AudioAttributes

public final class AudioAttributes
extends Object implements Parcelable

java.lang.Object
   ↳ android.media.AudioAttributes

A class to encapsulate a collection of attributes describing information about an audio stream.

AudioAttributes supersede the notion of stream types (see for instance AudioManager#STREAM_MUSIC or AudioManager#STREAM_ALARM) for defining the behavior of audio playback. Attributes allow an application to specify more information than is conveyed in a stream type by allowing the application to define:

  • usage: "why" you are playing a sound, what is this sound used for. This is achieved with the "usage" information. Examples of usage are USAGE_MEDIA and USAGE_ALARM. These two examples are the closest to stream types, but more detailed use cases are available. Usage information is more expressive than a stream type, and allows certain platforms or routing policies to use this information for more refined volume or routing decisions. Usage is the most important information to supply in AudioAttributes and it is recommended to build any instance with this information supplied, see AudioAttributes.Builder for exceptions.
  • content type: "what" you are playing. The content type expresses the general category of the content. This information is optional. But in case it is known (for instance CONTENT_TYPE_MOVIE for a movie streaming service or CONTENT_TYPE_MUSIC for a music playback application) this information might be used by the audio framework to selectively configure some audio post-processing blocks.
  • flags: "how" is playback to be affected, see the flag definitions for the specific playback behaviors they control.

AudioAttributes are used for example in one of the AudioTrack constructors (see AudioTrack#AudioTrack(AudioAttributes, AudioFormat, int, int, int)), to configure a MediaPlayer (see MediaPlayer#setAudioAttributes(AudioAttributes) or a Notification (see Notification.audioAttributes). An AudioAttributes instance is built through its builder, AudioAttributes.Builder.

Summary

Nested classes

class AudioAttributes.Builder

Builder class for AudioAttributes objects. 

Constants

int ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_ALL

Indicates that the audio may be captured by any app.

int ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_NONE

Indicates that the audio is not to be recorded by any app, even if it is a system app.

int ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_SYSTEM

Indicates that the audio may only be captured by system apps.

int CONTENT_TYPE_MOVIE

Content type value to use when the content type is a soundtrack, typically accompanying a movie or TV program.

int CONTENT_TYPE_MUSIC

Content type value to use when the content type is music.

int CONTENT_TYPE_SONIFICATION

Content type value to use when the content type is a sound used to accompany a user action, such as a beep or sound effect expressing a key click, or event, such as the type of a sound for a bonus being received in a game.

int CONTENT_TYPE_SPEECH

Content type value to use when the content type is speech.

int CONTENT_TYPE_UNKNOWN

Content type value to use when the content type is unknown, or other than the ones defined.

int FLAG_AUDIBILITY_ENFORCED

Flag defining a behavior where the audibility of the sound will be ensured by the system.

int FLAG_HW_AV_SYNC

Flag requesting the use of an output stream supporting hardware A/V synchronization.

int FLAG_LOW_LATENCY

This constant was deprecated in API level 26. Use AudioTrack.Builder#setPerformanceMode(int) with AudioTrack#PERFORMANCE_MODE_LOW_LATENCY to control performance.

int SPATIALIZATION_BEHAVIOR_AUTO

Constant indicating the audio content associated with these attributes will follow the default platform behavior with regards to which content will be spatialized or not.

int SPATIALIZATION_BEHAVIOR_NEVER

Constant indicating the audio content associated with these attributes should never be virtualized.

int USAGE_ALARM

Usage value to use when the usage is an alarm (e.g. wake-up alarm).

int USAGE_ASSISTANCE_ACCESSIBILITY

Usage value to use when the usage is for accessibility, such as with a screen reader.

int USAGE_ASSISTANCE_NAVIGATION_GUIDANCE

Usage value to use when the usage is driving or navigation directions.

int USAGE_ASSISTANCE_SONIFICATION

Usage value to use when the usage is sonification, such as with user interface sounds.

int USAGE_ASSISTANT

Usage value to use for audio responses to user queries, audio instructions or help utterances.

int USAGE_GAME

Usage value to use when the usage is for game audio.

int USAGE_MEDIA

Usage value to use when the usage is media, such as music, or movie soundtracks.

int USAGE_NOTIFICATION

Usage value to use when the usage is notification.

int USAGE_NOTIFICATION_COMMUNICATION_DELAYED

This constant was deprecated in API level 33. Use USAGE_NOTIFICATION which is handled the same way as this usage by the audio framework

int USAGE_NOTIFICATION_COMMUNICATION_INSTANT

This constant was deprecated in API level 33. Use USAGE_NOTIFICATION which is handled the same way as this usage by the audio framework

int USAGE_NOTIFICATION_COMMUNICATION_REQUEST

This constant was deprecated in API level 33. Use USAGE_NOTIFICATION which is handled the same way as this usage by the audio framework

int USAGE_NOTIFICATION_EVENT

Usage value to use when the usage is to attract the user's attention, such as a reminder or low battery warning.

int USAGE_NOTIFICATION_RINGTONE

Usage value to use when the usage is telephony ringtone.

int USAGE_UNKNOWN

Usage value to use when the usage is unknown.

int USAGE_VOICE_COMMUNICATION

Usage value to use when the usage is voice communications, such as telephony or VoIP.

int USAGE_VOICE_COMMUNICATION_SIGNALLING

Usage value to use when the usage is in-call signalling, such as with a "busy" beep, or DTMF tones.

Inherited constants

Fields

public static final Creator<AudioAttributes> CREATOR

Public methods

boolean areHapticChannelsMuted()

Return if haptic channels are muted.

int describeContents()

Describe the kinds of special objects contained in this Parcelable instance's marshaled representation.

boolean equals(Object o)

Indicates whether some other object is "equal to" this one.

int getAllowedCapturePolicy()

Return the capture policy.

int getContentType()

Return the content type.

int getFlags()

Return the flags.

int getSpatializationBehavior()

Return the behavior affecting whether spatialization will be used.

int getUsage()

Return the usage.

int getVolumeControlStream()

Returns the stream type matching this AudioAttributes instance for volume control.

int hashCode()

Returns a hash code value for the object.

boolean isContentSpatialized()

Return true if the audio content associated with these attributes has already been spatialized, that is it has already been processed to offer a binaural or transaural immersive audio experience.

String toString()

Returns a string representation of the object.

void writeToParcel(Parcel dest, int flags)

Flatten this object in to a Parcel.

Inherited methods

Constants

ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_ALL

Added in API level 29 
public static final int ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_ALL

Indicates that the audio may be captured by any app. For privacy, the following usages cannot be recorded: VOICE_COMMUNICATION*, USAGE_NOTIFICATION*, USAGE_ASSISTANCE* and USAGE_ASSISTANT. On Build.VERSION_CODES.Q, this means only USAGE_UNKNOWN, USAGE_MEDIA and USAGE_GAME may be captured. See MediaProjection and Builder#setAllowedCapturePolicy.

Constant Value: 1 (0x00000001)

ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_NONE

Added in API level 29 
public static final int ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_NONE

Indicates that the audio is not to be recorded by any app, even if it is a system app. It is encouraged to use ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_SYSTEM instead of this value as system apps provide significant and useful features for the user (such as live captioning and accessibility). See Builder#setAllowedCapturePolicy.

Constant Value: 3 (0x00000003)

ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_SYSTEM

Added in API level 29 
public static final int ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_SYSTEM

Indicates that the audio may only be captured by system apps. System apps can capture for many purposes like accessibility, live captions, user guidance... but abide to the following restrictions: - the audio cannot leave the device - the audio cannot be passed to a third party app - the audio cannot be recorded at a higher quality than 16kHz 16bit mono See Builder#setAllowedCapturePolicy.

Constant Value: 2 (0x00000002)

CONTENT_TYPE_MOVIE

Added in API level 21 
public static final int CONTENT_TYPE_MOVIE

Content type value to use when the content type is a soundtrack, typically accompanying a movie or TV program.

Constant Value: 3 (0x00000003)

CONTENT_TYPE_MUSIC

Added in API level 21 
public static final int CONTENT_TYPE_MUSIC

Content type value to use when the content type is music.

Constant Value: 2 (0x00000002)

CONTENT_TYPE_SONIFICATION

Added in API level 21 
public static final int CONTENT_TYPE_SONIFICATION

Content type value to use when the content type is a sound used to accompany a user action, such as a beep or sound effect expressing a key click, or event, such as the type of a sound for a bonus being received in a game. These sounds are mostly synthesized or short Foley sounds.

Constant Value: 4 (0x00000004)

CONTENT_TYPE_SPEECH

Added in API level 21 
public static final int CONTENT_TYPE_SPEECH

Content type value to use when the content type is speech.

Constant Value: 1 (0x00000001)

CONTENT_TYPE_UNKNOWN

Added in API level 21 
public static final int CONTENT_TYPE_UNKNOWN

Content type value to use when the content type is unknown, or other than the ones defined.

Constant Value: 0 (0x00000000)

FLAG_AUDIBILITY_ENFORCED

Added in API level 21 
public static final int FLAG_AUDIBILITY_ENFORCED

Flag defining a behavior where the audibility of the sound will be ensured by the system. To ensure sound audibility, the system only uses built-in speakers or wired headphones and specifically excludes wireless audio devices.

Note this flag should only be used for sounds subject to regulatory behaviors in some countries, such as for camera shutter sound, and not for routing behaviors.

Constant Value: 1 (0x00000001)

FLAG_HW_AV_SYNC

Added in API level 21 
public static final int FLAG_HW_AV_SYNC

Flag requesting the use of an output stream supporting hardware A/V synchronization.

Constant Value: 16 (0x00000010)

FLAG_LOW_LATENCY

Added in API level 24
Deprecated in API level 26 
public static final int FLAG_LOW_LATENCY

This constant was deprecated in API level 26.
Use AudioTrack.Builder#setPerformanceMode(int) with AudioTrack#PERFORMANCE_MODE_LOW_LATENCY to control performance.

Flag requesting a low latency path when creating an AudioTrack. When using this flag, the sample rate must match the native sample rate of the device. Effects processing is also unavailable. Note that if this flag is used without specifying a bufferSizeInBytes then the AudioTrack's actual buffer size may be too small. It is recommended that a fairly large buffer should be specified when the AudioTrack is created. Then the actual size can be reduced by calling AudioTrack#setBufferSizeInFrames(int). The buffer size can be optimized by lowering it after each write() call until the audio glitches, which is detected by calling AudioTrack#getUnderrunCount(). Then the buffer size can be increased until there are no glitches. This tuning step should be done while playing silence. This technique provides a compromise between latency and glitch rate.

Constant Value: 256 (0x00000100)

SPATIALIZATION_BEHAVIOR_AUTO

Added in API level 32 
public static final int SPATIALIZATION_BEHAVIOR_AUTO

Constant indicating the audio content associated with these attributes will follow the default platform behavior with regards to which content will be spatialized or not.

Constant Value: 0 (0x00000000)

SPATIALIZATION_BEHAVIOR_NEVER

Added in API level 32 
public static final int SPATIALIZATION_BEHAVIOR_NEVER

Constant indicating the audio content associated with these attributes should never be virtualized.

Constant Value: 1 (0x00000001)

USAGE_ALARM

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_ALARM

Usage value to use when the usage is an alarm (e.g. wake-up alarm).

Constant Value: 4 (0x00000004)

USAGE_ASSISTANCE_ACCESSIBILITY

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_ASSISTANCE_ACCESSIBILITY

Usage value to use when the usage is for accessibility, such as with a screen reader.

Constant Value: 11 (0x0000000b)

USAGE_ASSISTANCE_NAVIGATION_GUIDANCE

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_ASSISTANCE_NAVIGATION_GUIDANCE

Usage value to use when the usage is driving or navigation directions.

Constant Value: 12 (0x0000000c)

USAGE_ASSISTANCE_SONIFICATION

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_ASSISTANCE_SONIFICATION

Usage value to use when the usage is sonification, such as with user interface sounds.

Constant Value: 13 (0x0000000d)

USAGE_ASSISTANT

Added in API level 26 
public static final int USAGE_ASSISTANT

Usage value to use for audio responses to user queries, audio instructions or help utterances.

Constant Value: 16 (0x00000010)

USAGE_GAME

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_GAME

Usage value to use when the usage is for game audio.

Constant Value: 14 (0x0000000e)

USAGE_MEDIA

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_MEDIA

Usage value to use when the usage is media, such as music, or movie soundtracks.

Constant Value: 1 (0x00000001)

USAGE_NOTIFICATION

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_NOTIFICATION

Usage value to use when the usage is notification. See other notification usages for more specialized uses.

Constant Value: 5 (0x00000005)

USAGE_NOTIFICATION_COMMUNICATION_DELAYED

Added in API level 21
Deprecated in API level 33 
public static final int USAGE_NOTIFICATION_COMMUNICATION_DELAYED

This constant was deprecated in API level 33.
Use USAGE_NOTIFICATION which is handled the same way as this usage by the audio framework

Usage value to use when the usage is notification for a non-immediate type of communication such as e-mail.

Constant Value: 9 (0x00000009)

USAGE_NOTIFICATION_COMMUNICATION_INSTANT

Added in API level 21
Deprecated in API level 33 
public static final int USAGE_NOTIFICATION_COMMUNICATION_INSTANT

This constant was deprecated in API level 33.
Use USAGE_NOTIFICATION which is handled the same way as this usage by the audio framework

Usage value to use when the usage is notification for an "instant" communication such as a chat, or SMS.

Constant Value: 8 (0x00000008)

USAGE_NOTIFICATION_COMMUNICATION_REQUEST

Added in API level 21
Deprecated in API level 33 
public static final int USAGE_NOTIFICATION_COMMUNICATION_REQUEST

This constant was deprecated in API level 33.
Use USAGE_NOTIFICATION which is handled the same way as this usage by the audio framework

Usage value to use when the usage is a request to enter/end a communication, such as a VoIP communication or video-conference.

Constant Value: 7 (0x00000007)

USAGE_NOTIFICATION_EVENT

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_NOTIFICATION_EVENT

Usage value to use when the usage is to attract the user's attention, such as a reminder or low battery warning.

Constant Value: 10 (0x0000000a)

USAGE_NOTIFICATION_RINGTONE

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_NOTIFICATION_RINGTONE

Usage value to use when the usage is telephony ringtone.

Constant Value: 6 (0x00000006)

USAGE_UNKNOWN

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_UNKNOWN

Usage value to use when the usage is unknown.

Constant Value: 0 (0x00000000)

USAGE_VOICE_COMMUNICATION

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_VOICE_COMMUNICATION

Usage value to use when the usage is voice communications, such as telephony or VoIP.

Constant Value: 2 (0x00000002)

USAGE_VOICE_COMMUNICATION_SIGNALLING

Added in API level 21 
public static final int USAGE_VOICE_COMMUNICATION_SIGNALLING

Usage value to use when the usage is in-call signalling, such as with a "busy" beep, or DTMF tones.

Constant Value: 3 (0x00000003)

Fields

CREATOR

Added in API level 21 
public static final Creator<AudioAttributes> CREATOR

Public methods

areHapticChannelsMuted

Added in API level 29 
public boolean areHapticChannelsMuted ()

Return if haptic channels are muted.

Returns
boolean true if haptic channels are muted, false otherwise.

describeContents

Added in API level 21 
public int describeContents ()

Describe the kinds of special objects contained in this Parcelable instance's marshaled representation. For example, if the object will include a file descriptor in the output of writeToParcel(android.os.Parcel, int), the return value of this method must include the CONTENTS_FILE_DESCRIPTOR bit.

Returns
int a bitmask indicating the set of special object types marshaled by this Parcelable object instance. Value is either 0 or CONTENTS_FILE_DESCRIPTOR

equals

Added in API level 21 
public boolean equals (Object o)

Indicates whether some other object is "equal to" this one.

The equals method implements an equivalence relation on non-null object references:

  • It is reflexive: for any non-null reference value x, x.equals(x) should return true.
  • It is symmetric: for any non-null reference values x and y, x.equals(y) should return true if and only if y.equals(x) returns true.
  • It is transitive: for any non-null reference values x, y, and z, if x.equals(y) returns true and y.equals(z) returns true, then x.equals(z) should return true.
  • It is consistent: for any non-null reference values x and y, multiple invocations of x.equals(y) consistently return true or consistently return false, provided no information used in equals comparisons on the objects is modified.
  • For any non-null reference value x, x.equals(null) should return false.

An equivalence relation partitions the elements it operates on into equivalence classes; all the members of an equivalence class are equal to each other. Members of an equivalence class are substitutable for each other, at least for some purposes.

Parameters
o Object: the reference object with which to compare.
Returns
boolean true if this object is the same as the obj argument; false otherwise.

getAllowedCapturePolicy

Added in API level 29 
public int getAllowedCapturePolicy ()

Return the capture policy.

Returns
int the capture policy set by Builder#setAllowedCapturePolicy(int) or the default if it was not called. Value is ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_ALL, ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_SYSTEM, or ALLOW_CAPTURE_BY_NONE

getContentType

Added in API level 21 
public int getContentType ()

Return the content type.

Returns
int one of the values that can be set in Builder#setContentType(int)

getFlags

Added in API level 21 
public int getFlags ()

Return the flags.

Returns
int a combined mask of all flags

getSpatializationBehavior

Added in API level 32 
public int getSpatializationBehavior ()

Return the behavior affecting whether spatialization will be used.

Returns
int the spatialization behavior Value is SPATIALIZATION_BEHAVIOR_AUTO, or SPATIALIZATION_BEHAVIOR_NEVER

getUsage

Added in API level 21 
public int getUsage ()

Return the usage.

Returns
int one of the values that can be set in Builder#setUsage(int)

getVolumeControlStream

Added in API level 26 
public int getVolumeControlStream ()

Returns the stream type matching this AudioAttributes instance for volume control. Use this method to derive the stream type needed to configure the volume control slider in an Activity with Activity.setVolumeControlStream(int) for playback conducted with these attributes.
Do not use this method to set the stream type on an audio player object (e.g. AudioTrack, MediaPlayer) as this is deprecated, use AudioAttributes instead.

Returns
int a valid stream type for Activity or stream volume control that matches the attributes, or AudioManager#USE_DEFAULT_STREAM_TYPE if there isn't a direct match. Note that USE_DEFAULT_STREAM_TYPE is not a valid value for AudioManager#setStreamVolume(int, int, int).

hashCode

Added in API level 21 
public int hashCode ()

Returns a hash code value for the object. This method is supported for the benefit of hash tables such as those provided by HashMap.

The general contract of hashCode is:

  • Whenever it is invoked on the same object more than once during an execution of a Java application, the hashCode method must consistently return the same integer, provided no information used in equals comparisons on the object is modified. This integer need not remain consistent from one execution of an application to another execution of the same application.
  • If two objects are equal according to the equals method, then calling the hashCode method on each of the two objects must produce the same integer result.
  • It is not required that if two objects are unequal according to the equals method, then calling the hashCode method on each of the two objects must produce distinct integer results. However, the programmer should be aware that producing distinct integer results for unequal objects may improve the performance of hash tables.

Returns
int a hash code value for this object.

isContentSpatialized

Added in API level 32 
public boolean isContentSpatialized ()

Return true if the audio content associated with these attributes has already been spatialized, that is it has already been processed to offer a binaural or transaural immersive audio experience.

Returns
boolean true if the content has been processed

toString

Added in API level 21 
public String toString ()

Returns a string representation of the object.

Returns
String a string representation of the object.

writeToParcel

Added in API level 21 
public void writeToParcel (Parcel dest, 
                int flags)

Flatten this object in to a Parcel.

Parameters
dest Parcel: The Parcel in which the object should be written. This value cannot be null.
flags int: Additional flags about how the object should be written. May be 0 or Parcelable.PARCELABLE_WRITE_RETURN_VALUE. Value is either 0 or a combination of Parcelable.PARCELABLE_WRITE_RETURN_VALUE, and android.os.Parcelable.PARCELABLE_ELIDE_DUPLICATES