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AudioType[audio]

returns the data type used to represent samples in the Audio object audio.

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Basic Examples  
Scope  
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AudioType

AudioType[audio]

returns the data type used to represent samples in the Audio object audio.

Details

  • Possible types returned by AudioType are:
  • "SignedInteger8"signed 8-bit integers from through
    "SignedInteger16"signed 16-bit integers from through
    "SignedInteger32"signed 32-bit integers from through
    "Real32"single-precision real (32-bit)
    "Real64"double-precision real (64-bit)

Examples

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Basic Examples  (3)

Extract the type of an audio object:

Wolfram Language code: AudioType[\!\(\*AudioBox["![Embedded Audio Player](audio://content-jie4l)"]\)]

A real audio object:

Wolfram Language code: AudioType[\!\(\*AudioBox["![Embedded Audio Player](audio://content-awyw8)"]\)]

An out-of-core audio object always assumes a "Real32" type:

Wolfram Language code: AudioType[\!\(\*AudioBox["![Audio Player: ExampleData/Rule30.wav](audio://content-vxkrv)"]\)]

Scope  (6)

Generate an audio object of type "SignedInteger8":

Wolfram Language code: Audio[Range[1, 40000], "SignedInteger8", SampleRate -> 8000]

Extract the type:

Wolfram Language code: AudioType[%]

A 16-bit audio object:

Wolfram Language code: Audio[RandomInteger[{-100, 100}, 8000], "SignedInteger16", SampleRate -> 8000]
Wolfram Language code: AudioType[%]

A "Real32" audio object:

Wolfram Language code: Audio[{1, 2, 3, 4}, "Real32", SampleRate -> 8000]
Wolfram Language code: AudioType[%]

Use the Audio construct to convert an audio object to a different type:

Wolfram Language code: a1 = Import["ExampleData/rule30.wav"]; a2 = Audio[a1, "SignedInteger8"];
Wolfram Language code: AudioType /@ {a1, a2}

Compare the byte counts of different data types:

Wolfram Language code: types = {"SignedInteger8", "SignedInteger16", "SignedInteger32", "Real32", "Real64"}; bytes = Table[ByteCount[AudioGenerator["Sin", 5, t]], {t, types}];
Wolfram Language code: TextGrid[Transpose[{types, bytes}], Frame -> All]

The byte count of an out-of-core audio object does not increase for larger data types:

Wolfram Language code: a = AudioGenerator["Sin", 5];
Wolfram Language code: Export["file16.wav", a, "AudioEncoding" -> "Integer16"]
Wolfram Language code: Export["file32.wav", a, "AudioEncoding" -> "Integer32"]

The byte counts of the stored files are different:

Wolfram Language code: FileByteCount /@ {"file16.wav", "file32.wav"}

The byte counts of out-of-core audio objects are the same:

Wolfram Language code: ByteCount /@ {Audio["file16.wav"], Audio["file32.wav"]}

Possible Issues  (1)

An out-of-core audio object supports only a "Real32" type:

Wolfram Language code: Import["ExampleData/sample.flac", "AudioEncoding"]
Wolfram Language code: AudioType[Audio["ExampleData/sample.flac"]]

The type of the imported audio is the same as what is stored in the file:

Wolfram Language code: AudioType[Import["ExampleData/sample.flac"]]
Wolfram Research (2016), AudioType, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AudioType.html (updated 2019).

Text

Wolfram Research (2016), AudioType, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AudioType.html (updated 2019).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2016. "AudioType." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2019. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AudioType.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2016). AudioType. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AudioType.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_audiotype, author="Wolfram Research", title="{AudioType}", year="2019", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AudioType.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_audiotype, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={AudioType}, year={2019}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AudioType.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}