What is Auracast? A plain guide for venues
Auracast lets one transmitter send audio to any number of nearby phones, earbuds, hearing aids and receivers. Here is what that means for a church, theater, school or meeting room, in plain words.
Auracast library
Auracast, explained by people who plan it.
Practical guides to Auracast assistive listening for venues and installers. Every article cites its sources, shows when it was last reviewed, and labels manufacturer rules of thumb as rules of thumb.
For venues
Plain guides for churches, theaters, schools, councils and anyone choosing assistive listening.
How listeners join Auracast: phones, hearing aids and loan receivers
Joining an Auracast broadcast is a bit like choosing a Wi-Fi network. Here is how it works for phone, hearing-aid and loan-receiver users, and the small things a venue can do to make it easy.
How to choose an Auracast installer: 10 questions to ask
We know of no Auracast installer certification, so the questions you ask matter. These ten cover planning for a full room, the audio feed, testing, hearing-aid users, receivers and what you should get in writing.
What happens during an Auracast installation
A well-run Auracast project has nine stages, and much of the important work happens before anything is mounted. Here is what to expect at each one, and what your venue will be asked to provide.
For installers
Planning, placement, commissioning and troubleshooting, with sources and manufacturer rules of thumb labeled.
Quick start for installers: planning a one-room Auracast system
A single room with one transmitter is the simplest Auracast job, and the one where shortcuts show. This checklist covers what to check on the survey, where to mount, how to set up the broadcast, how to prove it works and what to leave behind.
Auracast transmitter placement and mounting height
Placement decides more of an Auracast system's performance than power does. What the Bluetooth SIG says, what two manufacturers advise, and how to handle high ceilings, tiers, walls and several transmitters.
Commissioning an Auracast system: walk test and sign-off
A strong signal on a meter is not proof that people can hear. This guide covers the Bluetooth SIG's walk test, what manufacturers and the UK code of practice add, and a simple three-check sign-off with a record the venue can keep.
Auracast and Wi-Fi: coexistence and interference basics
Auracast and Wi-Fi share the 2.4 GHz band, and each can disturb the other. Here is how the band is laid out, what else lives there, how to check a site and what to change when there is a problem.
Standards & law
What is published, what is coming, and what accessibility law asks for.
ADA assistive listening rules and where Auracast fits
The 2010 ADA Standards set out where assistive listening is required, how many receivers to provide, how many must work with hearing aids, and what signs to post. They do not require a particular technology. Here is what they say, with the receiver table and worked examples.
Auracast standards in 2026: what is published and what is coming
Auracast is new, and so are its standards. This page separates what is published from what is announced, with dates and links, so you can tell a real requirement from a sales claim.
Deep dives
The reasons behind the rules: radio, rooms and the choice of technology.
Auracast vs hearing loops, FM and infrared
Every assistive listening technology has strengths and blind spots. A side-by-side look at loops, FM, infrared and Auracast, drawn from the ADA's own advisory notes, Access Board research and today's listener groups.
Walls, crowds and 2.4 GHz: why Auracast coverage changes
Auracast shares the 2.4 GHz band with Wi-Fi, and like Wi-Fi it is weakened by walls and by people. A plain explanation of signal levels, typical wall losses and body loss, with what each means for planning.
How we write these
Auracast is new, and good practical information is scarce. We write for the person who has to make it work: the venue that is choosing a system and the installer who has to prove it.
- Sources for every fact. We prefer primary sources: the Bluetooth SIG's own specifications and guides, standards bodies, the ADA text and manufacturer documentation. Each article lists them with the date we read them.
- Rules of thumb are labeled. Where a figure comes from one manufacturer's field guidance, we say whose it is.
- No compliance promises. Equipment does not make a venue meet the law; a well-planned, tested installation helps it get there.
- Reviewed, dated, corrected. Standards and phone support are changing fast. Spot something out of date? Write to dave@equalaccessaudio.com.
Looking for the short version? The planning guide has our rules of thumb, the three-check sign-off and a glossary on one page.
Plan it before you mount it
See the coverage with the room full.
BroadcastPlan Pro predicts coverage with the audience in the room, labels manufacturer rules of thumb, sizes the receiver kit and records the walk test. Free to try, no account needed.