--- name: "pipewire-pulse-modules" section: "7" platform: "linux" package: "pipewire-pulse" version: "1:1.6.10-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/pipewire-pulse-modules" --- # pipewire-pulse-modules(7) PipeWire Pulseaudio modules ## NAME pipewire-pulse-modules - PipeWire Pulseaudio modules ## DESCRIPTION PipeWire's Pulseaudio emulation implements several Pulseaudio modules. It only supports its own built-in modules, and cannot load external modules written for Pulseaudio. ## LOADING MODULES The built-in modules can be loaded using Pulseaudio client programs, for example pactl load-module \ \. They can also added to pipewire-pulse.conf, typically by a drop-in file in ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.conf.d/ containing the module name and its arguments ``` # ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.conf.d/custom.conf pulse.cmd = [ { cmd = "load-module" args = "module-null-sink sink_name=foo" flags = [ ] } ] ``` To list all modules currently loaded, with their arguments: ``` pactl list modules ``` For a short list of loaded modules: ``` pactl list modules short ``` Modules may be unloaded using either the module-name or index number: ``` pactl load-module pactl unload-module ``` ## COMMON MODULE OPTIONS Most modules that create streams/devices support the following properties: ### sink\_name, source\_name Name for the sink (resp. source). Allowed characters in the name are a-z, A-Z, numbers, period (.) and underscore (\_). The length must be 1-128 characters. ### format The sample format. The supported audio formats are: ### PCM - • u8: unsigned 8-bit integer - • aLaw: A-law encoded 8-bit integer - • uLaw: μ-law encoded 8-bit integer - • s16le: signed 16-bit little-endian integer - • s16be: signed 16-bit big-endian integer - • s16, s16ne: native-endian aliases for s16le or s16be - • s16re: reverse-endian alias for s16le or s16be - • float32le: 32-bit little-endian float - • float32be: 32-bit big-endian float - • float32, float32ne: native-endian aliases for float32le or float32be - • float32re: reverse-endian alias for float32le or float32be - • s32le: signed 32-bit little-endian integer - • s32be: signed 32-bit big-endian integer - • s32, s32ne: native-endian aliases for s32le or s32be - • s32re: reverse-endian alias for s32le or s32be - • s24le: signed 24-bit little-endian integer (note: ALSA calls this "S24\_3LE") - • s24be: signed 24-bit big-endian integer (note: ALSA calls this "S24\_3BE") - • s24, s24ne: native-endian aliases for s24le or s24be - • s24re: reverse-endian alias for s24le or s24be - • s24-32le: signed 24-bit little-endian integer, packed into a 32-bit integer so that the 8 most significant bits are ignored (note: ALSA calls this "S24\_LE") - • s24-32be: signed 24-bit big-endian integer, packed into a 32-bit integer so that the 8 most significant bits are ignored (note: ALSA calls this "S24\_BE") - • s24-32, s24-32ne: native-endian aliases for s24-32le or s24-32be - • s24-32re: reverse-endian alias for s24-32le or s24-32be ### Compressed audio formats Below is a list of all supported compressed formats. The code at the beginning of each line is used whenever a textual identifier for a format is needed (for example in configuration files or on the command line). The formats whose identifier ends with -iec61937 have to be wrapped in IEC 61937 frames, which makes the compressed audio behave more like normal PCM audio. - • ac3-iec61937: Dolby Digital (DD / AC-3 / A/52) - • eac3-iec61937: Dolby Digital Plus (DD+ / E-AC-3) - • mpeg-iec61937: MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Part 3 (not MPEG-2 AAC) - • dts-iec61937: DTS - • mpeg2-aac-iec61937: MPEG-2 AAC (supported since PulseAudio 4.0) - • truehd-iec61937: Dolby TrueHD (added in PulseAudio 13.0, but doesn't work yet in practice) - • dtshd-iec61937: DTS-HD Master Audio (added in PulseAudio 13.0, but doesn't work yet in practice) - • pcm: PCM (not a compressed format, but listed here, because pcm is one of the recognized encoding identifiers) - • any: (special identifier for indicating that any encoding can be used) ### rate The sample rate. ### channels Number of audio channels. ### channel\_map A channel map. A list of comma-separated channel names. The currently defined channel names are: left, right, mono, center, front-left, front-right, front-center, rear-center, rear-left, rear-right, lfe, subwoofer, front-left-of-center, front-right-of-center, side-left, side-right, aux0, aux1 to aux15, top-center, top-front-left, top-front-right, top-front-center, top-rear-left, top-rear-right, top-rear-center ### sink\_properties, source\_properties Set additional properties of the sink/source. For example, you can set the description directly when the module is loaded by setting this parameter. ``` load-module module-alsa-sink sink_name=headphones sink_properties=device.description=Headphones ``` ## BUILT-IN MODULES - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-alsa-sink(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-alsa-sink/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-alsa-source(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-alsa-source/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-always-sink(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-always-sink/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-combine-sink(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-combine-sink/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-device-manager(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-device-manager/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-device-restore(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-device-restore/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-echo-cancel(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-echo-cancel/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-jackdbus-detect(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-jackdbus-detect/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-ladspa-sink(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-ladspa-sink/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-ladspa-source(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-ladspa-source/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-loopback(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-loopback/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-native-protocol-tcp(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-native-protocol-tcp/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-null-sink(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-null-sink/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-pipe-source(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-pipe-source/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-pipe-sink(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-pipe-sink/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-raop-discover(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-raop-discover/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-remap-sink(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-remap-sink/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-remap-source(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-remap-source/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-roc-sink(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-roc-sink/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-roc-sink-input(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-roc-sink-input/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-roc-source(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-roc-source/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-rtp-recv(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-rtp-recv/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-rtp-send(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-rtp-send/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-simple-protocol-tcp(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-simple-protocol-tcp/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-stream-restore(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-stream-restore/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-switch-on-connect(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-switch-on-connect/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-tunnel-sink(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-tunnel-sink/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-tunnel-source(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-tunnel-source/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-virtual-sink(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-virtual-sink/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-virtual-source(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-virtual-source/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-x11-bell(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-x11-bell/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-zeroconf-discover(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-zeroconf-discover/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-zeroconf-publish(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-zeroconf-publish/7.md)** - • **[pipewire-pulse-module-gsettings(7)](/pipewire-pulse-module-gsettings/7.md)** ## AUTHORS The PipeWire Developers \; PipeWire is available from \ ## SEE ALSO **[pipewire-pulse(1)](/pipewire-pulse/1.md)**