Auracast and the Future of Hearing Accessibility: Hope, Hype, and Hurdles
‘The Hope and the Hype’
You may have seen the term “Auracast” being used in some media outlets recently. Auracast is a new hearing augmentation technology being hailed as a game-changer for people with hearing loss. Is it a new era in hearing technology or is it too good to be true?
At Better Hearing Australia, we’re all for innovation—especially when it promises real improvements in hearing accessibility. But new technology that sounds amazing in principle can sometimes leave people behind in practice.
So, what’s the real story? In this article, we break down what Auracast is, what it could mean for people with hearing loss—and why it might (and might not) be the silver bullet we are are hoping for.
What is Auracast?
Auracast is a new feature of Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) audio, developed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). It enables an audio source to broadcast to multiple nearby devices, including compatible hearing aids, cochlear implants, and standard headphones and earbuds. This makes it possible to stream sound directly to multiple listeners without requiring individual pairing or connection steps. This takes away a lot of the barriers for current hearing aid Bluetooth technology.
The added benefit of Auracast is that there are many consumer electronics manufacturers starting to build the technology into their devices – ensuring that everyone, not just those with hearing aids, can benefit from improved listening experiences and greater hearing accessibility.
Possible uses of Auracast
The excitement around Auracast stems from the multiple new possibilities for accessibility with its ability to deliver multiple streams to multiple devices at the same time. The following are just a few examples of how the technology may be adopted in the real world:
Entertainment and Culture
- Cinemas: Audiences can choose between multiple audio streams (e.g. standard dialogue, audio description, or a language track) through their hearing aids or traditional headphones and earbuds.
- Live Theatres: Discreetly access crystal-clear stage audio without relying on hearing loop coverage or borrowed devices.
- Concert Venues: Listen at your preferred volume with reduced background noise, enhancing enjoyment for everyone, including those with hearing loss.
- Museums and Galleries: Tap into multilingual audio tours or themed content (e.g. child-friendly vs. academic narration) using personal devices.
Transport and Travel
- Airports: Hear flight updates and boarding announcements clearly, in real-time, on your hearing device or headphones, and in your chosen language.
- Train Stations and Bus Terminals: Avoid missed announcements due to poor acoustics or ambient noise by streaming platform updates directly.
- Tour Buses: Select from multiple audio streams—different languages or commentary types—during sightseeing tours without handling shared equipment.
Healthcare Settings
- Hospital Waiting Rooms: Connect to TV broadcasts or appointment call systems to stay informed while reducing stress and confusion.
- Aged Care Facilities: Residents can enjoy shared entertainment (TV, music) with personal control, improving accessibility, choice and control.
- GP and Specialist Clinics: Access audio prompts or announcements in waiting areas without relying on PA systems or external speakers.
Education and Training
- Classrooms: Students with hearing loss can connect directly to a teacher’s microphone or PA system for improved clarity and better focus.
- Universities and Lecture Halls: Join the audio feed from a lecturer or guest speaker via your phone or hearing device.
- Professional Training Events: Select specific session streams in multi-room conferences or multilingual options for better comprehension.
Workplaces and Conferences
- Office Meetings: Participate in hybrid or in-person meetings by streaming audio directly from the meeting room system to your device.
- Seminars and Workshops: Choose from concurrent sessions or breakout room broadcasts with the tap of a button—no confusion, no separate interference.
- Corporate Training Rooms: Employees can receive clear, direct audio for onboarding or safety training in multiple languages or tailored streams.
Home and Everyday Life
- Living Rooms: Family members can simultaneously connect to the TV at their own volume level, reducing debate over sound levels.
- Smart Home Integration: Receive spoken alerts (e.g. doorbell, oven timer, smoke detector) transmitted directly to your hearing device via a Bluetooth hub.
Public Events and Community Spaces
- Council Meetings or Community Forums: Attendees can choose the stream (e.g. agenda items, interpretation, audio description) that suits them.
- Places of Worship: Listen to sermons, prayers, or music without needing to use or ask for special devices (especially helpful for new or visiting attendees).
- Emergency Announcements: Receive real-time emergency updates in crowded or noisy environments via your personal device.
The Technology Behind Auracast
Auracast operates through Bluetooth LE Audio, which offers higher efficiency and better sound quality than traditional Bluetooth. The main features include:
- Broadcast Audio: One audio source to multiple listeners.
- Low Power Consumption: Important for hearing aids and mobile devices.
- Multilingual Support: Broadcasts can be provided in multiple languages simultaneously.
- User-controlled: Set your own volume and other settings.
- BYOD (bring your own device) or use a venue device: If your hearing aids or other listening device is compatible you do not need to use a venue provided receiver.
- Inclusive: Auracast promises increased access for everyone, not just hearing aid users.
- Discreet: if using your own device there are no visible identifiers or access requirements.
- Unlike traditional pairing, which connects one Bluetooth device to another, Auracast lets users discover nearby audio broadcasts and join them at will. This is similar to how you might select a Wi-Fi network.
One of the really great features of Auracast is its universal standard and, ultimately, the death of the “walled gardens” of previous Bluetooth based technologies released by hearing aid manufacturers. Historically, most manufacturers developed their own proprietary versions, leading to compatibility issues between streamers/ALDs and hearing aids from different manufacturers.
As Auracast will be a universal standard, it won’t just be hearing aid manufacturers who will develop streamers and transmitters. We expect to eventually see cheaper, third-party consumer devices like we do with existing Bluetooth technology.
‘The Hurdles’: Why It’s Not Yet the Universal Solution
While Auracast has great promise and may well reshape the landscape of hearing augmentation and assistive listening for ever, it’s important to note, we’re not quite there yet…
Device Compatibility
A significant barrier to Auracast adoption is the current lack of compatibility across devices. Most existing hearing aids and smartphones do not support Bluetooth LE Audio, a requirement for receiving Auracast broadcasts. This (currently fragmented) device ecosystem poses challenges for users seeking seamless integration. At least until manufacturers embed the technology in all their devices and widespread user adoption occurs.
Infrastructure Rollout
Implementing Auracast in public venues necessitates substantial investment in new technology. Venues must install Auracast-compatible broadcast transmitters and ensure staff are adequately trained to operate and maintain the system. This requirement may be cost-prohibitive for public institutions already equipped with hearing augmentation systems.
Education and Awareness
The successful implementation of Auracast relies heavily on comprehensive education and awareness among both users and providers. Users must understand how to connect to Auracast broadcasts and determine device compatibility, while providers need to understand how to setup and manage the technology.
Poor experiences during early adoption due to a lack of education and training will only serve to hinder a successful transition to Auracast.
Cost and Access
The financial implications of adopting Auracast may be prohibitive for many individuals. Upgrading to Auracast-compatible hearing aids or smartphones will certainly involve additional expenses and this may be unattainable for many.
Slow and Fragmented Adoption
The absence of a legislated rollout or requirement for Auracast adoption contributes to an increasingly fragmented implementation landscape. While some venues may adopt the technology, others may not, leading to inconsistent user experiences. This patchy adoption underscores the need for Auracast to coexist with existing technologies such as traditional hearing loops.
Battery Usage Concerns
While Auracast is designed for low power consumption, streaming audio via Bluetooth LE Audio can still impact battery life for hearing aids and smartphones. Extended use may necessitate more frequent recharging or battery replacements, posing inconvenience for users and potentially limiting the practicality of the technology in certain scenarios.
Other Technical Concerns
Beyond compatibility and infrastructure, Auracast faces additional technical challenges. Potential issues include signal interference in environments with multiple broadcasts and concerns regarding the security and privacy of open audio streams. While Auracast allows for both open and encrypted broadcasts, managing these settings requires careful consideration to balance accessibility with user privacy.
But what about the traditional Hearing Loop?
Audio Frequency Induction Loops (or just ‘hearing loops’) have been the backbone of assistive listening systems in public venues for decades. They work by transmitting sound via a magnetic field directly into the receiving telecoil of a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
These systems are widely used, well-understood, and deliver excellent results when properly installed and maintained. In fact, under the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program (HSP), providers are required to offer at least one fully subsidised hearing aid that includes a telecoil (T-switch) feature. This ensures that clients have access to devices compatible with hearing loop systems, which are commonly used in public venues to assist individuals with hearing loss. No such requirement has been announced for Auracast and to date Auracast is only offered in higher end models.
Comparing Features and Costs
Features
Compatibility
- Auracast: Devices with compatible Bluetooth LE Audio
- Hearing Loops: Hearing aids and receivers with a telecoil
Range
- Auracast: Limited by Bluetooth range/transmitter
- Hearing Loops: Room-wide
Setup Complexity
- Auracast: Easier installation, active user setup
- Hearing Loops: Complex installation, but passive user experience
Personalisation
- Auracast: User-controlled volume and stream choice
- Hearing Loops: Limited to venue’s audio settings (some user control)
Latency
- Auracast: Very low (but variable)
- Hearing Loops: Near-zero
Hygiene
- Auracast: No shared equipment (receivers available for use in venues)
- Hearing Loops: No shared equipment (receivers available for use in venues)
Cost
Venue Equipment Cost
- Auracast: Lower (e.g., AUD $385 for transmitter)
- Hearing Loops: Variable; higher for larger venues
Venue Installation Complexity
- Auracast: Minimal; plug-and-play setup
- Hearing Loops: Higher; involves structural modifications
Scalability
- Auracast: High; suitable for various venue sizes
- Hearing Loops: Moderate; more complex for large areas
Maintenance
- Auracast: Low; straightforward updates
- Hearing Loops: Low; but repairs can be invasive
User Accessibility
- Auracast: Requires compatible devices
- Hearing Loops: Compatible with telecoil-enabled devices
User Cost
- Auracast: Top-up costs for HSP hearing aids but also available in consumer-level compatible earbuds or headphones, and smartphones.
- Hearing Loops: Optional in fully funded hearing aids from the Hearing Services Program (HSP) but also available as stand-alone receivers at reasonable costs.
Caution Against Replacing Loops Too Soon
Initial trials and user feedback are mostly positive. Android Central’s hands-on trial at IFA 2024 reported crisp, lag-free audio when switching between Auracast broadcasts at a convention.
In New York, hearing aid wearers attending a test event praised the sound quality and ease of connecting. However, not all could access the broadcast—some due to incompatible devices, others due to lack of guidance on how to connect.
In Australia the Sydney Opera House recently launched the technology and, for those without compatible earbuds or headphones, receivers with headphones or a personal hearing loop were provided as well.
This all bodes well for the technology moving forward but, as sound accessibility advocate and writer Shari Eberts conveys, new technology shouldn’t come at the cost of accessibility for those relying on existing solutions.
Replacing existing hearing augmentation systems before Auracast is more widely adopted would be a mistake. Current technologies that continue to work well should be maintained during the transition period which, despite all the benefits, could take years.
Hearing Loops are an essential part of the hearing accessibility landscape and still the most prevalent form of hearing augmentation installed in public spaces. Their passive, seamless operation makes them ideal in this situation, particularly for older Australians and those with legacy devices.
Advocacy groups and organisations representing people with hearing loss emphasise the importance of not abandoning well-functioning technologies in favour of new ones simply because they are new. For example, the European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH) recently reiterated its support for continuing the implementation of induction loops in assistive listening systems.
This view is echoed by Univox, one of the largest suppliers of hearing augmentation systems in the world, who believes a hybrid solution is the best approach moving forward. They state it is the most practical way to transition to the new technology without excluding current users, which supports a fully inclusive approach.
Auracast is an exciting leap forward that aligns with BHA’s mission of improving access and inclusion for people with hearing loss. Until more widely adopted however, it should be viewed as a complement to—and not a replacement for—existing hearing augmentation systems.
To ensure the transition benefits everyone, BHA recommends:
- Dual Installations: Encourage public venues to trial Auracast alongside existing hearing augmentation systems where already fitted.
- Consumer Education: Ensure users understand the benefits of Auracast and when and how to use the new technology.
- Advocacy: Work with policymakers to ensure accessibility standards and guidelines keep pace with new technologies.
- Industry Watch: Monitor developments in the hearing augmentation space as Auracast adoption takes place.
Better Hearing Through Balanced Progress
Auracast has the potential to redefine inclusive audio access for millions. Its flexibility, ease of use, and personalisation are potential game changers but until every hearing device and public space support it, we must protect what already works.
BHA fully supports innovation in technology that enhances access and inclusion, not replaces it.
Need help with hearing access in your community or venue? Contact Better Hearing Australia for advice, support, and consumer-tested solutions.
