Methods and apparatuses for encoding and decoding object-based audio signals

Provided are an audio encoding method and apparatus and an audio decoding method and apparatus in which audio signals can be encoded or decoded so that sound images can be localized at any desired position for each object audio signal. The audio decoding method includes extracting a downmix signal and object-based side information from an input audio signal; generating rendering information based on input control data; and generating spatial information based on the rendering information and the object-based side information.