Auracast Assistive Listening for Churches - How It Works, and What It Costs
Churches have always cared about inclusion—but when it comes to hearing accessibility, many still rely on legacy assistive listening systems (ALD) that are expensive to install, limited in capacity, and difficult to modernize.
Auracast™, built on Bluetooth LE Audio, is changing what a church ALD can be: simpler to deploy, easier for congregants to use, and increasingly compatible with the hearing devices people already own.
This guide covers the three questions church leaders most often ask when researching a new assistive listening system:
● Why should we upgrade to Auracast?
● How does an Auracast church ALD system work in real life?
● How much does it cost to get started (and scale)?
Why Churches Are Upgrading to Auracast
1) A future-proof standard—not a niche technology
Auracast isn’t a proprietary “one-company” solution. It’s part of Bluetooth LE Audio, a global standard designed for broadcast audio in public spaces. That matters for churches because it means your ALD investment can become more useful over time, as more hearing aids, earbuds, and headphones support Auracast.
2) “Bring Your Own Hearing Device” is the direction the world is moving
The most important shift Auracast enables is BYOD (Bring Your Own Device):
● Congregants can listen using Auracast-enabled hearing aids
● Or Auracast-compatible earbuds/headphones
This is a major difference from traditional ALD approaches that require the venue to manage many dedicated receivers. Over time, as Auracast becomes a “default feature” in more devices, the church can rely less on venue-owned hardware—while serving more people.
3) Multi-language and multi-room audio becomes simple
Churches often need more than “one audio feed for one room.” Auracast makes it practical to run multiple streams at the same time—for example:
● Main service audio
● Spanish interpretation
● A Bible study session in another room
Congregants simply choose the stream they want to hear. This gives churches flexibility without building complicated AV workflows.
4) Lower barrier to offering ALD (without making the church a tech support center)
Even though Auracast is designed to be easy, it’s still early in adoption. Many attendees:
● Don’t yet own Auracast-enabled devices, or
● Aren’t comfortable setting it up during a service
That’s why a well-designed Auracast church ALD program includes simple plug-and-play receivers that work immediately—so the church doesn’t become a “technical support counter” every Sunday.
How an Auracast Church ALD System Works
A modern Auracast ALD system for a church typically includes three parts:
1) An Auracast transmitter connected to your existing audio
The transmitter takes audio from your current system (mixer/PA/audio interface) and broadcasts it as an Auracast stream. Setup is typically straightforward:
● Connect the transmitter to your audio output
● Power it on
● Set a broadcast name (e.g., “Main Service”)
● Optional: enable a password (if you want controlled access)
A venue-focused transmitter like AuraPlex™ MX is designed for this exact use case—churches and public spaces that want a stable, easy ALD solution with the right controls.
👉 AuraPlex MX product page: Auracast Assistive Listening System 1 TX & 10 RX | Avantree AuraPlex MX – Venucast
2) Congregants join in one of two ways
Option A — Use their own devices (best long-term path):
● Auracast-enabled hearing aids
● Auracast earbuds/headphones
Option B — Use church-provided plug-and-play receivers (best short-term accessibility path):
● One-button receiver + any wired headphones
● No apps, no pairing steps, minimal volunteer support needed
Most churches deploy both options so everyone is covered—today and in the future.
3) If needed, run multiple transmitters for multiple streams
In many church buildings, one transmitter may not be the whole story. Churches commonly use additional transmitters to support:
● Interpretation / translation streams
● Overflow areas
● Separate rooms for small groups
The key benefit is that multiple Auracast transmitters can operate simultaneously, and congregants can simply select the stream they want—without confusion and without forcing the church into complex RF channel planning.
How Much Does an Auracast Church ALD System Cost?
Church assistive listening systems can range widely depending on technology and installation:
● Some entry-level legacy systems start around a few hundred dollars
● Full hearing loop installations can be $10,000 to $50,000+ depending on building size and construction needs
Auracast changes the economics because:
● The transmitter hardware is typically far more affordable
● There is often no construction or loop wiring
● Churches can scale gradually—starting small, then expanding
A practical way to think about cost (the “starter → scalable” approach)
Most churches find it easiest to plan in stages:
Stage 1: Starter (Immediate Accessibility)
● 1 transmitter connected to the main service audio
● A small set of plug-and-play receivers for those who need them today
● Basic signage and volunteer instructions
Stage 2: Growth (Higher Adoption + Less Church Hardware Over Time)
● More congregants use personal Auracast devices
● The church can add transmitters for translation or overflow areas
● Receiver quantity can remain stable (or grow slowly) instead of needing to scale 1:1 with attendance
Stage 3: Future Standard
● Auracast becomes common across hearing aids and headphones
● The ALD system becomes “like Wi-Fi”: always available, broadly usable, and easy to maintain
If you want, we can recommend a configuration based on:
● Sanctuary size and layout
● Translation needs
● Target receiver count (for early adoption)
● Volunteer capacity (how much support you want to provide)
Summary: A New Church ALD System That Gets Better Over Time
Auracast offers churches a modern ALD path that is:
● Future-proof (Bluetooth LE Audio standard)
● Inclusive (supports hearing aids + headphones + receivers)
● Flexible (multi-stream for languages and rooms)
● Practical today (plug-and-play receivers reduce support burden)
For churches building or upgrading an assistive listening system, Auracast is increasingly becoming the clearest next step.
Learn More
Explore AuraPlex MX and see how an Auracast-based church ALD system can be deployed quickly and scaled over time:
Auracast Assistive Listening System 1 TX & 10 RX | Avantree AuraPlex MX – Venucast