xHE-AAC is the mandatory audio codec for DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) and is increasingly used in DASH/HLS streaming because it can scale from ultra-low bitrates (as low as 6kbps) up to high-fidelity stereo.
The most prominent technical match is the decoder, which was recently introduced in experimental form within FFmpeg 8.1 "Hoare" as of March 2026. Below is a draft blog post exploring this technical update and its broader context. Decoding the Future: A Deep Dive into xHE-AAC Mps212
By using the 2-1-2 configuration, the codec can maintain spatial integrity even when the available bandwidth is extremely limited—perfect for global streaming and digital radio. Why It Matters Now