Announcing Bluetooth LE Audio
LE Audio | Bluetooth® Technology Website

								

				
		
																																																	
																				
		
		
				
	
	
			
	
						
																												
															The next generation of Bluetooth® audio
Building on 20 years of innovation, LE Audio enhances the performance of Bluetooth audio, adds support for hearing aids, and introduces AuracastTM broadcast audio, an innovative new Bluetooth use case with the potential to once again change the way we experience audio and connect with the world around us.

							
											

																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	
						
			
		
	
				
				
	
	NEW TECHNICAL RESOURCES
LE Audio Resources for Developers
The LE Audio Specifications are complete. Access a library of technical resources including a book, videos, study guides, and more designed to help you get familiar with the new LE Audio architecture, the individual specifications, and the capabilities LE Audio brings, including Auracast™ broadcast audio
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	Classic Audio and LE Audio
As the names suggest, Classic Audio operates on the Bluetooth Classic radio while LE Audio operates on the Bluetooth Low Energy radio. LE Audio not only supports development of the same audio products and use cases as Classic Audio, it introduces exciting new features that promise to improve their performance and enable the creation of new products and use cases.


	

			
	

	

																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	
						
				
			Auracast™ Broadcast Audio
	
	LE Audio will also add broadcast audio, enabling an audio source device to broadcast one or more audio streams to an unlimited number of audio sink devices. Broadcast audio opens significant new opportunities for innovation, including the enablement of a new Bluetooth capability, Auracast™ broadcast audio.

	
	

			
	
				
			
		
	

	

																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	
		
			 Share Your Audio
Auracast™ broadcast audio will let you invite others to share in your audio experience, bringing us closer together. 

			Unmute Your World
Auracast™ broadcast audio will enable you to fully enjoy televisions in public spaces, unmuting what was once silent and creating a more complete watching experience.  

			Hear Your Best 
Auracast™ broadcast audio will allow you to hear your best in the places you go.

	

	

																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	Introducing Auracast™ Broadcast Audio




																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	
						
			
		
	
				
				
	
	FEATURED
Introducing Auracast™ Broadcast Audio
Auracast™ broadcast audio is a new Bluetooth® capability that will deliver life-changing audio experiences. 
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																								LC3 Codec
																					
															LE Audio will include a new high-quality, low-power audio codec, the Low Complexity Communications Codec (LC3). Providing high quality even at low data rates, LC3 will bring tremendous flexibility to developers, allowing them to make better design tradeoffs between key product attributes such as audio quality and power consumption.


							
											

	

																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	

					
		
				
					
		
		
						
			
		
	
				
				
	
	“ Extensive listening tests have shown that LC3 will provide improvements in audio quality over the SBC codec included with Classic Audio, even at a 50% lower bit rate. Developers will be able to leverage this power savings to create products that can provide longer battery life or, in cases where current battery life is enough, reduce the form factor by using a smaller battery.
Manfred Lutzky
Head of Audio for Communications at Fraunhofer IIS


	

			
	

	

	

																																							
	
				
	
			
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	
												What the industry is saying about LC3
			
				
	
					


	

	
																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	
						
													
																LC3 Resources
							
						
						
													
																																																																							
																					
												
													
																													
															
																											
												
											
																				Performance Characterization  of the Low Complexity  Communication Codec
									
																																																																							
																					
												
													
																													
															
																											
												
											
																				Bluetooth LE Audio, Auracast™ Broadcast  Audio, and the Future of  Bluetooth Audio
									
																																																																							
																					
												
													
																													
															
																											
												
											
																				Sizing the Opportunity for Auracast™ Broadcast Audio in Public Locations
									
															
						
																																						
													
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			Multi-Stream
	
	Multi-Stream Audio will enable the transmission of multiple, independent, synchronized audio streams between an audio source device, such as a smartphone, and one or more audio sink devices.

“ Developers will be able to use the Multi-Stream Audio feature to improve the performance of products like truly wireless earbuds. For example, they can provide a better stereo imaging experience, make the use of voice assistant services more seamless, and make switching between multiple audio source devices smoother.”
Nick Hunn, 
CTO of WiFore Consulting 
Chair of the Bluetooth SIG Hearing Aid Working Group

	
	

			
	
				
				
	
	



	

			
	

	

	

																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	The Impact of Multi-Stream Audio on Truly Wireless Earbuds




																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	
						
			
		
	
				
				
	
	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.
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																								Hearing Aids
																					
															
							
						
		
		
						
				
	
	Building on its low power, high quality and multi-stream capabilities, LE Audio adds support for Hearing Aids. Bluetooth audio has brought significant benefits to a large percentage of the global population. Wireless calling, listening, and watching have made people safer, more productive, and more entertained. LE Audio will enable the development of Bluetooth hearing aids that bring all the benefits of Bluetooth audio to the growing number of people with hearing loss.

“ LE Audio will be one of the most significant advances for users of hearing aids and hearing implants. EHIMA engineers have contributed their specialist knowledge to improve the audio experience especially for hard of hearing people. As a result, within a few years most new phones and TVs will be equally accessible to users with hearing loss.
Stefan Zimmer
Secretary General of EHIMA
European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association

	
	

			
	
				
			
		
	

	
					

																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	LE Audio and the Future of Hearing




																																							
																				
		
		
				
				
	
			
	
						
			
		
	
				
				
	
	
LE Audio Specifications
LE Audio introduces an entirely new architecture for supporting audio applications using Bluetooth technology and sets the stage for the next 20 years of innovation in wireless audio.
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