“ABI Research expects the wireless and assistive listening industries to rapidly embrace LE Audio and Auracast™ technology.”
– Andrew Zignani, ABI Research
For the last two decades, Bluetooth® technology only supported point-to-point communications for audio. LE Audio changes that by adding broadcast audio, a new feature that enables an audio source to broadcast an audio stream to an unlimited number of Bluetooth audio sink devices. Bluetooth audio broadcasts can be open, allowing any in-range sink device to participate, or closed, permitting only those sink devices with the correct passkey to participate. Broadcast audio opens significant new opportunities for innovation, including the enablement of a powerful new capability, Auracast™ broadcast audio.
“Auracast™ broadcast audio is set to transform the way the world engages with wireless audio, enabling innovative new user experiences while delivering the next generation of assistive listening technology across a wide range of public venues,” said Andrew Zignani from ABI Research. “ABI Research expects the wireless and assistive listening industries to rapidly embrace LE Audio and Auracast™ technology, enabling more and more people to share their audio experiences with others, tune in to public broadcasts, and provide people with hearing loss an easy to use, standardized, interoperable, and consistent assistive listening experience.”
Share Your Audio
Auracast™ broadcast audio will let you invite others to share in your audio experience, helping bring us closer together. When using your wireless earbuds to listen to a song or movie playing on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, Auracast™ broadcast audio will allow family or friends to join in and listen using their own Auracast™ enabled Bluetooth earbuds or hearing device. “The introduction of Auracast™ broadcast audio will enable us to move from personal wireless listening experiences to shared wireless listening experiences, unlocking the full potential of wireless audio and bringing even more value and delight to our customers,” said Zeng Xuezhong from Xiaomi.
“The introduction of Auracast™ broadcast audio will enable us to move from personal wireless listening experiences to shared wireless listening experiences.”
– Zeng Xuezhong, Xiaomi
Unmute Your World
With Auracast™ broadcast audio, you will be able to fully enjoy televisions in public spaces, unmuting what was once silent and creating a more complete watching experience. Silent televisions in public venues like airports, gymnasiums, restaurants, and waiting rooms will be able to broadcast audio that any visitor with Auracast™ enabled Bluetooth earbuds or hearing aids will be able to hear, adding significant value to the overall visitor experience.
Hear Your Best
Auracast™ broadcast audio will allow you to hear your best in the places you go. When visiting a public venue such as a transit center, cinema, conference center, house of worship, and more, you will be able to receive audio broadcasts from the public address system directly into your Auracast™ enabled Bluetooth earbuds or hearing device. Travelers at an airport, for instance, will be able to receive essential flight announcements such as gate changes, boarding schedules, and other travel information directly to their personal audio device.
MARKET RESEARCH
LE Audio: The Future of Bluetooth® Audio
Get new forecasts about when and which audio devices will adopt Auracast™ broadcast audio, along with predictions for when public locations will deploy this new Bluetooth capability to enable new audio use cases in their venues.
Auracast™ Broadcast Audio in Public Venues
Auracast™ will enable public venues and spaces to deliver better audio experiences that will increase accessibility and enhance occupant and visitor satisfaction. “Auracast™ broadcast audio is well positioned to become an advanced, new assistive listening system that will be significantly easier and lower cost to deploy while offering higher audio quality and greater privacy, improving audio accessibility and promoting better living through better hearing,” said Nick Hunn from WiFore Consulting.
“Auracast™ broadcast audio is well positioned to become an advanced, new assistive listening system.”
– Nick Hunn, WiFore Consulting
This new Bluetooth® capability holds the potential to improve existing use cases and establish new applications within public venues and spaces, from augmented/assistive listening to multi-language support and beyond.
Auracast™ broadcast audio will offer venues that deploy public address (PA) systems – such as transit centers, lecture halls, conference centers, houses of worship, and more – an enhanced audio experience by enabling visitors to receive the PA audio directly into their own Auracast™ enabled Bluetooth headset or hearing device. When used in this manner, Auracast™ broadcast audio will function as a high-quality, low-cost, next-generation assistive listening system (ALS), increasing accessibility and improving the visitor experience.
“Audio quality innovations can benefit everyone, while also improving communication access to those with hearing loss,” said Barbara Kelley from the HLAA. “Having choices in technology to meet the varying needs of people with hearing loss is critical. The advent of technologies like Auracast™ broadcast audio has the potential to give people who wear hearing aids and cochlear implants an important new option for hearing access in their everyday lives.”
And, as a secure, cost-effective, and hygienic alternative to handing out infrared, FM, or wired headsets to those in need of translation services, Auracast™ broadcast audio lets visitors use their own Auracast™ enabled Bluetooth earbuds or hearing device to listen to simultaneous interpretation services without the need for any additional devices or complicated infrastructure.
“The advent of technologies like Auracast™ broadcast audio has the potential to give people who wear hearing aids and cochlear implants an important new option for hearing access in their everyday lives.”
– Barbara Kelley, HLAA
How It Works
An unlimited number of in-range Auracast™ receivers will be able to join an Auracast™ broadcast from a nearby Auracast™ transmitter.
Auracast™ transmitters (e.g., smartphones, TVs, PA systems, etc.) will broadcast advertisements, notifying Auracast™ assistants (e.g., smartphones, smartwatches, etc.) that there is an Auracast™ transmission available in the area. The advertisement includes a name, whether the transmission is secured or open, and other information about the Auracast™ transmission.
Auracast™ assistants scan for these advertisements and provide a user interface (UI) to enable users to select an Auracast™ transmission, similar to the UI commonly used to connect to Wi-Fi networks in public spaces.
Once an Auracast™ transmission is selected, the Auracast™ assistant informs the Auracast™ receiver (e.g., headphone, earbud, hearing aid, etc.) how to join the Auracast™ transmission.
Learn More About Auracast™ Broadcast Audio
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) launched a new microsite to help developers learn what they need to know about developing their Auracast™ products and solutions and to provide public locations with important information about how Auracast™ broadcast audio will benefit their location and visitors.
Check out more Auracast™ resources.
FEATURED INNOVATION
Auracast™ Broadcast Audio
Auracast™ broadcast audio will deliver life-changing audio experiences that will enhance the way you engage with others and the world around you.