How to play native camera sound on Android

Question

I would like to play native camera shutter sound clip on camera preview capture. I'm referring to the sound clip played when takePicture() is called.
How could I that? Can someone walk me through the steps?

Answer 1

You can use the MediaActionSound class (available from API 16). For example:

MediaActionSound sound = new MediaActionSound(); sound.play(MediaActionSound.SHUTTER_CLICK); 

However, for some baffling reason, the Google developer who made this class decided blasting the sounds with 100 % volume is a good idea. Unfortunately a lot of stuff in the class is private and it is not possible to easily enhance it just by extension. That's why I created a modified version (converted to Kotlin) of this class which respects a given stream volume (e. g. media, notification etc.) or which allows setting an arbitrary volume. Please note that there is no guarantee this will not break in the future since the file paths to the system sounds are hardcoded. On the other hand the worst implication this can have is a sound will not be played. I will also create unit tests for this and if it breaks I will update the code here.

Simply call playWithStreamVolume for using a stream volume or call play with optional arbitrary volume. Do not forget to update the package.

/*  * Copyright (C) 2012 The Android Open Source Project  *  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.  * You may obtain a copy of the License at  *  *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0  *  * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software  * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,  * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and  * limitations under the License.  */ package com.your.package  import android.content.Context import android.content.Context.AUDIO_SERVICE import android.media.AudioAttributes import android.media.AudioManager import android.media.SoundPool import android.util.Log import java.lang.IllegalStateException  /**  * Modified by Miloš Černilovský on March 16 2021: converted original class to Kotlin,  * fixed a minor bug and added support for respecting stream volume or setting an arbitrary  * volume. New methods added: [playWithStreamVolume], volume parameters added to [play].  *  * A class for producing sounds that match those produced by various actions  * taken by the media and camera APIs.  *  * This class is recommended for use with the [android.hardware.camera2] API, since the  * camera2 API does not play any sounds on its own for any capture or video recording actions.  *  * With the older [android.hardware.Camera] API, use this class to play an appropriate  * camera operation sound when implementing a custom still or video recording mechanism (through the  * Camera preview callbacks with  * [Camera.setPreviewCallback][android.hardware.Camera.setPreviewCallback], or through GPU  * processing with [Camera.setPreviewTexture][android.hardware.Camera.setPreviewTexture], for  * example), or when implementing some other camera-like function in your application.  *  * There is no need to play sounds when using  * [Camera.takePicture][android.hardware.Camera.takePicture] or  * [android.media.MediaRecorder] for still images or video, respectively,  * as the Android framework will play the appropriate sounds when needed for  * these calls.  */ @Suppress("MemberVisibilityCanBePrivate", "unused") class MediaActionSound {     private val sounds: Array<SoundState> = SOUND_FILES.indices.map {         SoundState(it)     }.toTypedArray()      private val loadCompleteListener = SoundPool.OnLoadCompleteListener { soundPool, sampleId, status ->         for (sound in sounds) {             if (sound.id != sampleId) {                 continue             }             var playSoundId = 0             synchronized(sound) {                 if (status != 0) {                     sound.state = STATE_NOT_LOADED                     sound.id = 0                     Log.e(TAG, "OnLoadCompleteListener() error: " + status +                             " loading sound: " + sound.name)                     return@OnLoadCompleteListener                 }                 when (sound.state) {                     STATE_LOADING -> sound.state = STATE_LOADED                     STATE_LOADING_PLAY_REQUESTED -> {                         playSoundId = sound.id                         sound.state = STATE_LOADED                     }                     else -> Log.e(TAG, "OnLoadCompleteListener() called in wrong state: "                             + sound.state + " for sound: " + sound.name)                 }             }             if (playSoundId != 0) {                 soundPool.play(playSoundId, sound.volumeLeft, sound.volumeRight, 0, 0, 1.0f)             }             break         }     }      private var _soundPool: SoundPool? = SoundPool.Builder()             .setMaxStreams(NUM_MEDIA_SOUND_STREAMS)             .setAudioAttributes(AudioAttributes.Builder()                     .setUsage(AudioAttributes.USAGE_ASSISTANCE_SONIFICATION)                     .setFlags(AudioAttributes.FLAG_AUDIBILITY_ENFORCED)                     .setContentType(AudioAttributes.CONTENT_TYPE_SONIFICATION)                     .build())             .build().also {                 it.setOnLoadCompleteListener(loadCompleteListener)             }      private val soundPool: SoundPool         get() {             return _soundPool ?: throw IllegalStateException("SoundPool has been released. This class mustn't be used after release() is called.")         }      private inner class SoundState(val name: Int) {         var id = 0          // 0 is an invalid sample ID.         var state: Int = STATE_NOT_LOADED         var volumeLeft: Float = 1f         var volumeRight: Float = 1f     }      /**      * Construct a new MediaActionSound instance. Only a single instance is      * needed for playing any platform media action sound; you do not need a      * separate instance for each sound type.      */     @Suppress("ConvertSecondaryConstructorToPrimary", "RemoveEmptySecondaryConstructorBody")     constructor() {     }      private fun loadSound(sound: SoundState): Int {         val soundFileName = SOUND_FILES[sound.name]         for (soundDir in SOUND_DIRS) {             val id = soundPool.load(soundDir + soundFileName, 1)             if (id > 0) {                 sound.state = STATE_LOADING                 sound.id = id                 return id             }         }         return 0     }      /**      * Preload a predefined platform sound to minimize latency when the sound is      * played later by [playWithStreamVolume].      * @param soundName The type of sound to preload, selected from      * SHUTTER_CLICK, FOCUS_COMPLETE, START_VIDEO_RECORDING, or      * STOP_VIDEO_RECORDING.      * @return True if the sound was successfully loaded.      * @see playWithStreamVolume      * @see SHUTTER_CLICK      * @see FOCUS_COMPLETE      * @see START_VIDEO_RECORDING      * @see STOP_VIDEO_RECORDING      */     fun load(soundName: Int): Boolean {         if (soundName < 0 || soundName >= sounds.size) {             throw RuntimeException("Unknown sound requested: $soundName")         }         val sound = sounds[soundName]         return synchronized(sound) {             when (sound.state) {                 STATE_NOT_LOADED -> {                     if (loadSound(sound) <= 0) {                         Log.e(TAG, "load() error loading sound: $soundName")                         false                     } else {                         true                     }                 }                 else -> {                     Log.e(TAG, "load() called in wrong state: $sound for sound: $soundName")                     false                 }             }         }     }      /**      * Attempts to retrieve [AudioManager] from the given [context] and plays the given sound with the given [streamType] volume.      * If retrieving volume is not successful, [defaultVolume] is used. Finally calls [play].      * @param streamType One of [AudioManager] constants beginning with "STREAM_" prefix, e. g. [AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC]      */     fun playWithStreamVolume(soundName: Int, context: Context, streamType: Int = AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC, defaultVolume: Float = 1f) {         playWithStreamVolume(soundName, context.getSystemService(AUDIO_SERVICE) as AudioManager?, streamType, defaultVolume)     }      /**      * Plays the given sound with the given [streamType] volume. If retrieving volume is not successful,      * [defaultVolume] is used. Finally calls [play].      * @param streamType One of [AudioManager] constants beginning with "STREAM_" prefix, e. g. [AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC]      */     fun playWithStreamVolume(soundName: Int, audioManager: AudioManager?, streamType: Int = AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC, defaultVolume: Float = 1f) {         val volume = audioManager?.let { it.getStreamVolume(streamType) / it.getStreamMaxVolume(streamType).toFloat() } ?: defaultVolume         play(soundName, volume, volume)     }      /**      * Play one of the predefined platform sounds for media actions.      *      * Use this method to play a platform-specific sound for various media      * actions. The sound playback is done asynchronously, with the same      * behavior and content as the sounds played by      * [Camera.takePicture][android.hardware.Camera.takePicture],      * [MediaRecorder.start][android.media.MediaRecorder.start], and      * [MediaRecorder.stop][android.media.MediaRecorder.stop].      *      * With the [camera2][android.hardware.camera2] API, this method can be used to play      * standard camera operation sounds with the appropriate system behavior for such sounds.      *      * With the older [android.hardware.Camera] API, using this method makes it easy to      * match the default device sounds when recording or capturing data through the preview      * callbacks, or when implementing custom camera-like features in your application.      *      * If the sound has not been loaded by [load] before calling play,      * play will load the sound at the cost of some additional latency before      * sound playback begins.      *      * @param soundName The type of sound to play, selected from      * [SHUTTER_CLICK], [FOCUS_COMPLETE], [START_VIDEO_RECORDING], or      * [STOP_VIDEO_RECORDING].      * @param leftVolume left volume value (range = 0.0 to 1.0)      * @param rightVolume right volume value (range = 0.0 to 1.0)      * @see android.hardware.Camera.takePicture      * @see android.media.MediaRecorder      * @see SHUTTER_CLICK      * @see FOCUS_COMPLETE      * @see START_VIDEO_RECORDING      * @see STOP_VIDEO_RECORDING      */     @JvmOverloads // for backward Java compatibility     fun play(soundName: Int, leftVolume: Float = 1f, rightVolume: Float = leftVolume) {         if (soundName < 0 || soundName >= SOUND_FILES.size) {             throw RuntimeException("Unknown sound requested: $soundName")         }         val sound = sounds[soundName]         synchronized(sound) {             when (sound.state) {                 STATE_NOT_LOADED -> {                     if (loadSound(sound) <= 0) {                         Log.e(TAG, "play() error loading sound: $soundName")                     } else {                         setRequestPlayStatus(sound, leftVolume, rightVolume)                     }                 }                 STATE_LOADING -> setRequestPlayStatus(sound, leftVolume, rightVolume)                 STATE_LOADED -> soundPool.play(sound.id, leftVolume, rightVolume, 0, 0, 1.0f)                 else -> Log.e(TAG, "play() called in wrong state: " + sound.state + " for sound: " + soundName)             }         }     }      private fun setRequestPlayStatus(sound: SoundState, leftVolume: Float, rightVolume: Float) {         with(sound) {             state = STATE_LOADING_PLAY_REQUESTED             volumeLeft = leftVolume             volumeRight = rightVolume         }     }      /**      * Free up all audio resources used by this MediaActionSound instance. Do      * not call any other methods on a MediaActionSound instance after calling      * release().      */     fun release() {         _soundPool?.let {             for (sound in sounds) {                 synchronized(sound) {                     sound.state = STATE_NOT_LOADED                     sound.id = 0                 }             }             it.release()             _soundPool = null         }     }      companion object {         private const val NUM_MEDIA_SOUND_STREAMS = 1         private val SOUND_DIRS = arrayOf(                 "/product/media/audio/ui/",                 "/system/media/audio/ui/")         private val SOUND_FILES = arrayOf(                 "camera_click.ogg",                 "camera_focus.ogg",                 "VideoRecord.ogg",                 "VideoStop.ogg"         )         private const val TAG = "MediaActionSound"          /**          * The sound used by          * [Camera.takePicture][android.hardware.Camera.takePicture] to          * indicate still image capture.          * @see playWithStreamVolume          */         const val SHUTTER_CLICK = 0          /**          * A sound to indicate that focusing has completed. Because deciding          * when this occurs is application-dependent, this sound is not used by          * any methods in the media or camera APIs.          * @see playWithStreamVolume          */         const val FOCUS_COMPLETE = 1          /**          * The sound used by          * [MediaRecorder.start()][android.media.MediaRecorder.start] to          * indicate the start of video recording.          * @see playWithStreamVolume          */         const val START_VIDEO_RECORDING = 2          /**          * The sound used by          * [MediaRecorder.stop()][android.media.MediaRecorder.stop] to          * indicate the end of video recording.          * @see playWithStreamVolume          */         const val STOP_VIDEO_RECORDING = 3          /**          * States for SoundState.          * STATE_NOT_LOADED             : sample not loaded          * STATE_LOADING                : sample being loaded: waiting for load completion callback          * STATE_LOADING_PLAY_REQUESTED : sample being loaded and playback request received          * STATE_LOADED                 : sample loaded, ready for playback          */         private const val STATE_NOT_LOADED = 0         private const val STATE_LOADING = 1         private const val STATE_LOADING_PLAY_REQUESTED = 2         private const val STATE_LOADED = 3     } } 

I've also offered this class to Google so please upvote the issue.