OpenAL Soft is a free software implementation of the OpenAL 3D audio API for applications that play sound in virtual environments. It handles spatial audio behavior such as distance attenuation, Doppler shift and directional emitters. Its EFX extension adds effects including air absorption, occlusion and environmental reverb. The library supports streaming, multichannel buffers and audio capture, with output formats ranging from mono and stereo to 5.1, 7.1, HRTF, UHJ and B-Format. Available backends include PipeWire, PulseAudio, ALSA, WASAPI, CoreAudio, JACK, SDL2 and SDL3. Developers can incorporate it into projects, and loopback devices can route playback to other audio systems. The project is LGPL-licensed. The site identifies version 1.25.2 as the latest release and offers source code as well as Win32 and Win64 binaries. Building requires CMake 3.13 or newer and a compiler supporting C++20; Autotools is not supported. Bug reports and feature requests go to the GitHub issue tracker, with help also available through the #openal IRC channel.
Who it is for
OpenAL Soft suits developers building applications that need 3D audio playback and a reusable audio library. It is also relevant to projects requiring streaming, multichannel audio or capture.
What is good
- Free, LGPL-licensed software
- Supports spatial audio and environmental effects
- Offers multiple output formats and backends
- Supports streaming, multichannel buffers and capture
What to know first
- Building requires CMake 3.13 or newer
- Autotools is not supported
- Latest listed release is version 1.25.2
Verdict
OpenAL Soft provides spatial audio behavior, effects and varied output options in a reusable library. Developers should account for its stated build requirements and lack of Autotools support.
OpenAL Soft plans and pricing
All plansCompared on game audio middleware
- Free plan
- Yes
- Spatial audio
- Yes
- Runtime platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
- Audio streaming
- Yes
