---
name: "aplay-0.9"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "alsa-utils"
version: "0.9.0beta12-1"
release: "Debian 3.0 (Woody)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/aplay-0.9"
---

# aplay-0.9(1)

command-line sound recorder and player for ALSA soundcard driver

## NAME

arecord, aplay - command-line sound recorder and player for ALSA  soundcard driver

## SYNOPSIS

**arecord** \[*flags*\] \[filename\]

## SYNOPSIS

**aplay** \[*flags*\] \[filename \[filename\]\] ...

## DESCRIPTION

**arecord** is a command-line soundfile recorder for the ALSA soundcard driver. It supports several file formats and multiple soundcards with multiple devices.

**aplay** is much the same, only it plays instead of recording. For supported soundfile formats, the sampling rate, bit depth, and so forth can be automatically determined from the soundfile header.

## INVOKING

\[**arecord** \| **aplay** \] \[*flags*\] filename

- If filename is not specified, the standard output or input is used. The **aplay** utility accepts multiple filenames.

  ### Options

- *--help*

  Help: show syntax.

- *--version*

  Print current version.

- *-l, --list-devices*

  List all soundcards and digital audio devices

- *-L, --list-pcms*

  List all PCMs defined

- *-D, --device=NAME*

  Select PCM by name

- *-q --quiet*

  Quiet mode. Suppress messages (not sound :))

- *-t, --file-type TYPE*

  File type (voc, wav, raw or au)

- *-c, --channels=#*

  The number of channels

- *-f --format=FORMAT*

  Sample format\
   Recognized sample formats are: S8 U8 S16\_LE S16\_BE U16\_LE U16\_BE S24\_LE S24\_BE U24\_LE U24\_BE S32\_LE S32\_BE U32\_LE U32\_BE FLOAT\_LE FLOAT\_BE FLOAT64\_LE FLOAT64\_BE IEC958\_SUBFRAME\_LE IEC958\_SUBFRAME\_BE MU\_LAW A\_LAW IMA\_ADPCM MPEG GSM\
   Some of these may not be available on selected hardware\
   There are also two format shortcuts available:

  ```
  -f cd (16 bit little endian, 44100, stereo [-f S16_LE -c2 -r44100]
  -f dat (16 bit little endian, 48000, stereo) [-f S16_LE -c2 -r48000]
  ```

- *-r, --rate=#\<Hz\>*

  Sampling rate in Hertz.

- *-d, --duration=#*

  Interrupt after # seconds

- *-s, --sleep-min=#*

  Min ticks to sleep

- *-M, --mmap*

  Mmap stream

- *-N, --nonblock*

  Nonblocking mode

- *-F, --period-time=#*

  Distance between interrupts is # microseconds

- *-B, --buffer-time=#*

  Buffer duration is # microseconds

- *-A, --avail-min=#*

  Min available space for wakeup is # microseconds

- *-R, --start-delay=#*

  Delay for automatic PCM start is # microseconds  (relative to buffer size if \<= 0)

- *-T, --stop-delay=#*

  Delay for automatic PCM stop is # microseconds from xrun

- *-v, --verbose*

  Show PCM structure and setup

- *-I, --separate-channels*

  One file for each channel

-

  ### Example:

**aplay -c 1 -t raw -r 22050 -f mu\_law foobar**

will play the raw file "foobar" as a 22050-Hz, mono, 8-bit, Mu-Law .au file.

**arecord -d 10 -f cd -t wav -D copy foobar.wav**

will record foobar.wav as a 10-second, CD-quality wave file, using the PCM "copy" (which might be defined in the user's .asoundrc file as:

```
pcm.copy {
  type plug
  slave {
    pcm hw
  }
  route_policy copy
}
```

## SEE ALSO

**[alsamixer(1)](/alsamixer/1.md),** **[amixer(1)](/amixer/1.md)**

## BUGS

Note that .aiff files are not currently supported.

## AUTHOR

**arecord** and **aplay** are by Jaroslav Kysela \<perex@suse.cz\> This document is by Paul Winkler \<zarmzarm@erols.com\>. Updated for Alsa 0.9 by James Tappin \<james@xena.uklinux.net\>