Audio

Updated: Dec 9, 2025

Overview

Meta Horizon OS provides audio capabilities for Android apps. This guide covers background audio playback, media controls, and Dolby Atmos support.

Background audio

The background audio feature on Meta Horizon OS allows Android apps to continue playing audio while they’re not in the foreground. This makes Meta Horizon OS more versatile for everyday tasks like music streaming, podcasts, and audio books.

Prerequisites

Library	Version	Purpose
androidx.media3:media3-session	1.2.0+	Media session management
androidx.media3:media3-exoplayer	1.2.0+	Media playback engine
androidx.media3:media3-ui	1.2.0+	Media UI components (optional)

Add the Media3 dependencies to your build.gradle:

dependencies {
    implementation 'androidx.media3:media3-session:1.2.0'
    implementation 'androidx.media3:media3-exoplayer:1.2.0'
}

Add the required permissions and service declaration to your AndroidManifest.xml. See the Media3 MediaSession Guide for complete service configuration.

Implementation

To implement background audio in your Android app, use the standard Android media APIs:

MediaSession: Enables your app to communicate playback state and metadata to the system for media controls and notifications.

MediaSessionService: Runs as a foreground service to maintain audio playback in the background.

MediaStyle notifications: Provides media controls in the notification area.

For complete implementation details, refer to the official Android documentation:

Media3 MediaSession Guide

Background Audio Playback

MediaSession Migration Guide

Media playback controls

When a 2D app with audio is in the background on Meta Quest, media playback controls become available, making it possible to multitask while managing your audio. These controls work similarly to keyboard media controls on a PC, allowing you to play, pause, skip tracks, and adjust volume without bringing the app back into focus.

Implementation

Implement media playback controls using the MediaSession API with callbacks for play, pause, skip, and other transport controls. Set appropriate flags to handle media buttons and transport controls, and maintain an active session while your app is playing audio.

For complete implementation details, see the official Android Media3 documentation:

MediaSession Implementation Guide

Media App Architecture

Dolby Atmos

Meta Horizon OS supports Dolby Atmos for Android apps, delivering an immersive audio experience with spatial sound and head tracking. Compatible apps can provide a more realistic and engaging audio environment, where sounds appear to come from specific locations in 3D space and move accordingly as you turn your head.

Detecting Dolby Atmos support

Check if the device supports Dolby Atmos:

import android.media.MediaCodecList

fun checkAtmosSupported(): Boolean {
    val codecList = MediaCodecList(MediaCodecList.ALL_CODECS)
    for (codecInfo in codecList.codecInfos) {
        if (codecInfo.isEncoder) continue

        codecInfo.supportedTypes.forEach { type ->
            if (type == "audio/eac3" || type == "audio/ac4") {
                return true
            }
        }
    }
    return false
}

Supported formats

Meta Horizon OS supports these Dolby Atmos audio formats:

Audio Format	MIME Type	Spatial Audio (2D/3D)	2D Playback	Notes
Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3)	`audio/eac3`	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Recommended for immersive experiences
Dolby AC-4	`audio/ac4`	⚠️ 2D Only	✅ Yes	Not supported for Spatial SDK 3D audio

Note: AC-4 is supported for 2D media playback but not for Spatial SDK spatial audio features.

Configuration

When Dolby Atmos is supported, ExoPlayer and compatible media players automatically select the best available audio track based on device capabilities. Ensure your media content includes Dolby Atmos audio streams for the best experience.

To verify Dolby Atmos playback, check your media player’s selected audio track format during playback.

For media quality requirements and encoding specifications, see Media requirements.

Audio focus

Use Android’s AudioFocusRequest API to request audio focus before starting playback. Request AUDIOFOCUS_GAIN for exclusive audio playback or AUDIOFOCUS_GAIN_TRANSIENT_MAY_DUCK for temporary playback that allows other audio to continue at reduced volume.