Auracast™ broadcast audio will transform listening experiences for those using hearing aids
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Hearing loss affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and, as global populations age, that number is only expected to grow.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1.5 billion people around the globe (nearly 20 percent of the population) are living with hearing loss. This number is anticipated to grow to 2.5 billion as early as 2050, with 700 million people expected to require hearing support in the form of assistive listening technology, among other interventions.
In many public places like airports, theaters, houses of worship, and transit hubs, following announcements or enjoying shared audio experiences can be difficult or even impossible for those with hearing loss. That’s where Bluetooth® technology is stepping in to help.
Driving more inclusive listening experiences
By adding standardized support for hearing aids and other hearing instruments, Bluetooth is redefining what’s possible in hearing assistance, making it easier than ever for those with hearing loss to connect to phones, tablets, TVs, and more.
Auracast™ broadcast audio takes this a step further by allowing anyone with an Auracast™ compatible device to join audio broadcasts in public spaces. That means people with hearing aids, earbuds, or headphones can access audio straight from a venue’s public address or sound system, using their own personal device, with no need to borrow or request special equipment.
“Hearing and understanding speech in various environments can be a daily struggle for people with any degree of hearing loss,” said Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America. “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.”
Making audio accessibility mainstream
The Bluetooth community emphasizes that environments, technologies, and services should be created to remove barriers and foster inclusion, ensuring that innovations serve everyone, regardless of physical, sensory, or cognitive differences. Accessibility is not an add-on but a design principle.
Many assistive listening systems (ALS) often feel separate and stigmatizing, requiring users to request special equipment and revealing personal needs in public settings. Auracast™ broadcast audio supports a private, high-quality audio experience without the physical limitations of other assistive listening solutions.
“While current assistive listening systems, such as inductive loops, have been providing great benefit to people with hearing loss, they suffer from a number of challenges that have limited their deployment, including poor quality, high cost, and lack of privacy,” said Nick Hunn, CTO of WiFore. “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.”
Auracast™ broadcasts make audio accessibility feel mainstream and modern. By enabling anyone to receive high-quality, direct-to-ear audio using their own personal devices, it creates a shared, inclusive experience — whether you are using hearing aids, earbuds, or headphones.
Auracast™ broadcast audio is accessible by design, not exception.
Removing barriers to assistive listening deployment
Installing traditional assistive listening systems can be complex, time-consuming, and often costly, making them impractical for many venues and limiting availability. Because of the time, expertise, and investment typically needed, and the perception that these systems only serve a narrow audience, assistive listening systems are often under-deployed, leaving many public spaces without inclusive audio solutions.
Auracast™ broadcast audio dramatically simplifies deployment, reducing setup time from days to minutes, making it easier for venues of all sizes to roll out inclusive audio. As such, it is expected to expand the availability of assistive listening systems in public spaces, benefiting not only those with hearing loss but also anyone seeking to hear better in crowded or noisy environments.
“ABI Research expects the wireless and assistive listening industries to rapidly embrace Auracast™ technology, enabling more and more people to tune in to public broadcasts and provide those with hearing loss an easy-to-use, standardized, interoperable, and consistent assistive listening experience,” said Andrew Zignani, research director at ABI Research.
Transforming listening experiences in the real world
Auracast™ broadcasts enable a high-quality audio experience for everyone, even in shared spaces, addressing audio accessibility challenges by offering a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) model. This allows users to connect directly to a location’s audio broadcast in places like airports, theaters, classrooms, or stadiums using personal hearing aids, earbuds, headphones, or cochlear implants, eliminating the need for venues to distribute and maintain specialized receivers.
ABI Research predicts that, by 2029, 1.5 million public venues are expected to become Auracast™ locations. But this is not just hopeful forecasting. Already, real-world locations have deployed and are continuing to deploy Auracast™ transmitters to provide a more inclusive audio experience for visitors.
Venues from the Sydney Opera House and the CCI at the University of the Arts London, to churches in the US and UK are early adopters of this technology, and they have seen strong demand and positive feedback. Auracast™ broadcast audio has also been successfully tested in high-traffic environments like Oslo Central Theater, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and at CES 2025, demonstrating its versatility and scalability.
“It was a life-changing event for me to be able to pick up my phone and walk through a noisy place and be able to hear like everyone else,” said Cheri Perazzoli, a hearing-health advocate. “In addition to better sound quality, better enjoyment of music, and a higher fidelity, if all places adopt Auracast™ broadcast audio, and everything is done with care to eliminate latency and other issues that we have had with other technologies, it would open a new world for us.”
See more real-world examples of where Auracast™ broadcast audio is already available.
Auracast™ broadcast audio and other ALS technologies
Of course, while Auracast™ broadcast audio will likely become the new standard in assistive listening, existing systems like hearing loops still have a vital role to play. In panel discussions held at HLAA 2025 earlier this year, it was noted that the best practice for venues is to add Auracast™ broadcasts alongside current systems, allowing users to transition at their own pace. This hybrid approach ensures compliance with accessibility laws while preparing for the future.
So, for those familiar with a legacy assistive listening system, there’s no need to worry about locations adopting rip-and-replace assistive listening infrastructure strategies. Auracast™ broadcast audio seamlessly coexists with older systems.
Looking ahead
According to ABI Research, more than 30 million Bluetooth® hearing aids and OTC hearing aids will ship annually by 2029. This clearly indicates that we can expect a future where accessible audio technology is no longer a niche solution but a standard part of consumer products, benefiting everyone, including those with hearing loss.
Thanks to the ongoing innovation and dedication of the global Bluetooth SIG member community, Bluetooth® technology continues to enhance lives. One day soon, accessing audio in public spaces using Auracast™ broadcast audio will be as common and expected as connecting to the internet using Wi-Fi.
Learn more about how Auracast broadcast audio can help you enjoy more inclusive listening experiences in public spaces.
