pcaudiolib
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Description:
Portable C Audio Library
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Multimedia
Tags: audio c-library cross-platform multimedia accessibility
Install: brew install pcaudiolib
About:
Pcaudiolib is a lightweight C library that abstracts platform-specific audio APIs into a unified interface for playback. It enables developers to easily output audio streams across different operating systems without managing low-level driver details. Its primary value is simplifying cross-platform audio integration in applications like screen readers and speech synthesizers.
Key Features:
  • Cross-platform abstraction for audio playback
  • Supports ALSA, PortAudio, and other backends
  • Simple C API for easy integration
  • Lightweight with minimal dependencies
Use Cases:
  • Adding audio output to screen readers like Orca
  • Implementing cross-platform speech synthesis playback
  • Building lightweight audio applications without complex frameworks
Alternatives:
  • PortAudio – PortAudio is a more comprehensive, mature library with higher latency and complexity; pcaudiolib offers a simpler, more focused API for speech applications.
  • SDL2 – SDL2 is a full game/media framework; pcaudiolib is a minimal, dedicated audio output layer with a smaller footprint.
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 11, 2025 8:38am 0 VERSION_BUMP 2c7c1fd0
Dec 12, 2024 5:07pm 0 VERSION_BUMP c52a0123
Nov 25, 2024 8:59am 0 VERSION_BUMP 5bc0ddf9
Oct 26, 2024 9:51pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 7a3e477d