Best ways to play simple sound effect in iOS

Question

I\'m finding a number of conflicting data about playing sounds in iOS. What is a recommended way to play just a simple \"ping\" sound bite every time the user touches the sc

Answer 1

Here's an updated answer for Swift (4):

import AudioToolbox

func playSound() {
    var soundId: SystemSoundID = 0
    guard let soundPath = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "Success7", withExtension: "wav") else {
        print("Error finding file")
        return
    }

    let error = AudioServicesCreateSystemSoundID(soundPath as CFURL, &soundId)
    if error != kAudioServicesNoError {
        print("Error loading sound")
        return
    }

    AudioServicesPlaySystemSoundWithCompletion(soundId) {
        AudioServicesDisposeSystemSoundID(soundId)
    }
}

If you have a sound effect that you want to play multiple times in a view, then you can be a little more smart about loading and disposing of the audio:

class YourViewController: UIViewController {
    fileprivate lazy var soundId: SystemSoundID? = {
        guard let soundPath = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "Success7", withExtension: "wav") else {
            return nil
        }

        var soundId: SystemSoundID = 0
        let error = AudioServicesCreateSystemSoundID(soundPath as CFURL, &soundId)
        if error != kAudioServicesNoError {
            return nil
        }

        return soundId
    }()

    func playScannedSound() {
        guard let soundId = self.soundId else {
            return
        }

        AudioServicesPlaySystemSoundWithCompletion(soundId, nil)
    }

    deinit {
        guard let soundId = self.soundId else {
            return
        }
        AudioServicesDisposeSystemSoundID(soundId)
    }

}

Answer 2

This is the best way of playing a simple sound in iOS (no more than 30 seconds):

//Retrieve audio file
NSString *path  = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"soundeffect" ofType:@"m4a"];
NSURL *pathURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath : path];

SystemSoundID audioEffect;
AudioServicesCreateSystemSoundID((__bridge CFURLRef) pathURL, &audioEffect);
AudioServicesPlaySystemSound(audioEffect);

// call the following function when the sound is no longer used
// (must be done AFTER the sound is done playing)
AudioServicesDisposeSystemSoundID(audioEffect);

Answer 3

You can use AVFoundation or AudioToolbox.

Here're two examples which use the libraries separately.

• SAMSoundEffect (archived repository)
• BRYSoundEffectPlayer

Answer 4

I use this:

Header file:

#import <AudioToolbox/AudioServices.h>

@interface SoundEffect : NSObject
{
    SystemSoundID soundID;
}

- (id)initWithSoundNamed:(NSString *)filename;
- (void)play;

@end

Source file:

#import "SoundEffect.h"

@implementation SoundEffect

- (id)initWithSoundNamed:(NSString *)filename
{
    if ((self = [super init]))
    {
        NSURL *fileURL = [[NSBundle mainBundle] URLForResource:filename withExtension:nil];
        if (fileURL != nil)
        {
            SystemSoundID theSoundID;
            OSStatus error = AudioServicesCreateSystemSoundID((__bridge CFURLRef)fileURL, &theSoundID);
            if (error == kAudioServicesNoError)
                soundID = theSoundID;
        }
    }
    return self;
}

- (void)dealloc
{
    AudioServicesDisposeSystemSoundID(soundID);
}

- (void)play
{
    AudioServicesPlaySystemSound(soundID);
}

@end

You will need to create an instance of SoundEffect and direct call the method play on it.

Answer 5

(Small amendment to the correct answer to take care of the disposing of the audio)

NSString *path  = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"soundeffect" ofType:@"m4a"];
NSURL *pathURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath : path];

SystemSoundID audioEffect;
AudioServicesCreateSystemSoundID((__bridge CFURLRef) pathURL, &audioEffect);
AudioServicesPlaySystemSound(audioEffect);
// Using GCD, we can use a block to dispose of the audio effect without using a NSTimer or something else to figure out when it'll be finished playing.
dispatch_after(dispatch_time(DISPATCH_TIME_NOW, (int64_t)(30 * NSEC_PER_SEC)), dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
    AudioServicesDisposeSystemSoundID(audioEffect);
});