Use this tag for questions about the Java Sound APIs. These are for the capture, processing, and playback of sampled audio data and for sequencing and synthesis of MIDI data.
Java Sound
The Java Sound API provides functionality for the capture, processing, and playback of sampled audio data and the sequencing and synthesis of MIDI data.
Java Sound was incorporated into the J2SE in Java 1.3.
Sampled Sound
The javax.sound.sampled package:
Provides interfaces and classes for capture, processing, and playback of sampled audio data.
Playing a Clip
import java.net.URL;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.sound.sampled.*;
public class LoopSound {
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
URL url = new URL("http://pscode.org/media/leftright.wav");
Clip clip = AudioSystem.getClip();
// getAudioInputStream() also accepts a File or InputStream
AudioInputStream ais = AudioSystem.getAudioInputStream(url);
clip.open(ais);
clip.loop(Clip.LOOP_CONTINUOUSLY);
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> {
// A GUI element to prevent the Clip's daemon Thread
// from terminating at the end of the main()
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Close to exit!");
});
}
}
Playing a SourceDataLine
import java.net.URL;
import javax.sound.sampled.AudioFormat;
import javax.sound.sampled.AudioFormat.Encoding;
import javax.sound.sampled.AudioInputStream;
import javax.sound.sampled.AudioSystem;
import javax.sound.sampled.DataLine;
import javax.sound.sampled.SourceDataLine;
import javax.sound.sampled.Line.Info;
public class ExampleSourceDataLine {
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
// Name string uses relative addressing, assumes the resource is
// located in "audio" child folder of folder holding this class.
URL url = ExampleSourceDataLine.class.getResource("audio/371535__robinhood76__06934-distant-ship-horn.wav");
// The wav file named above was obtained from https://freesound.org/people/Robinhood76/sounds/371535/
// and matches the audioFormat.
AudioInputStream audioInputStream = AudioSystem.getAudioInputStream(url);
AudioFormat audioFormat = new AudioFormat(
Encoding.PCM_SIGNED, 44100, 16, 2, 4, 44100, false);
Info info = new DataLine.Info(SourceDataLine.class, audioFormat);
SourceDataLine sourceDataLine = (SourceDataLine)AudioSystem.getLine(info);
sourceDataLine.open(audioFormat);
int bytesRead = 0;
byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
sourceDataLine.start();
while((bytesRead = audioInputStream.read(buffer)) != -1)
{
// It is possible at this point manipulate the data in buffer[].
// The write operation blocks while the system plays the sound.
sourceDataLine.write(buffer, 0, bytesRead);
}
sourceDataLine.drain();
// release resources
sourceDataLine.close();
audioInputStream.close();
}
}
MIDI Sequences
The
javax.sound.midi package:
Provides interfaces and classes for I/O, sequencing, and synthesis of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data.
Playing a MIDI Sequence
import javax.sound.midi.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.net.URL;
class PlayMidi {
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
URL url = new URL("http://pscode.org/media/EverLove.mid");
Sequence sequence = MidiSystem.getSequence(url);
Sequencer sequencer = MidiSystem.getSequencer();
sequencer.open();
sequencer.setSequence(sequence);
sequencer.start();
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> {
// A GUI element to prevent the Sequencer's daemon Thread
// from terminating at the end of the main()
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Close to exit!");
});
}
}
Service Provider Interface
The Java Sound API uses a Service Provider Interface to identify encoders & decoders for sound formats and sequence types. This way, adding support for a new format or type is as simple as providing a decoder and/or encoder for it, adding an SPI file to the manifest of the Jar it is in, then adding the Jar to the run-time class-path of the application.
Java Sound Capabilities
The capabilities of the sampled sound API can be obtained using such methods as AudioSystem.getAudioFileTypes() & AudioSystem.getMixerInfo().
MIDI capabilities can be obtained using methods such as MidiSystem.getMidiFileTypes() &
MidiSystem.getMidiDeviceInfo().
MP3 decoding support
The Java Sound API does not support many formats of sampled sound internally. In a 1.8.0_65 Oracle JRE getAudioFileTypes() will generally return {WAVE, AU, AIFF}. An MP3 decoder at least, is close by. The mp3plugin.jar of the Java Media Framework supports decoding MP3s. Another alternative that is suitable for MP3 playback is using the JavaFX MediaPlayer.
Applet AudioClip
Applet provides a convenience AudioClip object. AudioClip is similar to the Java Sound Clip, but not as versatile. Java Sound can be used in applets. Applets however have been deprecated as of Java 9. This class should not to be confused with javafx.scene.media.AudioClip, present since JavaFX 2.0, which is also similar to the Java Sound Clip but with additional capabilities.
See Also
- The Java Sound trail in the Java Tutorial.
- Java Sound API: Java Sound Demo. The Java Sound Demo showcases how the Java Sound API can be used for controlling audio playback, audio capture, MIDI synthesis, and basic MIDI sequencing.
- Java Sound API in the JavaDocs
javax.sound.sampledjavax.sound.sampled.spijavax.sound.midijavax.sound.midi.spi- Java Sound Resources (archive). While these examples are relatively old, the Java Sound API was complete at the time they were prepared, and they cover most of the tasks you might want to do with sound. The examples were prepared by two people who were heavily involved during the early design of the Java Sound API, & they distilled years of experience with sound & Java Sound into this resource. Well worth checking out.
