Fraunhofer IIS licenses xHE-AAC audio codec software to Audible

ERLANGEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fraunhofer IIS, primary developer of the xHE-AAC audio codec, is pleased to announce the licensing of its xHE-AAC software implementations to Audible, Inc.

Audible is a leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, enriching the lives of millions of listeners every day. With its large selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and other forms of spoken-word content, Audible is an ideal user of the xHE-AAC audio codec.

xHE-AAC enables consumers to enjoy uninterrupted streaming with all types of content – such as movies, music, audiobooks, and podcasts. xHE-AAC offers maximum coding efficiency with a usable bit rate range that spans from 12 kbit/s to 500 kbit/s and above for stereo services. Combined with seamless bitrate adaptation using DASH and HLS, this helps video and audio streaming providers to overcome network bandwidth constraints and thereby facilitates an enhanced, more reliable consumer experience. Due to the built-in mandatory support of MPEG-D DRC volume and dynamic range control, xHE-AAC provides the best user experience on any device and in any listening environment.

xHE-AAC playback including mandatory MPEG-D DRC metadata is natively supported in billions of consumer playback platforms including Microsoft Windows 11 as well as in Google’s, Amazon’s and Apple’s operating systems.

“Audible’s spoken word content offering and its members will benefit greatly from the use of xHE-AAC since the codec has been designed from the ground up to efficiently encode mixed speech and music content while providing the perfect dialog or commentary clarity thanks to the built-in loudness and dynamic range control”, says Marc Gayer, Head of Business Department & Deputy Division Director Audio and Media Technologies at Fraunhofer IIS.

Demonstrations of xHE-AAC streaming will be available at Fraunhofer’s CES booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC, Central Hall, booth #15915).

About Fraunhofer

Fraunhofer’s Audio and Media Technologies division has been shaping globally deployed standards in the media field for more than 30 years. Starting with the creation of mp3 up to the latest fourth generation audio codecs: xHE-AAC, MPEG-H, EVS, LC3/LC3plus. Our best-in-class technologies are elevating the user experience to new heights.