A JavaScript Sound API supporting MP3, MPEG4 and HTML5 Audio.

Speak and be heard

More sound, in more places

Despite being one of the senses, sound has largely been missing from the web due to inconsistent technology support. SoundManager 2 bridges this gap, making it easier to use audio across a growing variety of devices and platforms, both desktop and mobile.

Getting started is pretty easy, too.

A few live examples:

HTML5 + flash hybrid

Complexity, reduced

Supporting HTML5 audio can be tedious in modern browsers, let alone legacy ones. With real-world visitors using browsers ranging from mobile Safari to IE 6 across a wide range of devices, there can be many support cases to consider.

SoundManager 2 gives you a single, powerful API that supports both new and old, using HTML5 audio where supported and optional Flash-based fallback where needed. Ideally when using SoundManager 2, audio "just works."

The ginsu knife: 11 KB*

Big features, small footprint

But wait, there's more!

The source code is BSD-licensed and is provided in fully-commented, non-debug and compiler-optimized "minified" versions appropriate for development and production use.

* Gzip-compressed file size on a typical set-up is 11 KB. And was it supposed to be the Swiss Army kind? I forget.

Basic

Playable links and playlists

These demos use unordered lists with MP3 links that play in-place; the UI is easily customized via CSS.

• Rain
• Walking
• Rain On Car Roof (AAC)

A richer playlist theme with optional time, seekable progress bar and a VU meter where supported:

• Armstrong Beat
• Untitled Groove
• BC Quail (HE-AAC)
• Ghosts+Goblins Reconstructed (OGG)
• A corked beer bottle (WAV)

Shiny

Data visualization features

The 360° player UI demo uses <canvas> and includes options for waveform and spectrum analysis data via Flash 9, adding beautiful visual feedback to the interface.

Seven Or Eight Days courtesy of Adrian Glynn, from the album Bruise. For more, see the music video.

Experimental

Advanced prototypes

The Cassette Tape UI is a skinnable player based on the TDK MA-R90 cassette tape, a classic design from 1982.

Remember Type IV, Metal & Chromium/CrO2? Those were the days.

The "Wheels Of Steel" started as a simple CSS prototype, and evolved to replicate most of the UI and functionality of a traditional DJ set-up. Pitch bending, scratch and EQ effects are present where supported.

The Wheels Of Steel, a browser-based DJ turntable prototype. For the tech details, read An Ode To Turntables (in HTML.)

Getting started

Basic SoundManager 2 set-up

Including the script, configuring the url and registering an onready() callback:

<script src="/img/spacer.gif"> // where to find flash audio SWFs, as needed
  url: '/path/to/swf-files/',
  onready: function() {
    // SM2 is ready to play audio!
  })
});
</script>

Upon execution of soundmanager2.js, SM2 will determine what Flash SWF to load (if any) based on the path defined in soundManager.url.

After successful initialization, soundManager.onready() will fire and sounds can be played.

By default, SM2 uses a Flash 8-based SWF build. Some additional features are available when using the Flash 9-based build.

For a live example, see the basic template demo.

Playing audio

Basic playback control

Once soundManager.onready() has fired, sounds can be loaded and played.

Creating and playing a sound object

// create "mySound"...
soundManager.createSound({
  id: 'mySound',
  url: '/path/to/an.mp3'
});

// ...and play it
soundManager.play('mySound');

Additional options and events can be specified when loading and playing sounds. For more examples of playback features, see API Demos.

Bonus

Additional demos

Examples using multi-track playback, progress and combinations of sound and animation:

• SURVIVOR remake

  

• MPC (Drum Machine)

  

• Christmas Lights

  

"Audio sprites" (sound segments / samples) demo

With sound playback options like from and to, you can play portions of a larger, single-file "sprite" of many sounds.

For more live examples, see the API Demos.

Elsewhere

As heard on TV the internets

A few nifty places SoundManager 2 has been seen in use on the Wild World Web:

Articles and presentations

Some other words, pictures and video on the subject of HTML5 and web audio:

• Video, 02/2012: Web Audio: HTML5 + Flash (in a tree) (slides.) Updated HTML5 content, demos and SURVIVOR C64 game demo.
• Video presentation: Adding Sound To HTML (slides) (12/2011)
• Video: Probably, Maybe, No: The State of HTML5 Audio + turntable demo (05/2011)
• 24ways.org article, The State Of HTML5 Audio (12/2010)

Credits and thank-yous

• Icons: Desktop / mobile / iOS device iconography via glyphish.com (CC). Tile background: "Tiny Grid". Homepage header typeface: Chunk (Five) by Meredith Mandel (OFL).
• Music: Seven Or Eight Days courtesy of Adrian Glynn. Graffiti Sex courtesy of The Fugitives, from the album In Streetlight Communion. I Tried and People Asking courtesy of SonReal.

Technical overview

HTML5 audio + optional Flash fallback

• 100% Flash-free audio on iPad, iPhone (iOS4) and other HTML5-enabled devices + browsers
• Invisible Flash SWF provides HTML5 fallback as needed
• API is consistent whether using HTML5 or Flash
• See useHTML5Audio for implementation details

API specifics

Basic API features (HTML5, Flash 8*)

• Load, stop, play, pause, mute, seek, pan*, volume control from JavaScript
• Events: onload(), whileloading(), whileplaying(), onfinish() and more
• ID3V1 + ID3V2 tag support for MP3s (title, artist, genre etc.)*

Additional Flash 9-based API features

• RTMP / Flash Media Server streaming support (experimental) - see serverURL
• MPEG-4 (AAC, HE-AAC, H.264) audio support
• "MultiShot" play (layered/chorusing effects)
• Waveform/frequency spectrum data
• Peak (L/R channel volume) data
• Audio buffering state/event handling

Everything else

Documentation, tools and demos

• Extensive API Documentation with examples and notes
• Built-in debugging and troubleshooting tools
• Community-based discussion/support
• BSD licensed

Not only do you get the ginsu knife...

Even more demos and examples using the SoundManager 2 API...

• Playable MP3 links
• MPC sampler/drum machine
• Basic animation + sound
• Smashable christmas lights
• Live API + code examples