Web/API/AudioContext

The AudioContext interface represents an audio-processing graph built from audio modules linked together, each represented by an AudioNode. An audio context controls both the creation of the nodes it contains and the execution of the audio processing, or decoding. You need to create an AudioContext before you do anything else, as everything happens inside a context. It's recommended to create one AudioContext and reuse it instead of initializing a new one each time, and it's OK to use a single AudioContext for several different audio source and pipeline concurrently.

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Constructor

AudioContext(): Creates and returns a new AudioContext object.

Properties

Also inherits properties from its parent interface, BaseAudioContext.

AudioContext.baseLatency Read only ': Returns the number of seconds of processing latency incurred by the AudioContext passing the audio from the AudioDestinationNode to the audio subsystem.
AudioContext.outputLatency Read only ': Returns an estimation of the output latency of the current audio context.

Methods

Also inherits methods from its parent interface, BaseAudioContext.

AudioContext.close(): Closes the audio context, releasing any system audio resources that it uses.
AudioContext.createMediaElementSource(): Creates a MediaElementAudioSourceNode associated with an HTMLMediaElement. This can be used to play and manipulate audio from <video> or <audio> elements.
AudioContext.createMediaStreamSource(): Creates a MediaStreamAudioSourceNode associated with a MediaStream representing an audio stream which may come from the local computer microphone or other sources.
AudioContext.createMediaStreamDestination(): Creates a MediaStreamAudioDestinationNode associated with a MediaStream representing an audio stream which may be stored in a local file or sent to another computer.
AudioContext.createMediaStreamTrackSource(): Creates a MediaStreamTrackAudioSourceNode associated with a MediaStream representing an media stream track.
AudioContext.getOutputTimestamp(): Returns a new AudioTimestamp object containing two audio timestamp values relating to the current audio context.
AudioContext.resume(): Resumes the progression of time in an audio context that has previously been suspended/paused.
AudioContext.suspend(): Suspends the progression of time in the audio context, temporarily halting audio hardware access and reducing CPU/battery usage in the process.

Examples

Basic audio context declaration:

var audioCtx = new AudioContext();

Cross browser variant:

var AudioContext = window.AudioContext || window.webkitAudioContext;
var audioCtx = new AudioContext();

var oscillatorNode = audioCtx.createOscillator();
var gainNode = audioCtx.createGain();
var finish = audioCtx.destination;
// etc.

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
Web Audio APIThe definition of 'AudioContext' in that specification.	Working Draft

Browser compatibility

Update compatibility data on GitHub

	Desktop						Mobile
	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Internet Explorer	Opera	Safari	Android webview	Chrome for Android	Firefox for Android	Opera for Android	Safari on iOS	Samsung Internet
`AudioContext`	Chrome Full support 35 Full support 35 No support 14 — 57 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Edge Full support 12	Firefox Full support 25	IE No support No	Opera Full support 22 Full support 22 No support 15 — 44 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Safari Full support 6 Prefixed' Full support 6 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	WebView Android Full support Yes	Chrome Android Full support 35 Full support 35 No support 18 — 57 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Firefox Android Full support 26	Opera Android Full support 22 Full support 22 No support 14 — 43 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Safari iOS Full support 6 Prefixed' Full support 6 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Samsung Internet Android Full support 3.0 Full support 3.0 No support 1.0 — 7.0 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit
`AudioContext()` constructor	Chrome Full support 35 Notes' Full support 35 Notes' Notes' Prior to Chrome 66, each tab is limited to 6 audio contexts in Chrome; attempting to create more will throw a `DOMException`. For details see Per-tab audio context limitation in Chrome. Notes' If `latencyHint` isn't valid, Chrome throws a `TypeError` exception. See Non-standard exceptions in Chrome for details. No support 14 — 57 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Edge Full support 12	Firefox Full support 25	IE No support No	Opera Full support 22 Notes' Full support 22 Notes' Notes' Prior to Opera 53, each tab is limited to 6 audio contexts in Opera; attempting to create more will throw a `DOMException`. For details see Per-tab audio context limitation in Chrome. Notes' If `latencyHint` isn't valid, Opera throws a `TypeError` exception. See Non-standard exceptions in Chrome for details. No support 15 — 44 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Safari Full support 6.1 Prefixed' Full support 6.1 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	WebView Android Full support 37 Notes' Full support 37 Notes' Notes' Prior to WebView 66, each tab is limited to 6 audio contexts in WebView; attempting to create more will throw a `DOMException`. For details see Per-tab audio context limitation in Chrome. Notes' If `latencyHint` isn't valid, WebView throws a `TypeError` exception. See Non-standard exceptions in Chrome for details. No support ≤37 — 44 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Chrome Android Full support 35 Notes' Full support 35 Notes' Notes' Prior to Chrome 66, each tab is limited to 6 audio contexts in Chrome; attempting to create more will throw a `DOMException`. For details see Per-tab audio context limitation in Chrome. Notes' If `latencyHint` isn't valid, Chrome throws a `TypeError` exception. See Non-standard exceptions in Chrome for details. No support 18 — 57 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Firefox Android Full support 26	Opera Android Full support 22 Notes' Full support 22 Notes' Notes' Prior to Opera Android 47, each tab is limited to 6 audio contexts in Opera; attempting to create more will throw a `DOMException`. For details see Per-tab audio context limitation in Chrome. Notes' If `latencyHint` isn't valid, Opera throws a `TypeError` exception. See Non-standard exceptions in Chrome for details. No support 14 — 43 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Safari iOS Full support 6.1 Prefixed' Full support 6.1 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit	Samsung Internet Android Full support 3.0 Notes' Full support 3.0 Notes' Notes' Prior to Samsung Internet 9.0, each tab is limited to 6 audio contexts in Samsung Internet; attempting to create more will throw a `DOMException`. For details see Per-tab audio context limitation in Chrome. Notes' If `latencyHint` isn't valid, Samsung Internet throws a `TypeError` exception. See Non-standard exceptions in Chrome for details. No support 1.0 — 7.0 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: webkit
`baseLatency` Experimental'	Chrome Full support 58	Edge Full support 79	Firefox Full support 70	IE No support No	Opera Full support 45	Safari No support No	WebView Android Full support 58	Chrome Android Full support 58	Firefox Android No support No	Opera Android Full support 43	Safari iOS No support No	Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0
`close`	Chrome Full support 42	Edge Full support 14	Firefox Full support 40	IE No support No	Opera Full support Yes	Safari Full support Yes	WebView Android Full support 43	Chrome Android Full support 43	Firefox Android Full support 40	Opera Android Full support Yes	Safari iOS Full support Yes	Samsung Internet Android Full support 4.0
`createMediaElementSource`	Chrome Full support 14	Edge Full support 12	Firefox Full support 25	IE No support No	Opera Full support 15	Safari Full support 6	WebView Android Full support Yes	Chrome Android Full support 18	Firefox Android Full support 26	Opera Android Full support 14	Safari iOS Full support Yes	Samsung Internet Android Full support 1.0
`createMediaStreamDestination`	Chrome Full support 14	Edge Full support 79	Firefox Full support 25	IE No support No	Opera Full support 15	Safari Full support 6	WebView Android Full support Yes	Chrome Android Full support 18	Firefox Android Full support 26	Opera Android Full support 14	Safari iOS Full support Yes	Samsung Internet Android Full support 1.0
`createMediaStreamSource`	Chrome Full support 14	Edge Full support 12	Firefox Full support 25	IE No support No	Opera Full support 15	Safari Full support 6	WebView Android Full support Yes	Chrome Android Full support 18	Firefox Android Full support 26	Opera Android Full support 14	Safari iOS Full support Yes	Samsung Internet Android Full support 1.0
`createMediaStreamTrackSource`	Chrome No support No	Edge No support No	Firefox Full support 68 Notes' Full support 68 Notes' Notes' Firefox 68 implements the updated standard's definition of the "first" audio track; now the first track is the one whose ID comes first lexicographically.	IE No support No	Opera No support No	Safari No support No	WebView Android No support No	Chrome Android No support No	Firefox Android Full support 68 Notes' Full support 68 Notes' Notes' Firefox 68 implements the updated standard's definition of the "first" audio track; now the first track is the one whose ID comes first lexicographically.	Opera Android No support No	Safari iOS No support No	Samsung Internet Android No support No
`getOutputTimestamp` Experimental'	Chrome Full support 57	Edge Full support 79	Firefox Full support 70	IE No support No	Opera Full support 44	Safari No support No	WebView Android Full support 57	Chrome Android Full support 57	Firefox Android No support No	Opera Android Full support 43	Safari iOS No support No	Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0
`outputLatency`	Chrome No support No	Edge No support No	Firefox Full support 70	IE No support No	Opera No support No	Safari No support No	WebView Android No support No	Chrome Android No support No	Firefox Android No support No	Opera Android No support No	Safari iOS No support No	Samsung Internet Android No support No
`resume`	Chrome Full support 41	Edge Full support 14	Firefox Full support 40	IE No support No	Opera Full support Yes	Safari Full support Yes	WebView Android Full support Yes	Chrome Android Full support 41	Firefox Android Full support Yes	Opera Android Full support Yes	Safari iOS Full support Yes	Samsung Internet Android Full support 4.0
`suspend`	Chrome Full support 43	Edge Full support 14	Firefox Full support 40	IE No support No	Opera Full support Yes	Safari Full support Yes	WebView Android Full support 43	Chrome Android Full support 43	Firefox Android Full support 40	Opera Android Full support Yes	Safari iOS Full support Yes	Samsung Internet Android Full support 4.0

Legend

Full support: Full support
No support: No support
Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.': Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.
See implementation notes.': See implementation notes.
Requires a vendor prefix or different name for use.': Requires a vendor prefix or different name for use.