# Audio Playback The `StreamChat` framework ships with tools that enable you to playback any (supported) audio file. Audio Playback, using an instance of `AudioPlaying`, is available since version 4.32.0. An instance of `AudioPlaying` is responsible for handling all audio playback related operations and acts as a thin abstraction layer between your app and the `AVPlayer` system. The SDK ships with 2 audio players out of the box: 1. `StreamAudioPlayer` 2. `StreamAudioQueuePlayer`. The `StreamAudioQueuePlayer` is an extension of the `StreamAudioPlayer` that adds queue management capabilities. The `StreamAudioPlayer` takes care of the following responsibilities, additional to managing the audio playback: - Configure the `AVAudioSession` for recording. - React on the application's state changes (move to background or foreground). - Fetch properties of remote audio files (for example its duration). ### Actions `StreamAudioPlayer` and any instance that conforms to the `AudioPlaying` protocol has the following actions that we can call on them: #### `func loadAsset(from url: URL)` Instructs the player to load the asset from the provided URL and prepare it for streaming. If the player's current item has a URL that matches the provided one, then the player will try to play or restart the playback. #### `func play()` Begin the loaded asset's playback. If no asset has been loaded, the action has no effect. #### `func pause()` Pauses the loaded asset's playback. If non has been loaded or the playback hasn't started yet the action has no effect. #### `func stop()` Stop the loaded asset's playback. If non has been loaded or the playback hasn't started yet the action has no effect. #### `func updateRate(_:)` Updates the loaded asset's playback rate to the provided one. #### `func seek(to:)` Performs a seek in the loaded asset's timeline at the provided time. #### `configure(_ audioSessionConfigurator: AudioSessionConfiguring)` The default object that interacts with the `AVAudioSession`, assumes that it's the only one that manages the `AVAudioSession` shared instance. In scenarios where that's not the case (for example, you have an active audio session going on because of audio/video call), you can use this method to provide a another instance that will be aware of all related features and will act as the central point of `AVAudioSession` configuration between Stream VoiceRecording feature and any other feature that uses the `AVAudioSession`. ### Receiving updates By calling `subscribe(_ subscriber: AudioPlayingDelegate)` we are subscribing to receive updates from the `AudioPlaying` instance. Those updates include information about: - The URL for the loaded audio file. - The duration and current playback time. - The player's state. - The playback's rate. - A flag indicating if the player is currently seeking. ## StreamAudioQueuePlayer The `StreamAudioQueuePlayer` implementation is a sub-class of `StreamAudioPlayer` with additional queue management capabilities. It requires a data source that conforms to the `AudioQueuePlayerDatasource` protocol. Once the playback of an audio file finishes, the `StreamAudioQueuePlayer` will ask its data source for the next item to play. If the `dataSource` provide one, the new item will be automatically loaded to the player its playback will begin once ready. --- This page was last updated at 2026-04-17T17:33:38.733Z. For the most recent version of this documentation, visit [https://getstream.io/chat/docs/sdk/ios/v4/client/audio-support/audio-playback/](https://getstream.io/chat/docs/sdk/ios/v4/client/audio-support/audio-playback/).