In analogy to landscape planning, the concept of soundscape planning aims to reconcile potentially competing uses of acoustic space by managing the anthropogenic sound sources. We present here a conceptual framework to explore the potential of soundscape planning in reducing (mutual) acoustic interference between hydroacoustic instrumentation and marine mammals. The basis of this framework is formed by the various mechanisms by which acoustic niche formation occurs in species-rich communities that acoustically coexist while maintaining hi-fi soundscapes, i.e., by acoustically partitioning the environment on the basis of time, space, frequency and/or signal form. Hydroacoustic measurements often exhibit certain flexibility in the timing, signal characteristics and even instrument positioning, potentially offering the opportunity to minimize the underwater acoustic imprint. We evaluate how the principle of acoustic niches (i.e., the partitioning of the acoustic space) could contribute to reduce potential (mutual) acoustic interference based on actual acoustic data from various recording locations in polar oceans.