APLAY(1)                                              General Commands Manual                                              APLAY(1)

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

SYNOPSIS
       arecord [flags] [filename]
       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. If recording with interleaved mode samples the file is automatically split before the  2GB
       filesize.

       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.

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

OPTIONS
       -h, --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).  If this parameter is omitted the WAVE format is used.

       -c, --channels=#
              The number of channels.  The default is one channel.  Valid values are 1 through 32.

       -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
              SPECIAL S24_3LE S24_3BE U24_3LE U24_3BE S20_3LE S20_3BE U20_3LE U20_3BE S18_3LE S18_3BE U18_3LE
              Some of these may not be available on selected hardware
              The available format shortcuts are:
              -f cd (16 bit little endian, 44100, stereo) [-f S16_LE -c2 -r44100]
              -f cdr (16 bit big endian, 44100, stereo) [-f S16_BE -c2 -f44100]
              -f dat (16 bit little endian, 48000, stereo) [-f S16_LE -c2 -r48000]
              If no format is given U8 is used.

       -r, --rate=#<Hz>
              Sampling rate in Hertz. The default rate is 8000 Hertz.  If the value specified is less than 300, it is taken as  the
              rate in kilohertz.  Valid values are 2000 through 192000 Hertz.

       -d, --duration=#
              Interrupt  after  # seconds.  A value of zero means infinity.  The default is zero, so if this option is omitted then
              the record/playback process will run until it is killed.  Either '-d' or '-s' option is available exclusively.

       -s, --samples=#
              Interrupt after tranmission of # PCM frames.  A value of zero means infinity.  The default is zero, so  if  this  op‐
              tions  is omitted then the record/playback process will run until it is killed.  Either '-d' or '-s' option is avail‐
              able exclusively.

       -M, --mmap
              Use memory-mapped (mmap) I/O mode for the audio stream.  If this option is not set, the read/write I/O mode  will  be
              used.

       -N, --nonblock
              Open  the audio device in non-blocking mode. If the device is busy the program will exit immediately.  If this option
              is not set the program will block until the audio device is available again.

       -F, --period-time=#
              Distance between interrupts is # microseconds.  If no period time and no period size is given then a quarter  of  the
              buffer time is set.

       -B, --buffer-time=#
              Buffer  duration is # microseconds If no buffer time and no buffer size is given then the maximal allowed buffer time
              but not more than 500ms is set.

       --period-size=#
              Distance between interrupts is # frames If no period size and no period time is given then a quarter  of  the  buffer
              size is set.

       --buffer-size=#
              Buffer  duration  is  # frames If no buffer time and no buffer size is given then the maximal allowed buffer time but
              not more than 500ms is set.

       -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.  This option is accumulative.  The VU meter is displayed when this is  given  twice  or
              three times.

       -V, --vumeter=TYPE
              Specifies  the VU-meter type, either stereo or mono.  The stereo VU-meter is available only for 2-channel stereo sam‐
              ples with interleaved format.

       -I, --separate-channels
              One file for each channel.  This option disables max-file-time and use-strftime, and ignores SIGUSR1.  The stereo  VU
              meter is not available with separate channels.

       -P     Playback.  This is the default if the program is invoked by typing aplay.

       -C     Record.  This is the default if the program is invoked by typing arecord.

       -i, --interactive
              Allow interactive operation via stdin.  Currently only pause/resume via space or enter key is implemented.

       -m, --chmap=ch1,ch2,...
              Give the channel map to override or follow.  Pass channel position strings like FL, FR, etc.

              If  a device supports the override of the channel map, aplay tries to pass the given channel map.  If it doesn't sup‐
              port the channel map override but still it provides the channel map information, aplay tries to rearrange the channel
              order in the buffer to match with the returned channel map from the device.

       --disable-resample
              Disable automatic rate resample.

       --disable-channels
              Disable automatic channel conversions.

       --disable-format
              Disable automatic format conversions.

       --disable-softvol
              Disable software volume control (softvol).

       --test-position
              Test ring buffer position.

       --test-coef=<coef>
              Test  coefficient  for  ring  buffer position; default is 8.  Expression for validation is: coef * (buffer_size / 2).
              Minimum value is 1.

       --test-nowait
              Do not wait for the ring buffer ‐ eats the whole CPU.

       --max-file-time
              While recording, when the output file has been accumulating sound for this long, close it and open a new output file.
              Default is the maximum size supported by the file format: 2 GiB for WAV files.  This option has no effect if  --sepa‐
              rate-channels is specified.

       --process-id-file <file name>
              aplay writes its process ID here, so other programs can send signals to it.

       --use-strftime
              When recording, interpret %-codes in the file name parameter using the strftime facility whenever the output file  is
              opened.   The  important strftime codes are: %Y is the year, %m month, %d day of the month, %H hour, %M minute and %S
              second.  In addition, %v is the file number, starting at 1.  When this option is specified, intermediate  directories
              for the output file are created automatically.  This option has no effect if --separate-channels is specified.

       --dump-hw-params
              Dump  hw_params of the device preconfigured status to stderr. The dump lists capabilities of the selected device such
              as supported formats, sampling rates, numbers of channels, period and buffer bytes/sizes/times.  For raw device  hw:X
              this option basically lists hardware capabilities of the soundcard.

       --fatal-errors
              Disables recovery attempts when errors (e.g. xrun) are encountered; the aplay process instead aborts immediately.

SIGNALS
       When recording, SIGINT, SIGTERM and SIGABRT will close the output file and exit.  SIGUSR1 will close the output file, open a
       new one, and continue recording.  However, SIGUSR1 does not work with --separate-channels.

EXAMPLES
       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
              }

       arecord -t wav --max-file-time 30 mon.wav
              Record  from the default audio source in monaural, 8,000 samples per second, 8 bits per sample.  Start a new file ev‐
              ery 30 seconds.  File names are mon-nn.wav, where nn increases from 01.  The file after mon-99.wav is mon-100.wav.

       arecord -f cd -t wav --max-file-time 3600 --use-strftime %Y/%m/%d/listen-%H-%M-%v.wav
              Record in stereo from the default audio source.  Create a new file every hour.  The files are placed  in  directories
              based on their start dates and have names which include their start times and file numbers.

SEE ALSO
        alsamixer(1), amixer(1)

BUGS
       Note that .aiff files are not currently supported.

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

                                                           1 January 2010                                                  APLAY(1)

Usage: aplay [OPTION]... [FILE]...

-h, --help              help
    --version           print current version
-l, --list-devices      list all soundcards and digital audio devices
-L, --list-pcms         list device names
-D, --device=NAME       select PCM by name
-q, --quiet             quiet mode
-t, --file-type TYPE    file type (voc, wav, raw or au)
-c, --channels=#        channels
-f, --format=FORMAT     sample format (case insensitive)
-r, --rate=#            sample rate
-d, --duration=#        interrupt after # seconds
-s, --samples=#         interrupt after # samples per channel
-M, --mmap              mmap stream
-N, --nonblock          nonblocking mode
-F, --period-time=#     distance between interrupts is # microseconds
-B, --buffer-time=#     buffer duration is # microseconds
    --period-size=#     distance between interrupts is # frames
    --buffer-size=#     buffer duration is # frames
-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 (accumulative)
-V, --vumeter=TYPE      enable VU meter (TYPE: mono or stereo)
-I, --separate-channels one file for each channel
-i, --interactive       allow interactive operation from stdin
-m, --chmap=ch1,ch2,..  Give the channel map to override or follow
    --disable-resample  disable automatic rate resample
    --disable-channels  disable automatic channel conversions
    --disable-format    disable automatic format conversions
    --disable-softvol   disable software volume control (softvol)
    --test-position     test ring buffer position
    --test-coef=#       test coefficient for ring buffer position (default 8)
                        expression for validation is: coef * (buffer_size / 2)
    --test-nowait       do not wait for ring buffer - eats whole CPU
    --max-file-time=#   start another output file when the old file has recorded
                        for this many seconds
    --process-id-file   write the process ID here
    --use-strftime      apply the strftime facility to the output file name
    --dump-hw-params    dump hw_params of the device
    --fatal-errors      treat all errors as fatal
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 S20_LE S20_BE U20_LE U20_BE SPECIAL S24_3LE S24_3BE U24_3LE U24_3BE S20_3LE S20_3BE U20_3LE U20_3BE S18_3LE S18_3BE U18_3LE U18_3BE G723_24 G723_24_1B G723_40 G723_40_1B DSD_U8 DSD_U16_LE DSD_U32_LE DSD_U16_BE DSD_U32_BE
Some of these may not be available on selected hardware
The available format shortcuts are:
-f cd (16 bit little endian, 44100, stereo)
-f cdr (16 bit big endian, 44100, stereo)
-f dat (16 bit little endian, 48000, stereo)