LC3 (Low Complexity Communication Codec) is the mandatory codec of Bluetooth LE Audio, introduced in 2020 to replace the long-serving SBC. Its efficiency is the headline: LC3 sounds better at 64 kbps stereo than SBC does at 200+ kbps, which means earbuds can run lower bitrates for longer battery life or spend the savings on quality. Lower, configurable latency suits gaming and video, and LC3 underpins Auracast broadcast audio, where one transmitter feeds many listeners. As LE Audio rolls out across phones, earbuds, and hearing aids, LC3 is positioned to become the default wireless audio codec, the way SBC was for two decades.
The book · Volume 4 of 7
Audio for Video: A Complete Guide to Sound in Video Products: From PCM and Codecs to Loudness, Accessibility, and Real-Time Voice Processing
LC3 replaces SBC in Bluetooth LE Audio, so it now decides what wireless earbuds hear in your app. Volume 4 explains LC3 among the codecs that matter for video products: speech and general audio codecs, frame sizes and bitrates, Opus and AAC trade-offs, and how codec choice affects latency. Written by Nikolay Sapunov, CEO at Fora Soft.
Building for Bluetooth LE Audio and wondering how LC3 changes your audio chain?
We will review your playback and capture path and tell you what LC3 means for latency, bitrate and quality on the devices you target. 250+ video products shipped since 2005.
