diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/MediaCodecUtil.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/MediaCodecUtil.java
index 4847c7cb7b..6b753de019 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/MediaCodecUtil.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/MediaCodecUtil.java
@@ -322,8 +322,8 @@ public final class MediaCodecUtil {
           if ((!key.secure && secureRequired) || (key.secure && !secureSupported)) {
             continue;
           }
-          boolean hardwareAccelerated = isHardwareAccelerated(codecInfo);
-          boolean softwareOnly = isSoftwareOnly(codecInfo);
+          boolean hardwareAccelerated = isHardwareAccelerated(codecInfo, mimeType);
+          boolean softwareOnly = isSoftwareOnly(codecInfo, mimeType);
           boolean vendor = isVendor(codecInfo);
           if ((secureDecodersExplicit && key.secure == secureSupported)
               || (!secureDecodersExplicit && !key.secure)) {
@@ -603,13 +603,14 @@ public final class MediaCodecUtil {
    * The result of {@link android.media.MediaCodecInfo#isHardwareAccelerated()} for API levels 29+,
    * or a best-effort approximation for lower levels.
    */
-  private static boolean isHardwareAccelerated(android.media.MediaCodecInfo codecInfo) {
+  private static boolean isHardwareAccelerated(
+      android.media.MediaCodecInfo codecInfo, String mimeType) {
     if (Util.SDK_INT >= 29) {
       return isHardwareAcceleratedV29(codecInfo);
     }
     // codecInfo.isHardwareAccelerated() != codecInfo.isSoftwareOnly() is not necessarily true.
     // However, we assume this to be true as an approximation.
-    return !isSoftwareOnly(codecInfo);
+    return !isSoftwareOnly(codecInfo, mimeType);
   }
 
   @RequiresApi(29)
@@ -621,12 +622,17 @@ public final class MediaCodecUtil {
    * The result of {@link android.media.MediaCodecInfo#isSoftwareOnly()} for API levels 29+, or a
    * best-effort approximation for lower levels.
    */
-  private static boolean isSoftwareOnly(android.media.MediaCodecInfo codecInfo) {
+  private static boolean isSoftwareOnly(android.media.MediaCodecInfo codecInfo, String mimeType) {
     if (Util.SDK_INT >= 29) {
       return isSoftwareOnlyV29(codecInfo);
     }
+    if (MimeTypes.isAudio(mimeType)) {
+      // Assume audio decoders are software only.
+      return true;
+    }
     String codecName = Ascii.toLowerCase(codecInfo.getName());
-    if (codecName.startsWith("arc.")) { // App Runtime for Chrome (ARC) codecs
+    if (codecName.startsWith("arc.")) {
+      // App Runtime for Chrome (ARC) codecs
       return false;
     }
     return codecName.startsWith("omx.google.")