14 DAY TRIAL // Firefox 25 has landed in the stable channel, which means that users should be getting the update via the automated channel very soon, if they haven't already. As we've come to expect, the list of changes and new features isn't long, but there is one big addition. Full support for the Web Audio API is now enabled by default.
Mozilla has been working on this for a few months now, but it has only now reached a point where it believes the feature is ready for the prime time.
"This represents a substantial upgrade to the Web’s ability to process audio. Although the Web has had some audio support, this new Web Audio API brings some powerful new capabilities not possible with Audio Data API. Audio engineers can now build robust audio engines capable of outputting amazing soundscapes for people to enjoy," Mozilla explained.
The Web Audio API provides real-time audio processing for the web. It was first developed and supported by Google, but Firefox added some support earlier this year.
The Web Audio API provides several features, from the capability to alter recorded sounds or even sounds from a mic input, to the ability to generate new sounds altogether.
The real-time nature of the API also makes it a perfect fit for things like games or any app that relies heavily on audio. While browsers have been able to play back sounds natively for a few years now, HTML5 Audio was designed for playing a song, not the sound of a laser blast in sync with what's happening on the screen.
For developers, it's important to note that Firefox implements the official W3C Web Audio API standard. The standard is based on work done by Google with WebKit over the past couple of years, but there are a few differences from the Chrome implementation, particularly the early versions.
As such, at this moment, an app that uses Web Audio API is not guaranteed to work in both Chrome and Firefox without some adjustments.
As a user though, what you should care about is the fact that you'll soon be able to get complex audio apps and games running in your browser with no plugin. You can check out the Web Audio API in action in the Unreal Engine Citadel demo or the new Goo Technologies game demo built especially to highlight the capabilities of the Web Audio API.
Download Firefox 25 from Softpedia.
