py-p-audio 0.2.2

High-performance cross-platform audio library with recording, playback, and loopback capture

py-p-audio (paudio)

A cross-platform audio library for Python with playback, recording, and device management capabilities. Built with C++ and PortAudio, providing high-performance audio I/O with ASIO/WASAPI support on Windows.

Installation

pip install py-p-audio

No additional dependencies required. All necessary libraries are bundled in the wheel package.

Note

• Package name on PyPI: py-p-audio
• Import name in Python: paudio

Features

• Cross-platform audio playback and recording
• WASAPI Loopback recording support (Windows)
• ASIO support (Windows, when ASIO SDK available)
• Simple Python API with both synchronous and asynchronous operations
• Device enumeration and selection
• No external dependencies - everything is statically linked

Quick Start

import paudio

# List all audio devices
paudio.list_devices()

# Play an audio file (blocking)
paudio.play("audio.wav")

# Record audio (blocking, press Ctrl+C to stop)
paudio.record("output.wav")

# Advanced: Record from specific device with specific channels
paudio.record("output.wav", device_index=1, channels=(0, 1))

API Reference

Module Functions

paudio.list_devices()

List all available audio devices including input, output, and loopback devices.

paudio.play(file_path: str)

Play an audio file. Blocks until playback is complete.

• file_path: Path to the audio file to play

paudio.record(output_path: str, device_index: int = -1, channels: tuple = (-1, -1))

Record audio to a file. Blocks until recording is stopped (Ctrl+C).

• output_path: Path where the recorded audio will be saved
• device_index: (Optional) Specific device index to record from. -1 for default device
• channels: (Optional) Tuple of (start_channel, end_channel) for multi-channel recording

Classes

paudio.Player

Non-blocking audio player for advanced playback control.

Methods:

• load(file_path: str) -> bool: Load an audio file
• start(): Start playback
• stop(): Stop playback
• is_playing() -> bool: Check if currently playing
• current_time() -> float: Get current playback position in seconds
• total_time() -> float: Get total duration in seconds
• format_time(seconds: float) -> str: Format seconds to MM:SS string

Example:

import paudio
import time

player = paudio.Player()
player.load("music.wav")
player.start()

while player.is_playing():
    print(f"Playing: {player.format_time(player.current_time())} / {player.format_time(player.total_time())}")
    time.sleep(1)

paudio.Recorder

Non-blocking audio recorder for advanced recording control.

Methods:

• setup(output_path: str) -> bool: Setup recording with default device
• setup(output_path: str, device_index: int, channels: tuple) -> bool: Setup with specific device and channels
• start(): Start recording
• stop(): Stop recording
• is_recording() -> bool: Check if currently recording
• current_time() -> float: Get current recording duration in seconds

Example:

import paudio
import time

recorder = paudio.Recorder()
recorder.setup("recording.wav")
recorder.start()

# Record for 10 seconds
time.sleep(10)

recorder.stop()
print(f"Recorded {recorder.current_time()} seconds")

Device Selection

To record from a specific device, first list all devices to find the device index:

import paudio

# This will print all devices with their indices
paudio.list_devices()

# Example output:
# 1,W,I,Microphone Array (Intel SST),2
# 2,W,O,Speakers (SoundWire Audio) (WASAPI-Loopback),2,LOOPBACK
# ...

# Record from device index 2 (loopback recording)
paudio.record("system_audio.wav", device_index=2)

WASAPI Loopback Recording (Windows)

Record system audio output (what you hear from speakers):

import paudio

# List devices to find loopback devices (marked with LOOPBACK)
paudio.list_devices()

# Record system audio
recorder = paudio.Recorder()
recorder.setup("system_output.wav", device_index=2, channels=(0, 1))  # Stereo recording
recorder.start()
# ... recording ...
recorder.stop()

Building from Source

If you need to build from source:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/py-p-audio.git
cd py-p-audio
pip install .

Requirements for building:

• CMake 3.15+
• C++17 compatible compiler
• Python 3.8+

License

MIT License

Changelog

0.2.1

• Ensure the extension module installs to site-packages root for import paudio
• Wheel includes statically linked PortAudio (WASAPI/ASIO enabled)
• Verified non-blocking Player/Recorder APIs

0.2.0

• Internal build system refactor (CMake + scikit-build-core)
• PortAudio is fetched and built in wheel builds

0.1.5

• Fixed MinGW runtime DLL dependencies
• All dependencies are now statically linked
• No external DLL requirements for end users

0.1.4

• Initial release
• Basic playback and recording functionality
• WASAPI loopback support