diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Api/Playback/Hls/BaseHlsService.cs b/MediaBrowser.Api/Playback/Hls/BaseHlsService.cs
index 1616cbf53..eb133b7d6 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Api/Playback/Hls/BaseHlsService.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Api/Playback/Hls/BaseHlsService.cs
@@ -123,7 +123,17 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Api.Playback.Hls
             var audioBitrate = GetAudioBitrateParam(state) ?? 0;
             var videoBitrate = GetVideoBitrateParam(state) ?? 0;
 
-            var playlistText = GetMasterPlaylistFileText(playlist, videoBitrate + audioBitrate);
+            var appendBaselineStream = false;
+            var baselineStreamBitrate = 64000;
+
+            var hlsVideoRequest = state.VideoRequest as GetHlsVideoStream;
+            if (hlsVideoRequest != null)
+            {
+                appendBaselineStream = hlsVideoRequest.AppendBaselineStream;
+                baselineStreamBitrate = hlsVideoRequest.BaselineStreamAudioBitRate ?? baselineStreamBitrate;
+            }
+
+            var playlistText = GetMasterPlaylistFileText(playlist, videoBitrate + audioBitrate, appendBaselineStream, baselineStreamBitrate);
 
             try
             {
@@ -135,7 +145,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Api.Playback.Hls
             }
         }
 
-        private string GetMasterPlaylistFileText(string firstPlaylist, int bitrate)
+        private string GetMasterPlaylistFileText(string firstPlaylist, int bitrate, bool includeBaselineStream, int baselineStreamBitrate)
         {
             var builder = new StringBuilder();
 
@@ -150,9 +160,12 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Api.Playback.Hls
             builder.AppendLine(playlistUrl);
 
             // Low bitrate stream
-            builder.AppendLine("#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=64000");
-            playlistUrl = "hls/" + Path.GetFileName(firstPlaylist).Replace(".m3u8", "-low/stream.m3u8");
-            builder.AppendLine(playlistUrl);
+            if (includeBaselineStream)
+            {
+                builder.AppendLine("#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=" + baselineStreamBitrate.ToString(UsCulture));
+                playlistUrl = "hls/" + Path.GetFileName(firstPlaylist).Replace(".m3u8", "-low/stream.m3u8");
+                builder.AppendLine(playlistUrl);
+            }
 
             return builder.ToString();
         }
@@ -246,15 +259,22 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Api.Playback.Hls
                 outputPath
                 ).Trim();
 
-            if (state.Item is Video)
+            var hlsVideoRequest = state.VideoRequest as GetHlsVideoStream;
+
+            if (hlsVideoRequest != null)
             {
-                var lowBitratePath = Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(outputPath), Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(outputPath) + "-low.m3u8");
+                if (hlsVideoRequest.AppendBaselineStream && state.Item is Video)
+                {
+                    var lowBitratePath = Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(outputPath), Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(outputPath) + "-low.m3u8");
 
-                var lowBitrateParams = string.Format(" -threads 0 -vn -codec:a:0 libmp3lame -ac 2 -ab 32000 -hls_time 10 -start_number 0 -hls_list_size 1440 \"{0}\"",
-                    lowBitratePath,
-                    state.AudioStream.Index);
+                    var bitrate = hlsVideoRequest.BaselineStreamAudioBitRate ?? 64000;
 
-                args += " " + lowBitrateParams;
+                    var lowBitrateParams = string.Format(" -threads 0 -vn -codec:a:0 libmp3lame -ac 2 -ab {1} -hls_time 10 -start_number 0 -hls_list_size 1440 \"{0}\"",
+                        lowBitratePath,
+                        bitrate / 2);
+
+                    args += " " + lowBitrateParams;
+                }
             }
 
             return args;
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Api/Playback/Hls/VideoHlsService.cs b/MediaBrowser.Api/Playback/Hls/VideoHlsService.cs
index dfe154c09..534727267 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Api/Playback/Hls/VideoHlsService.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Api/Playback/Hls/VideoHlsService.cs
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Api.Playback.Hls
     [Api(Description = "Gets a video stream using HTTP live streaming.")]
     public class GetHlsVideoStream : VideoStreamRequest
     {
+        [ApiMember(Name = "BaselineStreamAudioBitRate", Description = "Optional. Specify the audio bitrate for the baseline stream.", IsRequired = false, DataType = "int", ParameterType = "query", Verb = "GET")]
+        public int? BaselineStreamAudioBitRate { get; set; }
 
+        [ApiMember(Name = "AppendBaselineStream", Description = "Optional. Whether or not to include a baseline audio-only stream in the master playlist.", IsRequired = false, DataType = "bool", ParameterType = "query", Verb = "GET")]
+        public bool AppendBaselineStream { get; set; }
     }
 
     /// <summary>
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Model/Dto/StreamOptions.cs b/MediaBrowser.Model/Dto/StreamOptions.cs
index b9f2dbe4a..cee95639c 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Model/Dto/StreamOptions.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Model/Dto/StreamOptions.cs
@@ -77,6 +77,18 @@
         /// </summary>
         /// <value>The level.</value>
         public string Level { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets or sets the baseline stream audio bit rate.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <value>The baseline stream audio bit rate.</value>
+        public int? BaselineStreamAudioBitRate { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets or sets a value indicating whether [append baseline stream].
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <value><c>true</c> if [append baseline stream]; otherwise, <c>false</c>.</value>
+        public bool AppendBaselineStream { get; set; }
     }
 
     /// <summary>