HTML5 Audio (Audio)
HTML5 provides a standard for playing audio files.
Internet Media
There is no standard yet for playing audio on the web.
Currently, most audio is played through plugins (like Flash). However, not all browsers have the same plugins.
HTML5 specifies a standard for embedding audio elements in web pages, using the <audio> element.
Browser Support
Internet Explorer 9+, Firefox, Opera, Chrome, and Safari support the <audio> element.
Note:Internet Explorer 8 and earlier versions do not support the <audio> element.
HTML5 Audio - How It Works
To play audio in HTML5, you need to use the following code:
Instance
Try this »
The control attribute is used to add play, pause, and volume controls.
Between the <audio> and </audio> tags, you need to insert the audio element's fallback text that the browser does not support.
The <audio> element allows multiple <source> elements. The <source> element can link to different audio files, and the browser will use the first supported audio file.
Media Formats and Browser Support
Currently, the <audio> element supports three audio format files: MP3, Wav, and Ogg:
| Browser | MP3 | Wav | Ogg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Explorer 9+ | YES | NO | NO |
| Chrome 6+ | YES | YES | YES |
| Firefox 3.6+ | YES | YES | YES |
| Safari 5+ | YES | YES | NO |
| Opera 10+ | YES | YES | YES |
MIME Types for Audio Formats
| Format | MIME-type |
|---|---|
| MP3 | audio/mpeg |
| Ogg | audio/ogg |
| Wav | audio/wav |
HTML5 Audio Tag
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| <audio> | Defines audio content |
| <source> | Specifies multimedia resources that can be multiple, used in <video> and <audio> tags |