miniaudio

Web · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone

Freedom report

Two barsScore 5.9

Free tierNo free tier on record
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely6 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

miniaudio is ranked #15 of 23 in game audio middleware on Freedom251. It runs on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Web, Windows.

Compared on game audio middleware

Spatial audio: Yes
Runtime platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, BSD, Android, Web via Emscripten
Audio streaming: Yes

Best miniaudio alternatives

See all 20

Two bars Audiokinetic Wwise Free tier No. 1Free6.8 Two bars Reactional Engine Free tier No. 2Free6.8 Two bars Amplitude Audio SDK Free tier No. 3Free6.7 Two bars OpenAL Soft Free tier No. 4Free6.7 Two bars psai Free tier No. 5Free6.7 Two bars SoLoud Free tier No. 6Free6.7

The record

Purpose: miniaudio is an audio playback and capture library for C and C++.
Distribution: The library is a single source file with no external dependencies and can be added directly to a project’s source tree.
License: Users can choose the public domain or MIT No Attribution license.
Low-level API: The low-level API supports audio playback, capture, full-duplex, and device enumeration.
Mixing and effects: Its node graph supports mixing, effect processing, routing, and custom nodes.
Resource management: The resource manager supports reference counting, streaming large audio sources, and asynchronous loading.
Audio engine: The high-level engine combines resource management and the node graph for managing sounds with spatialization.
Formats: Built-in decoding supports WAV, FLAC, and MP3, while encoding supports WAV.
Audio backends: Listed backends include WASAPI, DirectSound, WinMM, Core Audio, ALSA, PulseAudio, JACK, AAudio, OpenSL|ES, and Web Audio.
Supported targets: The project lists Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, BSD variants, Android, Raspberry Pi, and Emscripten/HTML5 as supported platforms.
Platform limitation: On other platforms, playback and capture require implementing a custom backend.
ABI limitation: ABI compatibility is not guaranteed between versions, including bug-fix releases, and the manual recommends static linking when building as a library.
Security handling: The maintainer says security issues are handled publicly and transparently, and that addressing them can take a while.
Support: The security policy directs users to submit a pull request or post a ticket to the public GitHub issue tracker.

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Game Audio Middleware in 2026#15 of 23

Is miniaudio yours?

Claim it for free: prove the domain, then correct facts, plans and screenshots. An editor reviews every change.

Claim it free Promote miniaudio

Sources

miniaud.io· checked 4 Oct 2026
miniaud.io/docs/manual/index.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
github.com/mackron/miniaudio· checked 4 Oct 2026
github.com/mackron/miniaudio/security/policy· checked 4 Oct 2026
miniaud.io/docs/examples/custom_decoder.html· checked 7 Oct 2026