FMOD

Updated on Dec 12, 2024

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Original author(s) Firelight Technologies Website www.fmod.org		License Various
Platform Microsoft Windows, OS X, iOS, Linux, Android, BlackBerry, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Google Native Client Type Game middlewareGame development toolDigital audio workstation

FMOD is a sound effects engine for video games and applications developed by Firelight Technologies, that play and mix sound files of diverse formats on many operating systems.

Features

The FMOD sound system is typically supplied as a single C++ library which consists of the sound playback and mixing engine. However, since version 3.75, the FMOD sound system has been split into 4 technologies:

FMOD Ex - The sound playback and mixing engine.

FMOD Studio - An audio creation tool for games, designed like a digital audio workstation. Succeeds FMOD Designer.

FMOD Designer 2010 - An audio designer tool used for authoring complex sound events and music for playback.

FMOD Event Player - An auditioning tool in conjunction with FMOD Designer 2010.

The FMOD sound system has an advanced plugin architecture that can be used to extend the support of audio formats or to develop new output types, e.g. for streaming.

Licensing

FMOD is available under multiple license schemes:

FMOD Non-Commercial License, which allows software not intended for commercial distribution to use FMOD for free.

FMOD Commercial License, licensed on a per-platform basis. Intended for commercial software and games.

FMOD Casual License, a variant of the commercial license intended for electronically distributed titles, such as those distributed via the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, Nintendo WiiWare, Windows and Mac OS X via download, as well as various mobile application distribution channels.

Platforms

FMOD is written in portable C++, and can thus run on many different PC, mobile and gaming console platforms including: Microsoft Windows (x86 and x86-64), OS X, iOS, Linux (x86 and x86-64), Android, BlackBerry, Wii, Wii U, 3DS Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, and Google Native Client.

FMOD contains support for AMD TrueAudio, and Sound Blaster hardware acceleration.

File formats

FMOD Ex can play back the following audio formats: AIFF, ASF, ASX, DLS, FLAC, FSB (FMOD's sample bank format), IT, M3U, MIDI, MOD, MP2, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, PLS, S3M, VAG (PS2/PSP format), WAV, WAX (Windows Media Audio Redirector), WMA, XM, XMA (only on the Xbox 360), as well as raw audio data.