###### (This is the documentation for SDL3, which is under heavy development and the API is changing! [SDL2](https://wiki.libsdl.org/SDL2/) is the current stable version!) # SDL_LoadWAV_IO Load the audio data of a WAVE file into memory. ## Header File Defined in [](https://github.com/libsdl-org/SDL/blob/main/include/SDL3/SDL_audio.h) ## Syntax ```c int SDL_LoadWAV_IO(SDL_IOStream * src, SDL_bool closeio, SDL_AudioSpec * spec, Uint8 ** audio_buf, Uint32 * audio_len); ``` ## Function Parameters | | | | ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **src** | The data source for the WAVE data | | **closeio** | If [SDL_TRUE](SDL_TRUE), calls [SDL_CloseIO](SDL_CloseIO)() on `src` before returning, even in the case of an error | | **spec** | A pointer to an [SDL_AudioSpec](SDL_AudioSpec) that will be set to the WAVE data's format details on successful return | | **audio_buf** | A pointer filled with the audio data, allocated by the function | | **audio_len** | A pointer filled with the length of the audio data buffer in bytes | ## Return Value Returns 0 on success. `audio_buf` will be filled with a pointer to an allocated buffer containing the audio data, and `audio_len` is filled with the length of that audio buffer in bytes. This function returns -1 if the .WAV file cannot be opened, uses an unknown data format, or is corrupt; call [SDL_GetError](SDL_GetError)() for more information. When the application is done with the data returned in `audio_buf`, it should call [SDL_free](SDL_free)() to dispose of it. ## Remarks Loading a WAVE file requires `src`, `spec`, `audio_buf` and `audio_len` to be valid pointers. The entire data portion of the file is then loaded into memory and decoded if necessary. Supported formats are RIFF WAVE files with the formats PCM (8, 16, 24, and 32 bits), IEEE Float (32 bits), Microsoft ADPCM and IMA ADPCM (4 bits), and A-law and mu-law (8 bits). Other formats are currently unsupported and cause an error. If this function succeeds, the return value is zero and the pointer to the audio data allocated by the function is written to `audio_buf` and its length in bytes to `audio_len`. The [SDL_AudioSpec](SDL_AudioSpec) members `freq`, `channels`, and `format` are set to the values of the audio data in the buffer. It's necessary to use [SDL_free](SDL_free)() to free the audio data returned in `audio_buf` when it is no longer used. Because of the underspecification of the .WAV format, there are many problematic files in the wild that cause issues with strict decoders. To provide compatibility with these files, this decoder is lenient in regards to the truncation of the file, the fact chunk, and the size of the RIFF chunk. The hints [`SDL_HINT_WAVE_RIFF_CHUNK_SIZE`](SDL_HINT_WAVE_RIFF_CHUNK_SIZE), [`SDL_HINT_WAVE_TRUNCATION`](SDL_HINT_WAVE_TRUNCATION), and [`SDL_HINT_WAVE_FACT_CHUNK`](SDL_HINT_WAVE_FACT_CHUNK) can be used to tune the behavior of the loading process. Any file that is invalid (due to truncation, corruption, or wrong values in the headers), too big, or unsupported causes an error. Additionally, any critical I/O error from the data source will terminate the loading process with an error. The function returns NULL on error and in all cases (with the exception of `src` being NULL), an appropriate error message will be set. It is required that the data source supports seeking. Example: ```c SDL_LoadWAV_IO(SDL_IOFromFile("sample.wav", "rb"), 1, &spec, &buf, &len); ``` Note that the [SDL_LoadWAV](SDL_LoadWAV) function does this same thing for you, but in a less messy way: ```c SDL_LoadWAV("sample.wav", &spec, &buf, &len); ``` ## Thread Safety It is safe to call this function from any thread. ## Version This function is available since SDL 3.0.0. ## See Also - [SDL_free](SDL_free) - [SDL_LoadWAV](SDL_LoadWAV) ---- [CategoryAPI](CategoryAPI), [CategoryAPIFunction](CategoryAPIFunction), [CategoryAudio](CategoryAudio)