In general, techniques are described by which to provide priority information for higher order ambisonic (HOA) audio data. A device comprising a memory and a processor may perform the techniques. The memory stores HOA coefficients of the HOA audio data, the HOA coefficients representative of a soundfield. The processor may decompose the HOA coefficients into a sound component and a corresponding spatial component, the corresponding spatial component defining shape, width, and directions of the sound component, and the corresponding spatial component defined in a spherical harmonic domain. The processor may also determine, based on one or more of the sound component and the corresponding spatial component, priority information indicative of a priority of the sound component relative to other sound components of the soundfield, and specify, in a data object representative of a compressed version of the HOA audio data, the sound component and the priority information.