ways to keep up with the latest research and developments in speech and audio coding is to read books and papers that cover the theory, practice, and history of this field. Some of the examples are Speech Coding: A Computer Laboratory Textbook by W. Bastiaan Kleijn and K. K. Paliwal, Perceptual Audio Coding Using Adaptive Pre- and Post-Filters by Ted Painter and Andreas Spanias, and A Short History of Audio Coding by Karlheinz Brandenburg. You can find these books and papers online or in libraries.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?