HTML5 provides a standard for playing audio files. Until now, there has not been a standard for playing audio files on a web page. Today, most audio files are played through a plug-in (like flash). However, different browsers may have different plug-ins. HTML5 defines a new element which specifies a standard way to embed an audio file on a web page: the <audio> element.

Browser Support: Internet Explorer 9+, Firefox, Opera, Chrome, and Safari support the <audio> element. Note: Internet Explorer 8 and earlier versions, do not support the <audio> element.

HTML5 Audio - How It Works To play an audio file in HTML5, this is all you need:

Example

<audio controls>
<source src="horse.ogg" type="audio/ogg">
<source src="horse.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>

The control attribute adds audio controls, like play, pause, and volume. You should also insert text content between the <audio> and </audio> tags for browsers that do not support the <audio> element. The <audio> element allows multiple <source> elements. <source> elements can link to different audio files. The browser will use the first recognized format.