An example of how to read in raw PCM data from Android's AudioRecord API (microphone input, for instance) and output it to a valid WAV file. Tested on API 21/23 on Android and API 23 on Android Wear (modified activity) where AudioRecord is the only available audio recording API. MediaRecorder doesn't work. Compiles against min API 15 and probabl…

AudioRecordActivity.java

/*
 * Copyright 2016 Kevin Mark
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 *
 * --
 * An example of how to read in raw PCM data from Android's AudioRecord API (microphone input, for
 * instance) and output it to a valid WAV file. Tested on API 21/23 on Android and API 23 on
 * Android Wear (modified activity) where AudioRecord is the only available audio recording API.
 * MediaRecorder doesn't work. Compiles against min API 15 and probably even earlier.
 * 
 * Many thanks to Craig Stuart Sapp for his invaluable WAV specification:
 * http://soundfile.sapp.org/doc/WaveFormat/
 */

package io.kmark.gist;

import android.Manifest;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.media.AudioFormat;
import android.media.AudioRecord;
import android.media.MediaRecorder;
import android.os.AsyncTask;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.SystemClock;
import android.support.annotation.NonNull;
import android.support.v4.app.ActivityCompat;
import android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Toast;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import java.io.RandomAccessFile;
import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
import java.nio.ByteOrder;
import java.util.Locale;

public class AudioRecordActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    private static final int PERMISSION_RECORD_AUDIO = 0;

    private RecordWaveTask recordTask = null;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_audio_record);

        //noinspection ConstantConditions
        findViewById(R.id.btnStart).setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                if (ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(AudioRecordActivity.this, Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO)
                        != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
                    // Request permission
                    ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(AudioRecordActivity.this,
                            new String[] { Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO },
                            PERMISSION_RECORD_AUDIO);
                    return;
                }
                // Permission already available
                launchTask();
            }
        });

        //noinspection ConstantConditions
        findViewById(R.id.btnStop).setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                if (!recordTask.isCancelled() && recordTask.getStatus() == AsyncTask.Status.RUNNING) {
                    recordTask.cancel(false);
                } else {
                    Toast.makeText(AudioRecordActivity.this, "Task not running.", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                }
            }
        });

        // Restore the previous task or create a new one if necessary
        recordTask = (RecordWaveTask) getLastCustomNonConfigurationInstance();
        if (recordTask == null) {
            recordTask = new RecordWaveTask(this);
        } else {
            recordTask.setContext(this);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, @NonNull String[] permissions, @NonNull int[] grantResults) {
        switch (requestCode) {
            case PERMISSION_RECORD_AUDIO:
                if (grantResults.length > 0 && grantResults[0] == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
                    // Permission granted
                    launchTask();
                } else {
                    // Permission denied
                    Toast.makeText(this, "\uD83D\uDE41", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                }
                break;
        }
    }

    private void launchTask() {
        switch (recordTask.getStatus()) {
            case RUNNING:
                Toast.makeText(this, "Task already running...", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                return;
            case FINISHED:
                recordTask = new RecordWaveTask(this);
                break;
            case PENDING:
                if (recordTask.isCancelled()) {
                    recordTask = new RecordWaveTask(this);
                }
        }
        File wavFile = new File(getFilesDir(), "recording_" + System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000 + ".wav");
        Toast.makeText(this, wavFile.getAbsolutePath(), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        recordTask.execute(wavFile);
    }

    @Override
    public Object onRetainCustomNonConfigurationInstance() {
        recordTask.setContext(null);
        return recordTask;
    }

    private static class RecordWaveTask extends AsyncTask<File, Void, Object[]> {

        // Configure me!
        private static final int AUDIO_SOURCE = MediaRecorder.AudioSource.MIC;
        private static final int SAMPLE_RATE = 44100; // Hz
        private static final int ENCODING = AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_16BIT;
        private static final int CHANNEL_MASK = AudioFormat.CHANNEL_IN_MONO;
        //

        private static final int BUFFER_SIZE = 2 * AudioRecord.getMinBufferSize(SAMPLE_RATE, CHANNEL_MASK, ENCODING);

        private Context ctx;

        private RecordWaveTask(Context ctx) {
            setContext(ctx);
        }

        private void setContext(Context ctx) {
            this.ctx = ctx;
        }

        /**
         * Opens up the given file, writes the header, and keeps filling it with raw PCM bytes from
         * AudioRecord until it reaches 4GB or is stopped by the user. It then goes back and updates
         * the WAV header to include the proper final chunk sizes.
         *
         * @param files Index 0 should be the file to write to
         * @return Either an Exception (error) or two longs, the filesize, elapsed time in ms (success)
         */
        @Override
        protected Object[] doInBackground(File... files) {
            AudioRecord audioRecord = null;
            FileOutputStream wavOut = null;
            long startTime = 0;
            long endTime = 0;

            try {
                // Open our two resources
                audioRecord = new AudioRecord(AUDIO_SOURCE, SAMPLE_RATE, CHANNEL_MASK, ENCODING, BUFFER_SIZE);
                wavOut = new FileOutputStream(files[0]);

                // Write out the wav file header
                writeWavHeader(wavOut, CHANNEL_MASK, SAMPLE_RATE, ENCODING);

                // Avoiding loop allocations
                byte[] buffer = new byte[BUFFER_SIZE];
                boolean run = true;
                int read;
                long total = 0;

                // Let's go
                startTime = SystemClock.elapsedRealtime();
                audioRecord.startRecording();
                while (run && !isCancelled()) {
                    read = audioRecord.read(buffer, 0, buffer.length);

                    // WAVs cannot be > 4 GB due to the use of 32 bit unsigned integers.
                    if (total + read > 4294967295L) {
                        // Write as many bytes as we can before hitting the max size
                        for (int i = 0; i < read && total <= 4294967295L; i++, total++) {
                            wavOut.write(buffer[i]);
                        }
                        run = false;
                    } else {
                        // Write out the entire read buffer
                        wavOut.write(buffer, 0, read);
                        total += read;
                    }
                }
            } catch (IOException ex) {
                return new Object[]{ex};
            } finally {
                if (audioRecord != null) {
                    try {
                        if (audioRecord.getRecordingState() == AudioRecord.RECORDSTATE_RECORDING) {
                            audioRecord.stop();
                            endTime = SystemClock.elapsedRealtime();
                        }
                    } catch (IllegalStateException ex) {
                        //
                    }
                    if (audioRecord.getState() == AudioRecord.STATE_INITIALIZED) {
                        audioRecord.release();
                    }
                }
                if (wavOut != null) {
                    try {
                        wavOut.close();
                    } catch (IOException ex) {
                        //
                    }
                }
            }

            try {
                // This is not put in the try/catch/finally above since it needs to run
                // after we close the FileOutputStream
                updateWavHeader(files[0]);
            } catch (IOException ex) {
                return new Object[] { ex };
            }

            return new Object[] { files[0].length(), endTime - startTime };
        }

        /**
         * Writes the proper 44-byte RIFF/WAVE header to/for the given stream
         * Two size fields are left empty/null since we do not yet know the final stream size
         *
         * @param out         The stream to write the header to
         * @param channelMask An AudioFormat.CHANNEL_* mask
         * @param sampleRate  The sample rate in hertz
         * @param encoding    An AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_* value
         * @throws IOException
         */
        private static void writeWavHeader(OutputStream out, int channelMask, int sampleRate, int encoding) throws IOException {
            short channels;
            switch (channelMask) {
                case AudioFormat.CHANNEL_IN_MONO:
                    channels = 1;
                    break;
                case AudioFormat.CHANNEL_IN_STEREO:
                    channels = 2;
                    break;
                default:
                    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unacceptable channel mask");
            }

            short bitDepth;
            switch (encoding) {
                case AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_8BIT:
                    bitDepth = 8;
                    break;
                case AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_16BIT:
                    bitDepth = 16;
                    break;
                case AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_FLOAT:
                    bitDepth = 32;
                    break;
                default:
                    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unacceptable encoding");
            }

            writeWavHeader(out, channels, sampleRate, bitDepth);
        }

        /**
         * Writes the proper 44-byte RIFF/WAVE header to/for the given stream
         * Two size fields are left empty/null since we do not yet know the final stream size
         *
         * @param out        The stream to write the header to
         * @param channels   The number of channels
         * @param sampleRate The sample rate in hertz
         * @param bitDepth   The bit depth
         * @throws IOException
         */
        private static void writeWavHeader(OutputStream out, short channels, int sampleRate, short bitDepth) throws IOException {
            // Convert the multi-byte integers to raw bytes in little endian format as required by the spec
            byte[] littleBytes = ByteBuffer
                    .allocate(14)
                    .order(ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN)
                    .putShort(channels)
                    .putInt(sampleRate)
                    .putInt(sampleRate * channels * (bitDepth / 8))
                    .putShort((short) (channels * (bitDepth / 8)))
                    .putShort(bitDepth)
                    .array();

            // Not necessarily the best, but it's very easy to visualize this way
            out.write(new byte[]{
                    // RIFF header
                    'R', 'I', 'F', 'F', // ChunkID
                    0, 0, 0, 0, // ChunkSize (must be updated later)
                    'W', 'A', 'V', 'E', // Format
                    // fmt subchunk
                    'f', 'm', 't', ' ', // Subchunk1ID
                    16, 0, 0, 0, // Subchunk1Size
                    1, 0, // AudioFormat
                    littleBytes[0], littleBytes[1], // NumChannels
                    littleBytes[2], littleBytes[3], littleBytes[4], littleBytes[5], // SampleRate
                    littleBytes[6], littleBytes[7], littleBytes[8], littleBytes[9], // ByteRate
                    littleBytes[10], littleBytes[11], // BlockAlign
                    littleBytes[12], littleBytes[13], // BitsPerSample
                    // data subchunk
                    'd', 'a', 't', 'a', // Subchunk2ID
                    0, 0, 0, 0, // Subchunk2Size (must be updated later)
            });
        }

        /**
         * Updates the given wav file's header to include the final chunk sizes
         *
         * @param wav The wav file to update
         * @throws IOException
         */
        private static void updateWavHeader(File wav) throws IOException {
            byte[] sizes = ByteBuffer
                    .allocate(8)
                    .order(ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN)
                    // There are probably a bunch of different/better ways to calculate
                    // these two given your circumstances. Cast should be safe since if the WAV is
                    // > 4 GB we've already made a terrible mistake.
                    .putInt((int) (wav.length() - 8)) // ChunkSize
                    .putInt((int) (wav.length() - 44)) // Subchunk2Size
                    .array();

            RandomAccessFile accessWave = null;
            //noinspection CaughtExceptionImmediatelyRethrown
            try {
                accessWave = new RandomAccessFile(wav, "rw");
                // ChunkSize
                accessWave.seek(4);
                accessWave.write(sizes, 0, 4);

                // Subchunk2Size
                accessWave.seek(40);
                accessWave.write(sizes, 4, 4);
            } catch (IOException ex) {
                // Rethrow but we still close accessWave in our finally
                throw ex;
            } finally {
                if (accessWave != null) {
                    try {
                        accessWave.close();
                    } catch (IOException ex) {
                        //
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        @Override
        protected void onCancelled(Object[] results) {
            // Handling cancellations and successful runs in the same way
            onPostExecute(results);
        }

        @Override
        protected void onPostExecute(Object[] results) {
            Throwable throwable = null;
            if (results[0] instanceof Throwable) {
                // Error
                throwable = (Throwable) results[0];
                Log.e(RecordWaveTask.class.getSimpleName(), throwable.getMessage(), throwable);
            }

            // If we're attached to an activity
            if (ctx != null) {
                if (throwable == null) {
                    // Display final recording stats
                    double size = (long) results[0] / 1000000.00;
                    long time = (long) results[1] / 1000;
                    Toast.makeText(ctx, String.format(Locale.getDefault(), "%.2f MB / %d seconds",
                            size, time), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                } else {
                    // Error
                    Toast.makeText(ctx, throwable.getLocalizedMessage(), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                }
            }
        }
    }

}

Nice piece of code, congrats!

Awesome code, thanks a lot for sharing!!

Good code, thank you. But.
Code will not work when ENCODING = AudioFormat.ENCODING_PCM_FLOAT.

So useful! Thanks

Can you please show how to record to audio files using "oboe" library :
https://github.com/google/oboe

Easy to use, you save my day!

Great !
You saved My life :)

Amazing code!!! Thanks a lot sharing!! :)

Good code

Great work !

Thank you

Thank you good sir!

no such directory exception happening - any tip or hint !!!!!

Nice example! You saved my day!

Can anyone tell me how to play audio which we have recorded as when i am trying to play it with media player, it is showing unknown error.Please help

private void launchTask() {
    switch (recordTask.getStatus()) {
        case RUNNING:
            Toast.makeText(this, "Task already running...", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            return;
        case FINISHED:
            recordTask = new RecordWaveTask(this);
            break;
        case PENDING:
            if (recordTask.isCancelled()) {
                recordTask = new RecordWaveTask(this);
            }
    }
    File wavFile = generaFile();
   // File wavFile = new File(getFilesDir(), "recording_" + System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000 + ".wav");
    Toast.makeText(this, wavFile.getAbsolutePath(), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
    recordTask.execute(wavFile);
}

private File generaFile() {

    File directory = new File(getApplicationContext().getExternalFilesDir(null).getAbsolutePath(), "recordAudio") ;
    if(!directory.exists())
    {
        directory.mkdir();
        if(!directory.exists())
        {
            Log.e("RECORD","WARNING! Directory does not exists !!!! Creation problems");
        }
    }
    String filename = "recording_" + System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000 + ".wav";
    File newFile = new File(directory, filename);
    if(!newFile.exists()){
        try {
            newFile.createNewFile();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            Log.e("RECORD",e.getMessage());
        }
    }
    return newFile;
}

This work for me huawey p8 lite 2017

Thank you for this very useful piece of code. Using it in my Android transcoder library: linkedin/LiTr#164