The present document relates to audio coding systems, in particular efficient methods and systems for parametric multi-channel audio coding. An audio encoding system configured to generate a bitstream indicative of a downmix signal and spatial metadata for generating a multi-channel upmix signal from the downmix signal is described. The system comprises a downmix processing unit configured to generate the downmix signal from a multi-channel input signal; the downmix signal comprises m channels and the multi-channel input signal comprises n channels; n, m being integers with m<n. Furthermore, the system comprises a parameter processing unit configured to determine the spatial metadata from the multi-channel input signal. In addition, the system comprises a configuration unit configured to determine one or more control settings, comprising a maximum data-rate for the spatial metadata, for the parameter processing unit based on one or more external settings comprising a target data-rate for the bitstream.