Multimedia Programming Guide

Audio & Video

2010-09-01

Apple Inc.
2010 Apple Inc.
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Contents
Introduction

About Audio and Video 7

Organization of This Document 7

Chapter 1

Using Audio 9
The Basics: Audio Codecs, Supported Audio Formats, and Audio Sessions 10
iOS Hardware and Software Audio Codecs 10
Audio Sessions 12
Playing Audio 14
Playing Audio Items with iPod Library Access 14
Playing UI Sound Effects or Invoking Vibration Using System Sound Services 15
Playing Sounds Easily with the AVAudioPlayer Class 17
Playing Sounds with Control Using Audio Queue Services 19
Playing Sounds with Positioning Using OpenAL 22
Recording Audio 22
Recording with the AVAudioRecorder Class 22
Recording with Audio Queue Services 24
Parsing Streamed Audio 24
Audio Unit Support in iOS 25
Best Practices for iOS Audio 26
Tips for Using Audio 26
Preferred Audio Formats in iOS 27

Chapter 2

Using Video 29
Recording and Editing Video 29
Playing Video Files 30

Document Revision History 33

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CONTENTS

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Figures, Tables, and Listings

Chapter 1

Using Audio 9
Figure 1-1
Table 1-1
Table 1-2
Table 1-3
Table 1-4
Table 1-5
Table 1-6
Listing 1-1
Listing 1-2
Listing 1-3
Listing 1-4
Listing 1-5
Listing 1-6
Listing 1-7
Listing 1-8
Listing 1-9
Listing 1-10
Listing 1-11

Chapter 2

Using iPod library access 15

Audio playback formats and codecs 11
Audio recording formats and codecs 12
Features provided by the audio session APIs 13
Handling audio interruptions 14
System-supplied audio units 25
Audio tips 26
Creating a sound ID object 16
Playing a system sound 16
Triggering vibration 17
Configuring an AVAudioPlayer object 18
Implementing an AVAudioPlayer delegate method 18
Controlling an AVAudioPlayer object 18
Creating an audio queue object 19
Setting the playback level directly 21
The AudioQueueLevelMeterState structure 21
Setting up the audio session and the sound file URL 22
A record/stop method using the AVAudioRecorder class 23

Using Video 29
Figure 2-1
Listing 2-1

Media player interface with transport controls 30

Playing full-screen movies 30

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FIGURES, TABLES, AND LISTINGS

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INTRODUCTION

About Audio and Video

Whether multimedia features are central or incidental to your application, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users
expect high quality. When presenting video content, take advantage of the devices high-resolution screen
and high frame rates. When designing the audio portion of your application, keep in mind that compelling
sound adds immeasurably to a users overall experience.
You can take advantage of the iOS multimedia frameworks for adding features like:

High-quality audio recording, playback, and streaming

Immersive game sounds

Live voice chat

Playback of content from a users iPod library

Video playback and recording on supported devices

In iOS 4.0 and later, the AV Foundation framework gives you fine-grained control over inspecting, editing,
and presenting audio-visual assets.

Organization of This Document

This document contains the following chapters:

Using Audio (page 9) shows how to use the systems audio technologies to play and record audio.

Using Video (page 29) shows how to use the systems video technologies to play and capture video.

Organization of This Document

2010-09-01 | 2010 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.

INTRODUCTION

About Audio and Video

Organization of This Document

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CHAPTER 1

Using Audio

Important: This document contains information that used to be in iOS Application Programming Guide. The
information in this document has not been updated specifically for iOS 4.0.
iOS offers a rich set of tools for working with sound in your application. These tools are arranged into
frameworks according to the features they provide, as follows:

Use the Media Player framework to play songs, audio books, or audio podcasts from a users iPod library.
For details, see Media Player Framework Reference, iPod Library Access Programming Guide, and the AddMusic
sample code project.

Use the AV Foundation framework to play and record audio using a simple Objective-C interface. For
details, see AV Foundation Framework Reference and the avTouch sample code project.

Use the Audio Toolbox framework to play audio with synchronization capabilities, access packets of
incoming audio, parse audio streams, convert audio formats, and record audio with access to individual
packets. For details, see Audio Toolbox Framework Reference and the SpeakHere sample code project.

Use the Audio Unit framework to connect to and use audio processing plug-ins. For details, see Audio
Unit Hosting Guide for iOS.

Use the OpenAL framework to provide positional audio playback in games and other applications. iOS
supports OpenAL 1.1. For information on OpenAL, see the OpenAL website, OpenAL FAQ for iPhone OS,
and the oalTouch sample code project.

To allow your code to use the features of an audio framework, add that framework to your Xcode project,
link against it in any relevant targets, and add an appropriate #import statement near the top of relevant
source files. For example, to provide access to the AV Foundation framework in a source file, add a #import
<AVFoundation/AVFoundation.h> statement near the top of the file. For detailed information on how
to add frameworks to your project, see Files in Projects in Xcode Project Management Guide.
Important: To use the features of the Audio Unit framework, add the Audio Toolbox framework to your Xcode
project and link against it in any relevant targets. Then add a #import <AudioToolbox/AudioToolbox.h>
statement near the top of relevant source files.
This section on sound provides a quick introduction to implementing iOS audio features, as listed here:

To play songs, audio podcasts, and audio books from a users iPod library, see Playing Audio Items with
iPod Library Access (page 14).

To play and record audio in the fewest lines of code, use the AV Foundation framework. See Playing
Sounds Easily with the AVAudioPlayer Class (page 17) and Recording with the AVAudioRecorder
Class (page 22).

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To provide full-featured audio playback including stereo positioning, level control, and simultaneous
sounds, use OpenAL. See Playing Sounds with Positioning Using OpenAL (page 22).

To provide lowest latency audio, especially when doing simultaneous input and output (such as for a
VoIP application), use the I/O unit or the Voice Processing I/O unit. See Audio Unit Support in iOS (page
25).

To play sounds with the highest degree of control, including support for synchronization, use Audio
Queue Services. See Playing Sounds with Control Using Audio Queue Services (page 19). Audio Queue
Services also supports recording and provides access to incoming audio packets, as described in
Recording with Audio Queue Services (page 24).

To parse audio streamed from a network connection, use Audio File Stream Services. See Parsing
Streamed Audio (page 24).

To play user-interface sound effects, or to invoke vibration on devices that provide that feature, use
System Sound Services. See Playing UI Sound Effects or Invoking Vibration Using System Sound
Services (page 15).

Be sure to read the next section, The Basics: Audio Codecs, Supported Audio Formats, and Audio
Sessions (page 10), for critical information on how audio works in iOS. Also read Best Practices for iOS
Audio (page 26), which offers guidelines and lists the audio and file formats to use for best performance
and best user experience.
When youre ready to dig deeper, the iOS Dev Center contains guides, reference books, sample code, and
more. For tips on how to perform common audio tasks, see Audio & Video Coding How-To's. For in-depth
explanations of audio development in iOS, see Core Audio Overview, Audio Session Programming Guide, Audio
Queue Services Programming Guide, Audio Unit Hosting Guide for iOS, and iPod Library Access Programming
Guide.

The Basics: Audio Codecs, Supported Audio Formats, and Audio

Sessions
To get oriented toward iOS audio development, its important to understand a few critical things about the
hardware and software architecture of iOS devicesdescribed in this section.

iOS Hardware and Software Audio Codecs

To ensure optimum performance and quality, you need to pick the right audio format and audio codec type.
Starting in iOS 3.0, most audio formats can use software-based encoding (for recording) and decoding (for
playback). Software codecs support simultaneous playback of multiple sounds, but may entail significant
CPU overhead.
Hardware-assisted decoding provides excellent performancebut does not support simultaneous playback
of multiple sounds. If you need to maximize video frame rate in your application, minimize the CPU impact
of your audio playback by using uncompressed audio or the IMA4 format, or use hardware-assisted decoding
of your compressed audio assets.
For best-practice advice on picking an audio format, see Preferred Audio Formats in iOS (page 27).

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CHAPTER 1

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Table 1-1 describes the playback audio codecs available on iOS devices.
Table 1-1

Audio playback formats and codecs

Audio decoder/playback format

Hardware-assisted Software-based decoding

decoding

AAC (MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coding)

Yes

Yes, starting in iOS 3.0

ALAC (Apple Lossless)

Yes

Yes, starting in iOS 3.0

HE-AAC (MPEG-4 High Efficiency AAC)

Yes

iLBC (internet Low Bitrate Codec, another format for

speech)

Yes

IMA4 (IMA/ADPCM)

Yes

Linear PCM (uncompressed, linear pulse-code

modulation)

Yes

MP3 (MPEG-1 audio layer 3)

Yes

Yes, starting in iOS 3.0

-law and a-law

Yes

When using hardware-assisted decoding, the device can play only a single instance of one of the supported
formats at a time. For example, if you are playing a stereo MP3 sound using the hardware codec, a second
simultaneous MP3 sound will use software decoding. Similarly, you cannot simultaneously play an AAC and
an ALAC sound using hardware. If the iPod application is playing an AAC or MP3 sound in the background,
it has claimed the hardware codec; your application then plays AAC, ALAC, and MP3 audio using software
decoding.
To play multiple sounds with best performance, or to efficiently play sounds while the iPod is playing in the
background, use linear PCM (uncompressed) or IMA4 (compressed) audio.
To learn how to check at runtime which hardware and software codecs are available on a device, read the
discussion for the kAudioFormatProperty_HardwareCodecCapabilities constant in Audio Format
Services Reference and read Technical Q&A QA1663, Determining the availability of the AAC hardware encoder
at runtime.
To summarize how iOS supports audio formats for single or multiple playback:

Linear PCM and IMA4 (IMA/ADPCM) You can play multiple linear PCM or IMA4 sounds simultaneously
in iOS without incurring CPU resource problems. The same is true for the iLBC speech-quality format,
and for the -law and a-law compressed formats. When using compressed formats, check the sound
quality to ensure it meets your needs.

AAC, HE-AAC, MP3, and ALAC (Apple Lossless) Playback for AAC, HE-AAC, MP3, and ALAC sounds can
use efficient hardware-assisted decoding on iOS devices, but these codecs all share a single hardware
path. The device can play only a single instance of one of these formats at a time using hardware-assisted
decoding.

The Basics: Audio Codecs, Supported Audio Formats, and Audio Sessions
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The single hardware path for AAC, HE-AAC, MP3, and ALAC playback has implications for play along style
applications, such as a virtual piano. If the user is playing a song in one of these three formats in the iPod
application, then your applicationto play along over that audiowill employ software decoding.
Table 1-2 describes the recording audio codecs available on iOS devices.
Table 1-2

Audio recording formats and codecs

Audio encoder/recording format

Hardware-assisted encoding

Software-based encoding

AAC (MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coding)

Yes, starting in iOS 3.1 for

Yes, starting in iOS 4.0 for
iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (2nd iPhone 3GS and iPod touch
generation)
(2nd generation)
Yes, starting in iOS 3.2 for iPad

ALAC (Apple Lossless)

Yes

iLBC (internet Low Bitrate Codec, for

speech)

Yes

IMA4 (IMA/ADPCM)

Yes

Linear PCM (uncompressed, linear

pulse-code modulation)

Yes

-law and a-law

Yes

Audio Sessions
The iOS audio session APIs let you define your applications general audio behavior and design it to work
well within the larger audio context of the device its running on. These APIs are described in Audio Session
Services Reference and AVAudioSession Class Reference. Using these APIs, you can specify such behaviors as:

Whether or not your audio should be silenced by the Silent switch (on iPhone, this is called the Ring/Silent
switch)

Whether or not your audio should stop upon screen lock

Whether other audio, such as from the iPod, should continue playing or be silenced when your audio
starts

The audio session APIs also let you respond to user actions, such as the plugging in or unplugging of headsets,
and to events that use the devices sound hardware, such as Clock and Calendar alarms and incoming phone
calls.
The audio session APIs provide three programmatic features, described in Table 1-3.

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Table 1-3

Features provided by the audio session APIs

Audio session feature

Description

Setting categories

A category is a key that identifies a set of audio behaviors for your application.
By setting a category, you indicate your audio intentions to iOS, such as whether
your audio should continue when the screen locks. There are six categories,
described in Audio Session Categories. You can fine-tune the behavior of
some categories, as explained in Fine-Tuning the Category in Audio Session
Programming Guide.

Handling interruptions
and route changes

Your audio session posts messages when your audio is interrupted, when an
interruption ends, and when the hardware audio route changes. These messages
let you respond gracefully to changes in the larger audio environmentsuch
as an interruption due to an incoming phone call. For details, see Handling
Audio Hardware Route Changes and Handling Audio Interruptions.

Optimizing for hardware

characteristics

You can query the audio session to discover characteristics of the device your
application is running on, such as hardware sample rate, number of hardware
channels, and whether audio input is available. For details, see Optimizing for
Device Hardware.

There are two interfaces for working with the audio session:

A streamlined, objective-C interface that gives you access to the core audio session features and is
described in AVAudioSession Class Reference and AVAudioSessionDelegate Protocol Reference.

A C-based interface that provides comprehensive access to all basic and advanced audio session features
and is described in Audio Session Services Reference.

You can mix and match audio session code from AV Foundation and Audio Session Servicesthe interfaces
are completely compatible.
An audio session comes with some default behavior that you can use to get started in development. However,
except for certain special cases, the default behavior is unsuitable for a shipping application that uses audio.
For example, when using the default audio session, audio in your application stops when the Auto-Lock
period times out and the screen locks. If you want to ensure that playback continues with the screen locked,
include the following lines in your applications initialization code:
NSError *setCategoryErr = nil;
NSError *activationErr = nil;
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance]
setCategory: AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback
error: &setCategoryErr];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance]
setActive: YES
error: &activationErr];

The AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback category ensures that playback continues when the screen locks.
Activating the audio session puts the specified category into effect.
How you handle the interruption caused by an incoming phone call or Clock or Calendar alarm depends on
the audio technology you are using, as shown in Table 1-4.

The Basics: Audio Codecs, Supported Audio Formats, and Audio Sessions
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Table 1-4

Handling audio interruptions

Audio technology

How interruptions work

AV Foundation framework The AVAudioPlayer and AVAudioRecorder classes provide delegate

methods for interruption start and end. Implement these methods to update
your user interface and optionally, after interruption ends, to resume paused
playback. The system automatically pauses playback or recording upon
interruption, and reactivates your audio session when you resume playback
or recording.
If you want to save and restore playback position between application
launches, save playback position on interruption as well as on application quit.
Audio Queue Services,
I/O audio unit

These technologies put your application in control of handling interruptions.

You are responsible for saving playback or recording position and reactivating
your audio session after interruption ends. Implement the AVAudioSession
interruption delegate methods or write an interruption listener callback
function.

OpenAL

When using OpenAL for playback, implement the AVAudioSession

interruption delegate methods or write an interruption listener callback
functionas when using Audio Queue Services. However, the delegate or
callback must additionally manage the OpenAL context.

System Sound Services

Sounds played using System Sound Services go silent when an interruption

starts. They can automatically be used again if the interruption ends.
Applications cannot influence the interruption behavior for sounds that use
this playback technology.

Every iOS applicationwith rare exceptionshould actively manage its audio session. For a complete
explanation of how to do this, read Audio Session Programming Guide. To ensure that your application conforms
to Apple recommendations for audio session behavior, read Sound in iOS Human Interface Guidelinesin iOS
Human Interface Guidelines.

Playing Audio
This section introduces you to playing sounds in iOS using iPod library access, System Sound Services, Audio
Queue Services, the AV Foundation framework, and OpenAL.

Playing Audio Items with iPod Library Access

Starting in iOS 3.0, iPod library access lets your application play a users songs, audio books, and audio
podcasts. The API design makes basic playback very simple while also supporting advanced searching and
playback control.

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As shown in Figure 1-1, your application has two ways to retrieve media items. The media item picker, shown
on the left, is an easy-to-use, pre-packaged view controller that behaves like the built-in iPod applications
music selection interface. For many applications, this is sufficient. If the picker doesnt provide the specialized
access control you want, the media query interface will. It supports predicate-based specification of items
from the iPod library.
Figure 1-1

Using iPod library access

Music Player

Your application

Media Picker

Media Query

iPod Library

As depicted in the figure to the right of your application, you then play the retrieved media items using the
music player provided by this API.
For a complete explanation of how to add media item playback to your application, see iPod Library Access
Programming Guide. For a code example, see the AddMusic sample code project.

Playing UI Sound Effects or Invoking Vibration Using System Sound

Services
To play user-interface sound effects (such as button clicks), or to invoke vibration on devices that support it,
use System Sound Services. This compact interface is described in System Sound Services Reference. You can
find sample code in the Audio UI Sounds (SysSound) sample in the iOS Dev Center.
Note: Sounds played with System Sound Services are not subject to configuration using your audio session.
As a result, you cannot keep the behavior of System Sound Services audio in line with other audio behavior
in your application. This is the most important reason to avoid using System Sound Services for any audio
apart from its intended uses.
The AudioServicesPlaySystemSound function lets you very simply play short sound files. The simplicity
carries with it a few restrictions. Your sound files must be:

No longer than 30 seconds in duration

In linear PCM or IMA4 (IMA/ADPCM) format

Packaged in a .caf, .aif, or .wav file

Playing Audio
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In addition, when you use the AudioServicesPlaySystemSound function:

Sounds play at the current system audio volume, with no programmatic volume control available

Sounds play immediately

Looping and stereo positioning are unavailable

Simultaneous playback is unavailable: You can play only one sound at a time

The similar AudioServicesPlayAlertSound function plays a short sound as an alert. If a user has configured
their device to vibrate in Ring Settings, calling this function invokes vibration in addition to playing the sound
file.
Note: System-supplied alert sounds and system-supplied user-interface sound effects are not available to
your application. For example, using the kSystemSoundID_UserPreferredAlert constant as a parameter
to the AudioServicesPlayAlertSound function will not play anything.
To play a sound with the AudioServicesPlaySystemSound or AudioServicesPlayAlertSound function,
first create a sound ID object, as shown in Listing 1-1.
Listing 1-1

Creating a sound ID object

// Get the main bundle for the app

CFBundleRef mainBundle = CFBundleGetMainBundle ();
// Get the URL to the sound file to play. The file in this case
// is "tap.aif"
soundFileURLRef = CFBundleCopyResourceURL (
mainBundle,
CFSTR ("tap"),
CFSTR ("aif"),
NULL
);
// Create a system sound object representing the sound file
AudioServicesCreateSystemSoundID (
soundFileURLRef,
&soundFileObject
);

Then play the sound, as shown in Listing 1-2.

Listing 1-2

Playing a system sound

- (IBAction) playSystemSound {
AudioServicesPlaySystemSound (self.soundFileObject);
}

In typical use, which includes playing a sound occasionally or repeatedly, retain the sound ID object until
your application quits. If you know that you will use a sound only oncefor example, in the case of a startup
soundyou can destroy the sound ID object immediately after playing the sound, freeing memory.

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Applications running on iOS devices that support vibration can trigger that feature using System Sound
Services. You specify the vibrate option with the kSystemSoundID_Vibrate identifier. To trigger it, use the
AudioServicesPlaySystemSound function, as shown in Listing 1-3.
Listing 1-3

Triggering vibration

#import <AudioToolbox/AudioToolbox.h>
#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
- (void) vibratePhone {
AudioServicesPlaySystemSound (kSystemSoundID_Vibrate);
}

If your application is running on an iPod touch, this code does nothing.

Playing Sounds Easily with the AVAudioPlayer Class

The AVAudioPlayer class provides a simple Objective-C interface for playing sounds. If your application
does not require stereo positioning or precise synchronization, and if you are not playing audio captured
from a network stream, Apple recommends that you use this class for playback.
Using an audio player you can:

Play sounds of any duration

Play sounds from files or memory buffers

Loop sounds

Play multiple sounds simultaneously (although not with precise synchronization)

Control relative playback level for each sound you are playing

Seek to a particular point in a sound file, which supports application features such as fast forward and
rewind

Obtain audio power data that you can use for audio level metering

The AVAudioPlayer class lets you play sound in any audio format available in iOS, as described in Table
1-1 (page 11). For a complete description of this classs interface, see AVAudioPlayer Class Reference.
To configure an audio player:
1.

Assign a sound file to the audio player.

2.

Prepare the audio player for playback, which acquires the hardware resources it needs.

3.

Designate an audio player delegate object, which handles interruptions as well as the playback-completed
event.

The code in Listing 1-4 illustrates these steps. It would typically go into an initialization method of the
controller class for your application. (In production code, youd include appropriate error handling.)

Playing Audio
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Listing 1-4

Configuring an AVAudioPlayer object

// in the corresponding .h file:

// @property (nonatomic, retain) AVAudioPlayer *player;
// in the .m file:
@synthesize player; // the player object
NSString *soundFilePath =
[[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource: @"sound"
ofType: @"wav"];
NSURL *fileURL = [[NSURL alloc] initFileURLWithPath: soundFilePath];
AVAudioPlayer *newPlayer =
[[AVAudioPlayer alloc] initWithContentsOfURL: fileURL
error: nil];
[fileURL release];
self.player = newPlayer;
[newPlayer release];
[player prepareToPlay];
[player setDelegate: self];

The delegate (which can be your controller object) handle interruptions and updates the user interface when
a sound has finished playing. The delegate methods for the AVAudioPlayer class are described in
AVAudioPlayerDelegate Protocol Reference. Listing 1-5 shows a simple implementation of one delegate method.
This code updates the title of a Play/Pause toggle button when a sound has finished playing.
Listing 1-5

Implementing an AVAudioPlayer delegate method

- (void) audioPlayerDidFinishPlaying: (AVAudioPlayer *) player

successfully: (BOOL) completed {
if (completed == YES) {
[self.button setTitle: @"Play" forState: UIControlStateNormal];
}
}

To play, pause, or stop an AVAudioPlayer object, call one of its playback control methods. You can test
whether or not playback is in progress by using the playing property. Listing 1-6 shows a basic play/pause
toggle method that controls playback and updates the title of a UIButton object.
Listing 1-6

Controlling an AVAudioPlayer object

- (IBAction) playOrPause: (id) sender {

// if already playing, then pause
if (self.player.playing) {
[self.button setTitle: @"Play" forState: UIControlStateHighlighted];
[self.button setTitle: @"Play" forState: UIControlStateNormal];
[self.player pause];
// if stopped or paused, start playing
} else {
[self.button setTitle: @"Pause" forState: UIControlStateHighlighted];
[self.button setTitle: @"Pause" forState: UIControlStateNormal];

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[self.player play];
}
}

The AVAudioPlayer class uses the Objective-C declared properties feature for managing information about
a soundsuch as the playback point within the sounds timeline, and for accessing playback optionssuch
as volume and looping. For example, you can set the playback volume for an audio player as shown here:
[self.player setVolume: 1.0];

// available range is 0.0 through 1.0

For more information on the AVAudioPlayer class, see AVAudioPlayer Class Reference.

Playing Sounds with Control Using Audio Queue Services

Audio Queue Services adds playback capabilities beyond those available with the AVAudioPlayer class.
Using Audio Queue Services for playback lets you:

Precisely schedule when a sound plays, allowing synchronization

Precisely control volume on a buffer-by-buffer basis

Play audio that you have captured from a stream using Audio File Stream Services

Audio Queue Services lets you play sound in any audio format available in iOS, as described in Table 1-1 (page
11). You can also use this technology for recording, as explained in Recording Audio (page 22).
For detailed information on using this technology, see Audio Queue Services Programming Guide and Audio
Queue Services Reference. For sample code, see the SpeakHere sample.

Creating an Audio Queue Object

To create an audio queue object for playback, perform these three steps:
1.

Create a data structure to manage information needed by the audio queue, such as the audio format
for the data you want to play.

2.

Define a callback function for managing audio queue buffers. The callback uses Audio File Services to
read the file you want to play. (In iOS 2.1 and later, you can also use Extended Audio File Services to read
the file.)

3.

Instantiate the playback audio queue using the AudioQueueNewOutput function.

Listing 1-7 illustrates these steps using ANSI C. (In production code, youd include appropriate error handling.)
The SpeakHere sample project shows these same steps in the context of a C++ program.
Listing 1-7

Creating an audio queue object

static const int kNumberBuffers = 3;

// Create a data structure to manage information needed by the audio queue
struct myAQStruct {
AudioFileID
mAudioFile;
CAStreamBasicDescription
mDataFormat;

Playing Audio
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AudioQueueRef
AudioQueueBufferRef
SInt64
UInt32
AudioStreamPacketDescription
bool

mQueue;
mBuffers[kNumberBuffers];
mCurrentPacket;
mNumPacketsToRead;
*mPacketDescs;
mDone;

};
// Define a playback audio queue callback function
static void AQTestBufferCallback(
void
*inUserData,
AudioQueueRef
inAQ,
AudioQueueBufferRef
inCompleteAQBuffer
) {
myAQStruct *myInfo = (myAQStruct *)inUserData;
if (myInfo->mDone) return;
UInt32 numBytes;
UInt32 nPackets = myInfo->mNumPacketsToRead;
AudioFileReadPackets (
myInfo->mAudioFile,
false,
&numBytes,
myInfo->mPacketDescs,
myInfo->mCurrentPacket,
&nPackets,
inCompleteAQBuffer->mAudioData
);
if (nPackets > 0) {
inCompleteAQBuffer->mAudioDataByteSize = numBytes;
AudioQueueEnqueueBuffer (
inAQ,
inCompleteAQBuffer,
(myInfo->mPacketDescs ? nPackets : 0),
myInfo->mPacketDescs
);
myInfo->mCurrentPacket += nPackets;
} else {
AudioQueueStop (
myInfo->mQueue,
false
);
myInfo->mDone = true;
}
}
// Instantiate an audio queue object
AudioQueueNewOutput (
&myInfo.mDataFormat,
AQTestBufferCallback,
&myInfo,
CFRunLoopGetCurrent(),
kCFRunLoopCommonModes,
0,
&myInfo.mQueue
);

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Playing Audio
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CHAPTER 1

Using Audio

Controlling the Playback Level

Audio queue objects give you two ways to control playback level.
To set playback level directly, use the AudioQueueSetParameter function with the
kAudioQueueParam_Volume parameter, as shown in Listing 1-8. Level change takes effect immediately.
Listing 1-8

Setting the playback level directly

Float32 volume = 1;
// linear scale, range from 0.0 through 1.0
AudioQueueSetParameter (
myAQstruct.audioQueueObject,
kAudioQueueParam_Volume,
volume
);

You can also set playback level for an audio queue buffer by using the
AudioQueueEnqueueBufferWithParameters function. This lets you assign audio queue settings that are,
in effect, carried by an audio queue buffer as you enqueue it. Such changes take effect when the buffer
begins playing.
In both cases, level changes for an audio queue remain in effect until you change them again.

Indicating Playback Level

You can obtain the current playback level from an audio queue object by:
1.

Enabling metering for the audio queue object by setting its

kAudioQueueProperty_EnableLevelMetering property to true

2.

Querying the audio queue objects kAudioQueueProperty_CurrentLevelMeter property

The value of this property is an array of AudioQueueLevelMeterState structures, one per channel. Listing
1-9 shows this structure:
Listing 1-9

The AudioQueueLevelMeterState structure

typedef struct AudioQueueLevelMeterState {

Float32
mAveragePower;
Float32
mPeakPower;
}; AudioQueueLevelMeterState;

Playing Multiple Sounds Simultaneously

To play multiple sounds simultaneously, create one playback audio queue object for each sound. For each
audio queue, schedule the first buffer of audio to start at the same time using the
AudioQueueEnqueueBufferWithParameters function.
Starting in iOS 3.0, nearly all supported audio formats can be used for simultaneous playbacknamely, all
those that can be played using software decoding, as described in Table 1-1 (page 11). For the most
processor-efficient multiple playback, use linear PCM (uncompressed) or IMA4 (compressed) audio.

Playing Audio
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CHAPTER 1

Using Audio

Playing Sounds with Positioning Using OpenAL

The open-sourced OpenAL audio API, available in iOS in the OpenAL framework, provides an interface
optimized for positioning sounds in a stereo field during playback. Playing, positioning, and moving sounds
works just as it does on other platforms. OpenAL also lets you mix sounds. OpenAL uses the I/O unit for
playback, resulting in the lowest latency.
For all of these reasons, OpenAL is your best choice for playing sounds in game applications on iOS-based
devices. However, OpenAL is also a good choice for general iOS application audio playback needs.
OpenAL 1.1 support in iOS is built on top of Core Audio. For more information, see OpenAL FAQ for iPhone
OS. For OpenAL documentation, see the OpenAL website at http://openal.org. For sample code, see oalTouch.

Recording Audio
iOS supports audio recording using the AVAudioRecorder class and Audio Queue Services. These interfaces
do the work of connecting to the audio hardware, managing memory, and employing codecs as needed.
You can record audio in any of the formats listed in Table 1-2 (page 12).
Recording takes place at a system-defined input level in iOS. The system takes input from the audio source
that the user has chosenthe built-in microphone or, if connected, the headset microphone or other input
source.

Recording with the AVAudioRecorder Class

The easiest way to record sound in iOS is with the AVAudioRecorder class, described in AVAudioRecorder
Class Reference. This class provides a highly-streamlined, Objective-C interface that makes it easy to provide
sophisticated features like pausing/resuming recording and handling audio interruptions. At the same time,
you retain complete control over recording format.
To prepare for recording using an audio recorder:
1.

Specify a sound file URL.

2.

Set up the audio session.

3.

Configure the audio recorders initial state.

Application launch is a good time to do this part of the setup, as shown in Listing 1-10. Variables such as
soundFileURL and recording in this example are declared in the class interface. (In production code, you
would include appropriate error handling.)
Listing 1-10

Setting up the audio session and the sound file URL

- (void) viewDidLoad {
[super viewDidLoad];
NSString *tempDir = NSTemporaryDirectory ();

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Recording Audio
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CHAPTER 1

Using Audio

NSString *soundFilePath =
[tempDir stringByAppendingString: @"sound.caf"];
NSURL *newURL = [[NSURL alloc] initFileURLWithPath: soundFilePath];
self.soundFileURL = newURL;
[newURL release];
AVAudioSession *audioSession = [AVAudioSession sharedInstance];
audioSession.delegate = self;
[audioSession setActive: YES error: nil];
recording = NO;
playing = NO;
}

To handle interruptions and the completion of recording, add the AVAudioSessionDelegate and
AVAudioRecorderDelegate protocol names to the interface declaration for your implementation. If your
application also does playback, also adopt the AVAudioPlayerDelegate Protocol Reference protocol.
To implement a record method, you can use code such as that shown in Listing 1-11. (In production code,
you would include appropriate error handling.)
Listing 1-11

A record/stop method using the AVAudioRecorder class

- (IBAction) recordOrStop: (id) sender {

if (recording) {
[soundRecorder stop];
recording = NO;
self.soundRecorder = nil;
[recordOrStopButton setTitle: @"Record" forState:
UIControlStateNormal];
[recordOrStopButton setTitle: @"Record" forState:
UIControlStateHighlighted];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setActive: NO error: nil];
} else {
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance]
setCategory: AVAudioSessionCategoryRecord
error: nil];
NSDictionary *recordSettings =
[[NSDictionary alloc] initWithObjectsAndKeys:
[NSNumber numberWithFloat: 44100.0], AVSampleRateKey,
[NSNumber numberWithInt: kAudioFormatAppleLossless], AVFormatIDKey,
[NSNumber numberWithInt: 1], AVNumberOfChannelsKey,
[NSNumber numberWithInt: AVAudioQualityMax],
AVEncoderAudioQualityKey,
nil];
AVAudioRecorder *newRecorder =
[[AVAudioRecorder alloc] initWithURL: soundFileURL
settings: recordSettings
error: nil];
[recordSettings release];

Recording Audio
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CHAPTER 1

Using Audio

self.soundRecorder = newRecorder;
[newRecorder release];
soundRecorder.delegate = self;
[soundRecorder prepareToRecord];
[soundRecorder record];
[recordOrStopButton setTitle: @"Stop" forState: UIControlStateNormal];
[recordOrStopButton setTitle: @"Stop" forState: UIControlStateHighlighted];
recording = YES;
}
}

For more information on the AVAudioRecorder class, see AVAudioRecorder Class Reference.

Recording with Audio Queue Services

To set up for recording with audio with Audio Queue Services, your application instantiates a recording audio
queue object and provides a callback function. The callback stores incoming audio data in memory for
immediate use or writes it to a file for long-term storage.
Just as with playback, you can obtain the current recording audio level from an audio queue object by
querying its kAudioQueueProperty_CurrentLevelMeter property, as described in Indicating Playback
Level (page 21).
For detailed examples of how to use Audio Queue Services to record audio, see Recording Audio in Audio
Queue Services Programming Guide. For sample code, see the SpeakHere sample.

Parsing Streamed Audio

To play streamed audio content, such as from a network connection, use Audio File Stream Services in concert
with Audio Queue Services. Audio File Stream Services parses audio packets and metadata from common
audio file container formats in a network bitstream. You can also use it to parse packets and metadata from
on-disk files.
In iOS, you can parse the same audio file and bitstream formats that you can in Mac OS X, as follows:

24

MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, used for .mp3 files

MPEG-2 ADTS, used for the .aac audio data format

AIFC

AIFF

CAF

MPEG-4, used for .m4a, .mp4, and .3gp files

NeXT

WAVE

Parsing Streamed Audio

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CHAPTER 1

Using Audio

Having retrieved audio packets, you can play back the recovered sound in any of the formats supported in
iOS, as listed in Table 1-1 (page 11).
For best performance, network streaming applications should use data from Wi-Fi connections. iOS lets you
determine which networks are reachable and available through its System Configuration framework and its
SCNetworkReachabilityRef opaque type, described in SCNetworkReachability Reference. For sample code,
see the Reachability sample in the iOS Dev Center.
To connect to a network stream, use interfaces from Core Foundation, such as the one described in
CFHTTPMessage Reference. Parse the network packets to recover audio packets using Audio File Stream
Services. Then buffer the audio packets and send them to a playback audio queue object.
Audio File Stream Services relies on interfaces from Audio File Services, such as the
AudioFramePacketTranslation structure and the AudioFilePacketTableInfo structure. These are
described in Audio File Services Reference.
For more information on using streams, refer to Audio File Stream Services Reference.

Audio Unit Support in iOS

iOS provides a set of audio processing plug-ins, known as audio units, that you can use in any application.
The interfaces in the Audio Unit framework let you open, connect, and use these audio units.
To use the features of the Audio Unit framework, add the Audio Toolbox framework to your Xcode project
and link against it in any relevant targets. Then add a #import <AudioToolbox/AudioToolbox.h>
statement near the top of relevant source files. For detailed information on how to add frameworks to your
project, see Files in Projects in Xcode Project Management Guide.
Table 1-5 lists the audio units provided in iOS.
Table 1-5

System-supplied audio units

Audio unit

Description

iPod Equalizer unit

The iPod EQ unit, of type kAudioUnitSubType_AUiPodEQ, provides a simple,

preset-based equalizer you can use in your application. For a demonstration
of how to use this audio unit, see the sample code project
iPhoneMixerEQGraphTest.

3D Mixer unit

The 3D Mixer unit, of type kAudioUnitSubType_AU3DMixerEmbedded, lets

you mix multiple audio streams, specify stereo output panning, manipulate
playback rate, and more. OpenAL is built on top of this audio unit and provides
a higher-level API well suited for game apps.

Multichannel Mixer unit

The Multichannel Mixer unit, of type kAudioUnitSubType_MultiChannelMixer, lets you mix multiple mono or stereo audio streams
to a single stereo stream. It also supports left/right panning for each input.
For a demonstration of how to use this audio unit, see the sample code project
Audio Mixer (MixerHost).

Audio Unit Support in iOS

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CHAPTER 1

Using Audio

Audio unit

Description

Remote I/O unit

The Remote I/O unit, of type kAudioUnitSubType_RemoteIO, connects to

audio input and output hardware and supports realtime I/O. For
demonstrations of how to use this audio unit, see the sample code projects
aurioTouch and IOHost.

Voice Processing I/O unit The Voice Processing I/O unit, of type kAudioUnitSubType_VoiceProcessingIO, has the characteristics of the I/O unit and adds echo
suppression and other features for two-way communication.
Generic Output unit

The Generic Output unit, of type kAudioUnitSubType_GenericOutput,

supports converting to and from linear PCM format; can be used to start and
stop a graph.

Converter unit

The Converter unit, of type kAudioUnitSubType_AUConverter, lets you

convert audio data from one format to another. You typically obtain the
features of this audio unit by using the Remote I/O unit, which incorporates
a Converter unit.

For more information on using system audio units, see Audio Unit Hosting Guide for iOS. For reference
documentation, see Audio Unit Framework Reference and Audio Unit Processing Graph Services Reference. The
iOS Dev Center provides two sample-code projects that demonstrate use of system audio units: aurioTouch
and iPhoneMultichannelMixerTest.

Best Practices for iOS Audio

This section lists some important tips for using audio in iOS and describes the best audio data formats for
various uses.

Tips for Using Audio

Table 1-6 lists some important tips to keep in mind when using audio in iOS.
Table 1-6

26

Audio tips

Tip

Action

Use compressed audio

appropriately

For AAC, MP3, and ALAC (Apple Lossless) audio, decoding can take place using
hardware-assisted codecs. While efficient, this is limited to one audio stream at
a time. If you need to play multiple sounds simultaneously, store those sounds
using the IMA4 (compressed) or linear PCM (uncompressed) format.

Convert to the data

format and file format
you need

The afconvert tool in Mac OS X lets you convert to a wide range of audio data
formats and file types. See Preferred Audio Formats in iOS (page 27) and the
afconvert man page.

Best Practices for iOS Audio

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CHAPTER 1

Using Audio

Tip

Action

Evaluate audio memory

issues

When playing sound with Audio Queue Services, you write a callback that sends
short segments of audio data to audio queue buffers. In some cases, loading an
entire sound file to memory for playback, which minimizes disk access, is best.
In other cases, loading just enough data at a time to keep the buffers full is best.
Test and evaluate which strategy works best for your application.

Reduce audio file sizes by Sample rate and the number of bits per sample have a direct impact on the size
limiting sample rates, bit of your audio files. If you need to play many such sounds, or long-duration
depths, and channels
sounds, consider reducing these values to reduce the memory footprint of the
audio data. For example, rather than use 44.1 kHz sampling rate for sound effects,
you could use a 32 kHz (or possibly lower) sample rate and still provide
reasonable quality.
Using monophonic (single-channel) audio instead of stereo (two channel) reduces
file size. For each sound asset, consider whether mono could suit your needs.
Pick the appropriate
technology

Use OpenAL when you want a convenient, high-level interface for positioning
sounds in a stereo field or when you need low latency playback. To parse audio
packets from a file or a network stream, use Audio File Stream Services. For
simple playback of single or multiple sounds, use the AVAudioPlayer class.
For recording to a file, use the AVAudioRecorder class. For audio chat, use the
Voice Processing I/O unit. To play audio resources synced from a users iTunes
library, use iPod Library Access. When your sole audio need is to play alerts and
user-interface sound effects, use Core Audios System Sound Services. For other
audio applications, including playback of streamed audio, precise synchronization,
and access to packets of incoming audio, use Audio Queue Services.

Code for low latency

For the lowest possible playback latency, use OpenAL or use the I/O unit directly.

Preferred Audio Formats in iOS

For uncompressed (highest quality) audio, use 16-bit, little endian, linear PCM audio data packaged in a CAF
file. You can convert an audio file to this format in Mac OS X using the afconvert command-line tool, as
shown here:
/usr/bin/afconvert -f caff -d LEI16 {INPUT} {OUTPUT}

The afconvert tool lets you convert to a wide range of audio data formats and file types. See the afconvert
man page, and enter afconvert -h at a shell prompt, for more information.
For compressed audio when playing one sound at a time, and when you dont need to play audio
simultaneously with the iPod application, use the AAC format packaged in a CAF or m4a file.
For less memory usage when you need to play multiple sounds simultaneously, use IMA4 (IMA/ADPCM)
compression. This reduces file size but entails minimal CPU impact during decompression. As with linear
PCM data, package IMA4 data in a CAF file.

Best Practices for iOS Audio

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CHAPTER 1

Using Audio

28

Best Practices for iOS Audio

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CHAPTER 2

Using Video

Important: This document contains information that used to be in iOS Application Programming Guide. The
information in this document has not been updated specifically for iOS 4.0.

Recording and Editing Video

Starting in iOS 3.0, you can record video, with included audio, on supported devices. To display the video
recording interface, create and push a UIImagePickerController object, just as for displaying the
still-camera interface.
To record video, you must first check that the camera source type
(UIImagePickerControllerSourceTypeCamera) is available and that the movie media type
(kUTTypeMovie) is available for the camera. Depending on the media types you assign to the mediaTypes
property, the picker can directly display the still camera or the video camera, or a selection interface that lets
the user choose.
Using the UIImagePickerControllerDelegate protocol, register as a delegate of the image picker. Your
delegate object receives a completed video recording by way of the
imagePickerController:didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo: method.
On supported devices, you can also pick previously-recorded videos from a users photo library.
For more information on using the image picker class, see UIImagePickerController Class Reference. For
information on trimming recorded videos, see UIVideoEditorController Class Reference and
UIVideoEditorControllerDelegate Protocol Reference.
In iOS 4.0 and later, you can record from a devices camera and display the incoming data live on screen. You
use AVCaptureSession to manage data flow from inputs represented by AVCaptureInput objects (which
mediate input from an AVCaptureDevice) to outputs represented by AVCaptureOutput.
In iOS 4.0 and later, you can edit, assemble, and compose video using existing assets or with new raw materials.
Assets are represented by AVAsset, which you can inspect asynchronously for better performance. You use
AVMutableComposition to compose media from one or more sources, then AVAssetExportSession to
encode output of a composition for delivery.

Recording and Editing Video

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CHAPTER 2

Using Video

Playing Video Files

Important: The information in this section currently reflects the usage of the Media Player framework in iOS
3.1 and earlier. Please see the headers for information about changes to this framework in iOS 4.0.
iOS supports the ability to play back video files directly from your application using the Media Player framework,
described in Media Player Framework Reference. Video playback is supported in full screen mode only and
can be used by game developers who want to play short animations or by any developers who want to play
media files. When you start a video from your application, the media player interface takes over, fading the
screen to black and then fading in the video content. You can play a video with or without user controls for
adjusting playback. Enabling some or all of these controls (shown in Figure 2-1) gives the user the ability to
change the volume, change the playback point, or start and stop the video. If you disable all of these controls,
the video plays until completion.
Figure 2-1

Media player interface with transport controls

To initiate video playback, you must know the URL of the file you want to play. For files your application
provides, this would typically be a pointer to a file in your applications bundle; however, it can also be a
pointer to a file on a remote server. Use this URL to instantiate a new instance of the
MPMoviePlayerController class. This class presides over the playback of your video file and manages
user interactions, such as user taps in the transport controls (if shown). To start playback, call the play method
described in MPMediaPlayback Protocol Reference.
Listing 2-1 shows a sample method that plays back the video at a specified URL. The play method is an
asynchronous call that returns control to the caller while the movie plays. The movie controller loads the
movie in a full-screen view, and animates the movie into place on top of the applications existing content.
When playback is finished, the movie controller sends a notification received by the application controller
object, which releases the movie controller now that it is no longer needed.
Listing 2-1

Playing full-screen movies

-(void) playMovieAtURL: (NSURL*) theURL {

MPMoviePlayerController* theMovie =
[[MPMoviePlayerController alloc] initWithContentURL: theURL];
theMovie.scalingMode = MPMovieScalingModeAspectFill;
theMovie.movieControlMode = MPMovieControlModeHidden;
// Register for the playback finished notification

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Playing Video Files

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CHAPTER 2

Using Video

[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter]
addObserver: self
selector: @selector(myMovieFinishedCallback:)
name: MPMoviePlayerPlaybackDidFinishNotification
object: theMovie];
// Movie playback is asynchronous, so this method returns immediately.
[theMovie play];
}
// When the movie is done, release the controller.
-(void) myMovieFinishedCallback: (NSNotification*) aNotification
{
MPMoviePlayerController* theMovie = [aNotification object];
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter]
removeObserver: self
name: MPMoviePlayerPlaybackDidFinishNotification
object: theMovie];
// Release the movie instance created in playMovieAtURL:
[theMovie release];
}

For a list of supported video formats, see iOS Technology Overview.

In iOS 4.0 and later, you can play video using AVPlayer in conjunction with an AVPlayerLayer or an
AVSynchronizedLayer object. You can use AVAudioMix and AVVideoComposition to customize the
audio and video parts of playback respectively. You can also use AVCaptureVideoPreviewLayer to display
video as it is being captured by an input device.

Playing Video Files

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31

CHAPTER 2

Using Video

32

Playing Video Files

2010-09-01 | 2010 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.

REVISION HISTORY

Document Revision History

This table describes the changes to Multimedia Programming Guide.

Date

Notes

2010-09-01

Clarified usage of AudioServicesPlaySystemSound function in Playing UI

Sound Effects or Invoking Vibration Using System Sound Services (page 15).

2010-05-27

Updated Table 1-2 (page 12) for iOS 4.0 by clarifying support for AAC encoding.

33
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REVISION HISTORY

Document Revision History

34
2010-09-01 | 2010 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.