HTML5 Audio

What is the <audio> tag?

The <audio> element lets you embed sound content (like music or sound effects) directly into your web page, without needing extra plugins (like Flash).

It is similar to the <video> tag, but for audio only.

<audio src="song.mp3" controls>
    Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>

This will display a simple audio player with play/pause, volume, and scrub controls.

Attributes

Multiple Sources

<audio controls>
    <source src="song.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
    <source src="song.ogg" type="audio/ogg">
    Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>

The <source> elements let the browser pick the best format it supports.

The fallback text is displayed if the browser doesn't support <audio>.

Why use multiple <source>?

Different browsers support different audio formats. This ensures your audio works across all major browsers.

Example with autoplay, loop, and muted

<audio controls autoplay loop muted>
  <source src="background.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
  <source src="background.ogg" type="audio/ogg">
  Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>

• Start automatically
• Loop forever
• Play muted by default