The HTMLAudioElement interface provides access to the properties of <audio> elements, as well as methods to manipulate them.

This element is based on, and inherits properties and methods from, the HTMLMediaElement interface.

Constructor

Audio()

Creates and returns a new HTMLAudioElement object, optionally starting the process of loading an audio file into it if the file URL is given.

Instance properties

No specific properties; inherits properties from its parent, HTMLMediaElement, and from HTMLElement.

Instance methods

Inherits methods from its parent, HTMLMediaElement, and from HTMLElement. It offers no methods of its own.

Events

Inherits methods from its parent, HTMLMediaElement, and from its ancestor HTMLElement. Listen to events using addEventListener() or by assigning an event listener to the oneventname property of this interface.

Examples

Basic usage

You can create a HTMLAudioElement entirely with JavaScript using the Audio() constructor:

const audioElement = new Audio("car_horn.wav");

then you can invoke the play() method on the element

audioElement.play();

Some of the more commonly used properties of the audio element include src, currentTime, duration, paused, muted, and volume. This snippet copies the audio file's duration to a variable:

const audioElement = new Audio("car_horn.wav");
audioElement.addEventListener("loadeddata", () => {
  let duration = audioElement.duration;
  // The duration variable now holds the duration (in seconds) of the audio clip
});

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• Web media technologies
• Audio and Video Delivery
• HTML element implementing this interface: <audio>.