DAB ensemble

DAB ensembles are groups of Digital audio broadcasting broadcasters transmitting multiple digital radio channels on a single radio transmission.

The digital audio feeds from each radio station are multiplexed into one digital transmission, to be decoded by the receiver. While each station can use a different bitrate, and either monophonic or stereophonic (one or two channels of audio), all stations will have exactly the same coverage area. Each ensemble can only have a certain maximum total bitrate, a sort of "bit budget" that participating broadcasters must work within. Increasing the number of stations on an ensemble requires lower quality audio, whilst increasing audio quality requires removing audio channels.

The digital television equivalent is called a multiplex, though in some parts of the world, TV stations use a full channel for their own programming (one HDTV or multiplexed SDTV) and do not share with other stations. For example, in the U.S., a private television station is assigned 6 megahertz exclusively, to be divided at its own discretion (WBAL 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, et cetera).