diff --git a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultEncoderFactory.java b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultEncoderFactory.java
index 5735e79c76..9b7d2ba4e1 100644
--- a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultEncoderFactory.java
+++ b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultEncoderFactory.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package androidx.media3.transformer;
 
 import static androidx.media3.common.util.Assertions.checkArgument;
 import static androidx.media3.common.util.Assertions.checkNotNull;
+import static androidx.media3.common.util.Assertions.checkState;
 import static androidx.media3.common.util.Assertions.checkStateNotNull;
 import static androidx.media3.common.util.Util.SDK_INT;
 import static androidx.media3.transformer.CodecFactoryUtil.createCodec;
@@ -151,30 +152,44 @@ public final class DefaultEncoderFactory implements Codec.EncoderFactory {
       // Applying suggested profile/level settings from
       // https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/media/sharing-video#b-frames_and_encoding_profiles
       if (Util.SDK_INT >= 29) {
-        if (EncoderUtil.isProfileLevelSupported(
-            encoderInfo,
-            mimeType,
-            MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel.AVCProfileHigh,
-            EncoderUtil.LEVEL_UNSET)) {
+        int supportedEncodingLevel =
+            EncoderUtil.findHighestSupportedEncodingLevel(
+                encoderInfo, mimeType, MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel.AVCProfileHigh);
+        if (supportedEncodingLevel != EncoderUtil.LEVEL_UNSET) {
           // Use the highest supported profile and use B-frames.
           mediaFormat.setInteger(
               MediaFormat.KEY_PROFILE, MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel.AVCProfileHigh);
+          mediaFormat.setInteger(MediaFormat.KEY_LEVEL, supportedEncodingLevel);
           mediaFormat.setInteger(MediaFormat.KEY_MAX_B_FRAMES, 1);
         }
       } else if (Util.SDK_INT >= 26) {
-        if (EncoderUtil.isProfileLevelSupported(
-            encoderInfo,
-            mimeType,
-            MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel.AVCProfileHigh,
-            EncoderUtil.LEVEL_UNSET)) {
-          // Use the highest-supported profile, but disable the generation of B-frames. This
-          // accommodates some limitations in the MediaMuxer in these system versions.
+        int supportedEncodingLevel =
+            EncoderUtil.findHighestSupportedEncodingLevel(
+                encoderInfo, mimeType, MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel.AVCProfileHigh);
+        if (supportedEncodingLevel != EncoderUtil.LEVEL_UNSET) {
+          // Use the highest-supported profile, but disable the generation of B-frames using
+          // MediaFormat.KEY_LATENCY. This accommodates some limitations in the MediaMuxer in these
+          // system versions.
           mediaFormat.setInteger(
               MediaFormat.KEY_PROFILE, MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel.AVCProfileHigh);
+          mediaFormat.setInteger(MediaFormat.KEY_LEVEL, supportedEncodingLevel);
+          // TODO(b/210593256): Set KEY_LATENCY to 2 to enable B-frame production after switching to
+          // in-app muxing.
           mediaFormat.setInteger(MediaFormat.KEY_LATENCY, 1);
         }
+      } else if (Util.SDK_INT >= 23) {
+        int supportedLevel =
+            EncoderUtil.findHighestSupportedEncodingLevel(
+                encoderInfo, mimeType, MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel.AVCProfileBaseline);
+        checkState(supportedLevel != EncoderUtil.LEVEL_UNSET);
+        // Use the baseline profile for safest results, as encoding in baseline is required per
+        // https://source.android.com/compatibility/5.0/android-5.0-cdd#5_2_video_encoding
+        mediaFormat.setInteger(
+            MediaFormat.KEY_PROFILE, MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel.AVCProfileBaseline);
+        mediaFormat.setInteger(MediaFormat.KEY_LEVEL, supportedLevel);
       } else {
-        // Use the baseline profile for safest results.
+        // Use the baseline profile for safest results, as encoding in baseline is required per
+        // https://source.android.com/compatibility/5.0/android-5.0-cdd#5_2_video_encoding
         mediaFormat.setInteger(
             MediaFormat.KEY_PROFILE, MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel.AVCProfileBaseline);
       }
@@ -270,11 +285,9 @@ public final class DefaultEncoderFactory implements Codec.EncoderFactory {
     @Nullable String codecs = null;
     if (profileLevel != null
         && requestedFormat.sampleMimeType.equals(mimeType)
-        && EncoderUtil.isProfileLevelSupported(
-            pickedEncoder,
-            mimeType,
-            /* profile= */ profileLevel.first,
-            /* level= */ profileLevel.second)) {
+        && profileLevel.second
+            <= EncoderUtil.findHighestSupportedEncodingLevel(
+                pickedEncoder, mimeType, /* profile= */ profileLevel.first)) {
       codecs = requestedFormat.codecs;
     }
 
diff --git a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/EncoderUtil.java b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/EncoderUtil.java
index a95d29ffae..3a6c9bc63d 100644
--- a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/EncoderUtil.java
+++ b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/EncoderUtil.java
@@ -113,28 +113,26 @@ public final class EncoderUtil {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Checks whether the {@link MediaCodecInfo encoder} supports the given profile and level.
+   * Finds the highest supported encoding level given a profile.
    *
    * @param encoderInfo The {@link MediaCodecInfo encoderInfo}.
    * @param mimeType The {@link MimeTypes MIME type}.
    * @param profile The encoding profile.
-   * @param level The encoding level, specify {@link #LEVEL_UNSET} if checking whether the encoder
-   *     supports a specific profile.
-   * @return Whether the profile and level (if set) is supported by the encoder.
+   * @return The highest supported encoding level, as documented in {@link
+   *     MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel}, or {@link #LEVEL_UNSET} if the profile is not supported.
    */
-  public static boolean isProfileLevelSupported(
-      MediaCodecInfo encoderInfo, String mimeType, int profile, int level) {
+  public static int findHighestSupportedEncodingLevel(
+      MediaCodecInfo encoderInfo, String mimeType, int profile) {
     // TODO(b/214964116): Merge into MediaCodecUtil.
     MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel[] profileLevels =
         encoderInfo.getCapabilitiesForType(mimeType).profileLevels;
 
     for (MediaCodecInfo.CodecProfileLevel profileLevel : profileLevels) {
-      if (profileLevel.profile == profile
-          && (level == LEVEL_UNSET || profileLevel.level == level)) {
-        return true;
+      if (profileLevel.profile == profile) {
+        return profileLevel.level;
       }
     }
-    return false;
+    return LEVEL_UNSET;
   }
 
   /**