Other platforms, such as Flash, let you layer a single audio object without having to create a new one.īack to top iOS, mobile Safari, and HTML5 audio limitations No layering is achievable with the current state of HTML5 audio. There is a 1:1 correspondence between the markup and the audio that can be played. To play the same sound over itself, you must instantiate a separate audio object of that same sound. Chrome's Web Audio API is the standard being pushed through the W3C. There are great libraries to help normalize support, including audiolibjs (see Resources). Unfortunately, they are also quite different in implementation. Both APIs are currently still under development and are only supported in Chrome 14+ and Firefox 4+. The Web Audio API (Chrome) and Audio Data API (Firefox) help address the missing features by giving you the ability to synthesize and process audio on-the-fly without any browser plug-ins (see Resources).
The audio you load is the audio that is played. Whether it's synthesizing sound on-the-fly, processing sound effects, applying environmental effects, or even doing basic stereo panning, HTML5 audio lacks all manipulation abilities. When dealing with audio, a powerful feature is the ability to manipulate the sound. Listing 1 shows what cross-browser compatible HTML markup should look like. Ogg Vorbis wins my vote overwhelmingly because it is open-source, patent-free, and royalty-free. AAC also provides better compression, allowing for smaller file sizes-a blessing in the web world (see Resources).
#Html5 audio events license#
AAC is not royalty-free, but it has a much more relaxed license that allows free distribution. The license requirements for MP3 will claim a distribution fee of 2% of all revenue over $100K (see Resources).
Why isn't MP3 included? MP3 comes with hefty royalty payments when distributed commercially. To cover all browsers, it's best to have all audio streams as both Ogg Vorbis and AAC. As shown in Table 1, there are currently four major formats: MP3, OGG, WAV, and AAC. Unfortunately, not all browsers support the same audio file format. It works well for music players (jukebox player) or simple sound effects, but leaves much to be desired for sound-intensive applications such as games. HTML5 audio is both robust and limiting, depending largely on its implementation.
#Html5 audio events code#
You can download the source code for the examples used in this article.īefore discussing the limitations in mobile Safari, it's important to understand the limitations of HTML audio on the desktop. The issues discussed and the workarounds provided in this article are still valid and should be considered when developing audio for mobile Safari. However, iOS 6 has only been out for a few weeks, so iOS 5 still has the majority of the market. It is important to note that with iOS 6, Apple has added support for the Web Audio API (discussed below), which removes the need for a lot of the workarounds discussed in this article.
#Html5 audio events how to#
Also covered are: unsupported events, audio sprites, and how to use directCanvas and multiSound to accelerate HTML5 game performance. In this article, learn about the HTML5 limitations for the desktop and in mobile Safari, and try some solutions for creating interactive sound effects. Because HTML5 audio was introduced to mobile Safari in iOS 3, you can be assured there is almost universal support for HTML5 audio on the iOS platform. According to developers of the popular mobile application Instapaper, 98.8% of its iOS users in November 2011 were using at least iOS 4 (see Resources). Though HTML5 audio is a new feature, it has support in iOS. HTML5 audio is a powerful advancement for embedding sound in the browser, especially on mobile devices such as iOS's mobile Safari browser.
The HTML5 specification from the W3C is still under development, but browsers are providing support as the spec evolves. HTML5 has added a huge pallet of in-browser tools that require no extra plug-ins. The new developerWorks Premium membership program provides an all-access pass to powerful development tools and resources, including 500 top technical titles (dozens specifically for web developers) through Safari Books Online, deep discounts on premier developer events, video replays of recent O'Reilly conferences, and more.
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