> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/mpv-player/mpv/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Audio Output > Configure audio output drivers for Linux, macOS, and Windows Audio output drivers are interfaces to different audio output facilities. mpv auto-selects the best available driver, but you can override it with `--ao`. ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao= audio.flac ``` Pass a comma-separated priority list to fall back automatically: ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=pipewire,pulse,alsa audio.flac ``` Run `mpv --ao=help` to list all compiled-in audio output drivers sorted by autoprobe order. The default audio output driver is subject to change and must not be relied upon. Specify the driver explicitly if a particular AO is required. ## Platform drivers ### alsa ALSA audio output driver. ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=alsa audio.flac ``` | Option | Description | | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--alsa-resample=yes` | Enable ALSA resampling plugin (disabled by default; some drivers report incorrect delay) | | `--alsa-mixer-device=` | Mixer device for volume control (default: `default`) | | `--alsa-mixer-name=` | Mixer element name, e.g. `Master` or `PCM` (default: `Master`) | | `--alsa-mixer-index=` | Mixer channel index (default: 0) | | `--alsa-non-interleaved` | Allow non-interleaved audio output (disabled by default due to broken plugins) | | `--alsa-ignore-chmap` | Don't read or set channel map; pass audio as-is | | `--alsa-buffer-time=` | Requested buffer time (0 = use ALSA default) | | `--alsa-periods=` | Number of ALSA periods requested | To get multichannel/surround audio, use `--audio-channels=auto`. The default `auto-safe` explicitly rejects multichannel output because ALSA has no way to detect supported channel layouts. ### pulse (PulseAudio) ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=pulse audio.flac ``` | Option | Description | | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--pulse-host=` | Host to connect to (empty = local connection) | | `--pulse-buffer=<1-2000\|native>` | Audio buffer size in milliseconds; `native` lets the server decide | | `--pulse-latency-hacks=` | Enable latency workarounds for PulseAudio timing bugs (default: yes) | | `--pulse-allow-suspended=` | Allow playback even if the sink is suspended (default: no) | ### pipewire ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=pipewire audio.flac ``` | Option | Description | | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | `--pipewire-buffer=<1-2000\|native>` | Audio buffer size in milliseconds | | `--pipewire-remote=` | PipeWire remote daemon name (default: `pipewire-0`) | | `--pipewire-volume-mode=` | Whether `ao-volume` controls channel or global volume (default: channel) | ### jack (JACK Audio Connection Kit) ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=jack audio.flac ``` | Option | Description | | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--jack-port=` | Connect to ports with this name (default: physical ports) | | `--jack-name=` | JACK client name (default: `mpv`) | | `--jack-autostart=` | Auto-start jackd if needed (default: no; tends to be unreliable) | | `--jack-connect=` | Auto-connect to output ports (default: yes) | | `--jack-std-channel-layout=` | Channel layout standard: `waveext` (WAVE\_FORMAT\_EXTENSIBLE order, default) or `any` | ### coreaudio Native macOS audio output using AudioUnits and the CoreAudio sound server. Automatically redirects to `coreaudio_exclusive` for compressed formats. ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=coreaudio audio.flac ``` | Option | Description | | ---------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--coreaudio-change-physical-format=` | Change system-wide audio format to match requested format (default: no). Enables multichannel output but affects system audio settings. | | `--coreaudio-spdif-hack=` | Try to pass AC3/DTS as PCM for drivers that don't report AC3 support. Use with care. | ### coreaudio\_exclusive Native macOS audio using direct device access in exclusive mode, bypassing the sound server. ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=coreaudio_exclusive audio.flac ``` ### avfoundation Native macOS audio using `AVSampleBufferAudioRenderer` in AVFoundation. Supports spatial audio. ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=avfoundation audio.flac ``` Enabling spatial audio may hang playback if mpv is not started from an app bundle. ### wasapi Audio output to the Windows Audio Session API. ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=wasapi audio.flac ``` | Option | Description | | ----------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--wasapi-exclusive-buffer=` | Buffer duration in exclusive mode (`--audio-exclusive=yes`). `default` and `min` use the device's default/minimum period. Accepts microseconds directly. | WASAPI supports exclusive mode for lower latency: ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=wasapi --audio-exclusive=yes audio.flac ``` ### dsound (DirectSound) Available on older Windows systems. ### null Produces no audio output but maintains video playback timing. Useful for benchmarking. ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=null video.mkv # Untimed: audio decodes as fast as possible mpv --ao=null --ao-null-untimed video.mkv ``` ### sdl SDL 2.0+ audio output. Works on any platform supported by SDL 2.0. For compatibility with environments where other drivers are unavailable. ```bash theme={null} mpv --ao=sdl audio.flac ``` | Option | Description | | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- | | `--sdl-buflen=` | Audio buffer length hint in seconds (0 = system default) | ## Audio channel layout Control the output channel layout with `--audio-channels`: ```bash theme={null} # Accept any channel layout the audio output supports mpv --audio-channels=auto audio.flac # Safe subset only (default) mpv --audio-channels=auto-safe audio.flac # Force stereo mpv --audio-channels=stereo audio.flac ``` ## ReplayGain / volume normalization Adjust volume based on ReplayGain metadata stored in the file: ```bash theme={null} # Apply track gain mpv --replaygain=track audio.flac # Apply album gain (falls back to track gain if absent) mpv --replaygain=album audio.flac # Disable (default) mpv --replaygain=no audio.flac ``` Additional ReplayGain options: | Option | Description | | ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--replaygain-preamp=` | Pre-amplification in dB applied to the selected gain (default: 0) | | `--replaygain-clip=` | Allow clipping (default: no; mpv auto-lowers gain to prevent clipping) | | `--replaygain-fallback=` | Gain in dB to apply when no ReplayGain tags are present | ## Compressed audio passthrough (S/PDIF / HDMI) Pass compressed audio formats directly to a receiver via S/PDIF or HDMI: ```bash theme={null} # Pass through AC-3 and DTS mpv --audio-spdif=ac3,dts audio.mkv # Pass through Dolby TrueHD and E-AC-3 mpv --audio-spdif=truehd,eac3 audio.mkv ``` Supported codecs: `ac3`, `dts`, `dts-hd`, `eac3`, `truehd`. HDMI supports uncompressed multichannel PCM, and mpv supports lossless DTS-HD decoding via FFmpeg's DCA decoder. Passthrough is rarely necessary on modern systems. ## Exclusive output mode Lock the audio device so only mpv can use it (lower latency, no mixing): ```bash theme={null} mpv --audio-exclusive=yes audio.flac ``` Supported by `wasapi`, `coreaudio`, `pipewire`, and `audiounit`. ## Selecting a specific audio device ```bash theme={null} # List available devices mpv --audio-device=help # Use a specific ALSA device mpv --audio-device=alsa/dmix:default audio.flac # Use a specific WASAPI device mpv --audio-device=wasapi/Speakers audio.flac ```