HTML5 audio libraries

Question

There are a number of JavaScript libraries available for HTML5 audio, to either make a developer's life easier, ensure cross-browser compatibility or support Flash fallback for older browsers.

I haven't found much in terms of comparatives, except maybe for this article, on a small scale.

Which of the following libraries come recommended and for what purposes? What can I expect in terms of documentation and support (eg: is that library likely here to stay?)

• Audio5JS
• Buzz
• HowlerJS
• jPlayer
• MediaElementJS
• SoundJS
• SoundManager2

I don't need UI features for my needs and would rather keep things small and simple. That would seem to make Audio5JS a candidate of choice. However I'm wondering if that's a smart choice simply because it doesn't seem to have as big a community as, say, jPlayer.

EDIT: I simply need to play an audio file (in full and/or parts of it) based on user input and the ability to loop that for a given file (ie: loop the file itself or loop a part of it.)

General guidelines on how to pick a JS library to get a job done will also be welcome.

I mainly wanna save myself the need to try out all those libraries (and more) to figureout their pro's and con's.

Thank you.

Answer 1

You may have already selected a library, but as the developer of howler.js, I thought I'd leave a note. From your description, I'd say howler.js is exactly what you are looking for if you don't need less than IE9 support. howler.js has now been under development/refinement for nearly a year and has a large community around it. It is great for both simple and complex tasks, and leaves any UI needs up to the developer. howler.js is currently the only library that I'm aware of that lets you seamlessly use both Web Audio API and HTML5 Audio with a single, simple API.