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RNID and GN Hearing have published Auracast for Theatres, a practical guide for theaters and live-performance venues. It covers technical setup as well as staff training, audience testing and clear communication about access to the system.
RNID and GN Hearing have released a practical playbook to help theaters and live-performance venues select, install and operate Auracast assistive-listening systems, and make their availability clear to audiences. The guide, called Auracast for Theatres, is available online and addresses both the technology and the customer support needed to make it usable for people who are deaf or have hearing loss.
The guide was developed by RNID, the UK charity supporting people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, with support from GN Hearing. According to the source report, its recommendations draw on input from venue teams, technical experts and people with lived experience of hearing loss. The playbook covers the full audience journey, from choosing and installing a system to explaining how to use it before, during and after a visit.
Auracast broadcasts audio that compatible hearing aids, headphones, earbuds and dedicated receivers can pick up. The technology is intended to help listeners access clearer audio in settings where distance, background noise or reverberation can make it harder to hear. The guide also recommends testing systems with people who have lived experience, training front-of-house staff and providing support on the day.
Communication is a central part of the recommendations. Venues are advised to state that Auracast is available through booking channels, websites, signage, customer emails and promotional materials. GN Hearing’s global head of audiology, Laurel Christensen, told The Hearing Review that “installation alone is not the finish line,” pointing to communication at every stage of the customer journey as part of the experience.
Making Assistive Listening Usable
The playbook addresses a gap between having assistive-listening technology in a venue and making it practical for audiences to use. A system may be installed, but visitors still need to know it exists, understand whether their devices are compatible and get help if they cannot connect. The guide treats staff preparation and clear information as part of access, rather than as separate tasks after installation.
RNID technology lead Alastair Moore said existing systems can be difficult to access, poorly communicated or not working when visitors arrive. He described the guide as a way for venues to improve their provision. That is the organization’s rationale; the source material does not report measured outcomes from venues adopting the recommendations. Still, the focus is relevant to theatergoers who may otherwise miss dialogue or other performance audio, and to venues seeking to make access arrangements clearer before a visit.
The advice may also help audiologists and hearing-care professionals direct patients to places where they can try Auracast in public. Moore said those professionals can help venues understand the needs of local communities. This offers a possible link between hearing care and cultural venues, though the report does not describe a formal referral program or quantify its likely reach.
Auracast Reaches Public Venues
Auracast is a Bluetooth audio-broadcast technology that can send a shared audio stream to compatible devices. In a theater, a venue can broadcast performance sound for audience members using compatible hearing aids, earbuds, headphones or a receiver. The playbook is specifically framed around theaters and live-performance venues, while RNID says its principles may apply more widely.
The source report says Auracast has been deployed in other public settings, citing Vue Cinemas across the UK and Ireland and the Sydney Opera House. GN Hearing says Auracast has been included in all new ReSound and Beltone hearing aids since 2023. These examples provide context for the guide’s release, but they do not establish how many venues currently offer the service or how many visitors use it.
RNID says the playbook was developed in a UK setting. Moore said that regulations and healthcare systems differ across countries, while the needs of people with hearing loss and the technology they use are broadly similar. The organization presents the guidance as potentially relevant outside the UK, not as a substitute for local regulations or venue-specific planning.
“This playbook is grounded in independent research and the real experiences of theatre customers and venue teams.”
— Alastair Moore, technology lead at RNID
Adoption And Results Remain Open
The source report does not say how many venues will use the playbook, whether any have committed to install or upgrade Auracast systems, or what timeframe they may follow. It also provides no independent evaluation of the guide’s impact on attendance, audience satisfaction or listening access. RNID and GN Hearing describe the resource as practical guidance; its recommendations should not be read as evidence that venues adopting them will achieve a particular result.
Compatibility and access may vary by a visitor’s hearing aids or other devices, the system installed and how the venue configures it. The report does not give venue-by-venue details about equipment, coverage, fees or support arrangements. Audiences will still need clear information from individual venues about what is available and what devices can connect.
Venues Put Guidance Into Practice
The playbook is available now through RNID’s website at rnid.org.uk/auracast-playbook. The next step is for venues to decide whether and how to apply its recommendations, including reviewing their equipment, involving people with hearing loss in testing and preparing staff to assist visitors.
Audiences can check directly with theaters about whether Auracast is offered, which devices are compatible and what help is available during a visit. Hearing-care professionals may also discuss the technology with patients and identify nearby venues where it can be tried. The source material does not announce a rollout schedule, a venue participation list or a future evaluation of the playbook.
Key Questions
What is Auracast for Theatres?
It is a practical playbook from RNID and GN Hearing with guidance for theaters and live-performance venues on selecting, installing and operating Auracast, as well as informing and supporting audiences.
How does Auracast work in a venue?
A venue broadcasts audio that compatible hearing aids, headphones, earbuds or dedicated receivers can pick up. The source report does not specify the equipment used at individual venues, so visitors should check compatibility with the venue.
What does the playbook recommend beyond installation?
It covers testing with people who have lived experience of hearing loss, staff training, on-the-day support and clear information through booking channels, websites, signage and other communications.
Is Auracast available at every theater?
No such claim is made. The report cites some existing public-venue deployments, but it does not provide a complete list of theaters offering Auracast. Check with the venue before attending.
Where can venues find the playbook?
The guide is available through RNID at rnid.org.uk/auracast-playbook.
Source: rss
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