Record audio in iOS or Android React Native apps.

BREAKING CHANGES

For React Native >= 0.47.2, use v3.4.0 and up. For React Native >= 0.40, use v3.1.0 up til 3.2.2. For React Native <= 0.39, use v3.0.0 or lower.

v4.0 introduced a breaking change to the API to introduce distinct pause and resume methods.

v3.x removed playback support in favor of using more mature libraries like react-native-sound. If you need to play from the network, please submit a PR to that project or try react-native-video.

Installation

Install the npm package and link it to your project:

npm install react-native-audio --save
react-native link react-native-audio

On iOS you need to add a usage description to Info.plist:

<key>NSMicrophoneUsageDescription</key>
<string>This sample uses the microphone to record your speech and convert it to text.</string>

On Android you need to add a permission to AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />

Manual Installation

This is not necessary if you have used react-native link

Android

Edit android/settings.gradle to declare the project directory:

include ':react-native-audio'
project(':react-native-audio').projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, '../node_modules/react-native-audio/android')

Edit android/app/build.gradle to declare the project dependency:

dependencies {
  ...
  compile project(':react-native-audio')
}

Edit android/app/src/main/java/.../MainApplication.java to register the native module:

...
import com.rnim.rn.audio.ReactNativeAudioPackage; // <-- New
...

public class MainApplication extends Application implements ReactApplication {
  ...
  @Override
  protected List<ReactPackage> getPackages() {
    return Arrays.<ReactPackage>asList(
        new MainReactPackage(),
        new ReactNativeAudioPackage() // <-- New
    );
  }

iOS

Drag node_modules/react-native-audio/ios/RNAudio.xcoderproj into your project's Libraries on Xcode.

Add libRNAudio.a into Link Binary With Libraries from Xcode - Build Phases.

Running the Sample App

In the AudioExample directory:

npm install
react-native run-ios
react-native run-android

Usage

To record in AAC format, at 22050 KHz in low quality mono:

import {AudioRecorder, AudioUtils} from 'react-native-audio';
let audioPath = AudioUtils.DocumentDirectoryPath + '/test.aac';

AudioRecorder.prepareRecordingAtPath(audioPath, {
  SampleRate: 22050,
  Channels: 1,
  AudioQuality: "Low",
  AudioEncoding: "aac"
});

AudioQuality is supported on iOS. Low, Medium, and High will translate to AVAudioQualityLow, AVAudioQualityMedium, and AVAudioQualityHigh respectively.

Cross-platform options

SampleRate: int
Channels: int
AudioQuality: string
AudioEncoding: string
IncludeBase64: boolean

Encodings supported on iOS: lpcm, ima4, aac, MAC3, MAC6, ulaw, alaw, mp1, mp2, alac, amr Encodings supported on Android: aac, aac_eld, amr_nb, amr_wb, he_aac, vorbis

Use the IncludeBase64 boolean to include the base64 encoded recording on the AudioRecorder.onFinished event object. Please use it with care: passing large amounts of data over the bridge, from native to Javascript, can use lots of memory and cause slow performance.

If you want to upload the audio, it might be best to do it on the native thread with a package like React Native Fetch Blob.

iOS-only fields

Use MeteringEnabled boolean to enable audio metering. The following values are available on the recording progress object.

Name	Related AVAudioRecorder parameter	Description
currentMetering	averagePowerForChannel	The current average power, in decibels, for the sound being recorded. A return value of 0 dB indicates full scale, or maximum power; a return value of -160 dB indicates minimum power (that is, near silence). If the signal provided to the audio recorder exceeds ±full scale, then the return value may exceed 0 (that is, it may enter the positive range).
currentPeakMetering	peakPowerForChannel	The current peak power, in decibels, for the sound being recorded. A return value of 0 dB indicates full scale, or maximum power; a return value of -160 dB indicates minimum power (that is, near silence). If the signal provided to the audio recorder exceeds ±full scale, then the return value may exceed 0 (that is, it may enter the positive range).

For example:

AudioRecorder.onProgress = (data) => {
    console.log(data.currentMetering, data.currentPeakMetering)
};

Android-only fields

AudioEncodingBitRate: int OutputFormat: string, mpeg_4, aac_adts, amr_nb, amr_wb, three_gpp, webm

See the example for more details. For playing audio check out React Native Sound

MP3 recording is not supported since the underlying platforms do not support it.

Thanks to Brent Vatne, Johannes Lumpe, Kureev Alexey, Matthew Hartman and Rakan Nimer for their assistance.

Progress tracking code borrowed from https://github.com/brentvatne/react-native-video.