Dante AES67 Flow Setup: Enable, Route, and Verify Interoperability

TL;DR — A Dante AES67 flow is a multicast interoperability boundary, not a universal route switch. Confirm that every endpoint supports the required AES67 mode, align sample rate, channel format, clocking, multicast scope, and network policy, then create only the approved channels. Verify discovery and subscription at the receiver, pass identifiable audio, inspect clock and packet evidence under load, and preserve a tested rollback.

Define the interoperability boundary

Dante is a complete audio-networking platform; AES67 defines a common transport method that compatible systems can use at their boundary. Enabling AES67 does not make every Dante feature, name, route, or control function available to another ecosystem.

Use the Dante vs AES67 guide when choosing the architecture. This article owns the controlled setup and acceptance procedure.

Confirm support before changing the network

Check the current documentation for every transmitter and receiver. AES67 support, available formats, clock behavior, configuration controls, and reboot requirements vary by device and firmware. Record the tested firmware rather than assuming that two products with an AES67 label expose identical options.

Verify the intended network path also supports the planned multicast load. Map the VLAN, switch ports, uplinks, querier, snooping policy, and any routed boundary. Keep redundant Dante primary and secondary networks separate; do not use an interoperability test to bridge them.

Align format, clock, and multicast policy

Match the audio format

Choose a format supported end to end. Confirm the source channel count and sample rate at both sides before creating the flow. A visible session description does not prove that the receiver can decode the payload.

Establish one timing design

Identify the approved clock leader, the Dante clock domain, and how the AES67 receiver obtains compatible timing. Observe lock and offset evidence before routing audio. Do not troubleshoot an unlocked receiver by repeatedly recreating the media flow.

Prepare selective multicast forwarding

AES67 media uses multicast. Configure and verify the approved IGMP snooping and querier design, then measure the affected links. The IGMP snooping and querier guide covers membership control; the multicast bandwidth guide covers link budgeting.

Create the flow in a controlled order

1. Save the current Dante configuration and a written source-to-destination map.
2. Enable the supported AES67 mode on the intended devices and complete any documented reboot.
3. Reconfirm device discovery, sample rate, clock state, and network interfaces.
4. Open the transmitter's configuration in Dante Controller and create one AES67 multicast flow containing only the approved channels.
5. Record the flow identity, multicast address shown by the tools, channel order, format, and creation time.
6. Discover or enter the stream at the receiving system using its supported workflow.
7. Map each received channel to a named physical or software destination.

Create a small representative flow first. Expanding a proven boundary is easier to diagnose than introducing every programme channel at once.

Verify more than discovery

Prove channel identity

Send identifiable audio through one channel at a time. Confirm source label, channel order, level, polarity where relevant, receiver mapping, and final physical output. A receiver showing the stream name is only discovery proof.

Test the loaded path

Run representative programme audio while monitoring clock stability, packet errors, late-packet or latency evidence, multicast membership, and utilization on every carried link. Add the expected production load and verify that unrelated ports do not receive the stream.

Test loss and recovery

At an approved boundary, interrupt and restore the receiver subscription or network path. Confirm mute behavior, rediscovery, clock recovery, audio return, and whether the subscription persists after the documented restart sequence. Remove the test flow and prove the rollback before final acceptance.

AES67 acceptance checklist

• Every endpoint and firmware supports the selected AES67 mode.
• Source channels, receiver destinations, and ownership are named.
• Sample rate, encoding, channel order, and clock design match.
• VLAN, snooping, querier, uplinks, and multicast scope are verified.
• The flow contains only the approved channels.
• Every destination passes identifiable audio, not only discovery.
• Clock, packet, latency, and link-load evidence stays healthy under load.
• Loss, restoration, restart persistence, and rollback are tested.
• The accepted flow and removal procedure are documented.

Document the handoff

Record device models and firmware, source and destination channels, format, leader, multicast identity, network path, receiver workflow, test load, acceptance results, owner, and rollback. State which functions remain Dante-specific so the next operator does not expect cross-platform control that AES67 does not define.

Keep the accepted route beside the input list and digital-network notes in Techrider.live. Invite collaborators to edit the same rider, save the tested revision, inspect history, and export a current PDF for the venue or touring team.

FAQ

How do I create an AES67 flow in Dante Controller?

Confirm device support, enable the documented AES67 mode, align format and clocking, then create an AES67 multicast transmit flow from the intended channels in the transmitter configuration. The exact controls depend on device and firmware.

Does AES67 use multicast?

AES67 media streams are commonly carried as multicast. Plan IGMP snooping, a stable querier, forwarding scope, and capacity on every link that carries the stream.

Why can an AES67 receiver see a flow but not hear audio?

Discovery can succeed while sample rate, payload support, clock lock, channel mapping, multicast forwarding, or the physical output is wrong. Verify those boundaries in order.

Do Dante and AES67 devices need the same sample rate?

The endpoints on a flow must use a mutually supported media format. Confirm the selected sample rate and encoding on both sides instead of assuming automatic conversion.

How do I test a Dante AES67 route?

Pass identifiable audio through every mapped channel, inspect clock and packet evidence under realistic load, verify multicast membership and link utilization, then test loss, recovery, restart persistence, and rollback.