Record Audio Flutter App Tutorial | Capturing & Playing Audio Using Flutter

Summary

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to build an audio recorder application using Flutter, capable of working on mobile, web, and desktop platforms. The app enables users to record audio, stop the recording, and play it back. Key dependencies like `record`, `just_audio`, `path_provider`, and `path` are utilized to handle recording, saving, and playing the audio. The video covers setting up the project, configuring permissions for Android and iOS, and managing UI elements such as buttons for recording and playback. By the end, you'll have a fully functional audio recorder app.

Takeaways

• 😀 The tutorial demonstrates how to create a cross-platform audio recorder app using Flutter, which works on mobile, web, and desktop devices.
• 🎤 The app allows users to record audio using their device’s microphone and then play back the recording directly from the device.
• 📦 Four main dependencies are required for the app: 'record' for audio recording, 'just_audio' for playback, 'path_provider' for accessing storage directories, and 'path' for managing file paths.
• 🔧 Android and iOS setup involves configuring permissions for microphone access and setting the minimum SDK version for Android.
• 📱 For Android, permission clauses need to be added to the 'AndroidManifest.xml', and the minimum SDK version should be set to 21.
• 🍏 For iOS, microphone permission is required, and the necessary entry is added to the 'Info.plist' file.
• 🛠️ A basic 'stateful' widget is used for the homepage, which includes a floating action button for recording audio.
• 🎧 The app handles both starting and stopping audio recording, with the UI updating dynamically based on whether the app is currently recording or not.
• 📝 A recording file is saved in the device’s application documents directory, and path manipulation is done using the 'path' package.
• 📤 Once the recording is stopped, the file path is stored, and a button is displayed for playing the audio back, which toggles between playing and stopping based on user input.
• 🔊 The 'just_audio' package is used to manage audio playback, and a state variable is used to track whether the audio is currently playing or stopped.
• ✅ The tutorial provides detailed testing instructions to ensure the microphone is enabled in the simulator/emulator and demonstrates the complete functionality of recording and playback.

Q & A

What are the main dependencies required for building the audio recorder app in Flutter?

The main dependencies for this Flutter audio recorder app are: 'record' for recording audio, 'just_audio' for playing the recorded audio, 'path_provider' for accessing file storage, and 'path' for manipulating file paths.

How do you handle microphone permissions for Android in this tutorial?

For Android, you need to add the microphone permissions in the AndroidManifest.xml file by copying the permission clauses from the 'record' package documentation and pasting them under the <manifest> tag but before the <application> tag.

What is the minimum SDK version required for this Flutter app to work on Android?

The minimum SDK version required for this Flutter app to work on Android is version 21. This can be set in the build.gradle file under the 'defaultConfig' section.

What steps are necessary to configure microphone permissions on iOS?

For iOS, you need to add a microphone permission description to the 'Info.plist' file. This can be done by adding the 'NSMicrophoneUsageDescription' key with a corresponding message explaining why the app needs microphone access.

How do you manage the state of the recording button in the Flutter app?

The state of the recording button is managed by a Boolean variable 'isRecording'. If the value is 'true', the button displays a 'stop' icon. If the value is 'false', the button displays a 'mic' icon. The state is updated using the setState function when the button is pressed.

How do you start and stop the recording in Flutter?

To start recording, the app first checks if the user has granted microphone permission. If permission is granted, the recording starts by calling the 'audioRecorder.start' method and providing a file path. To stop the recording, the 'audioRecorder.stop' method is called, and the recorded file path is returned.

What is the role of the 'path_provider' package in this app?

The 'path_provider' package is used to access the device's storage directories. In this app, it is used to get the application's documents directory where the recorded audio will be saved.

How do you play back the recorded audio in this app?

The recorded audio is played back using the 'just_audio' package. A new 'AudioPlayer' instance is created, and the audio file path is passed to the player using 'audioPlayer.setFilePath'. The audio is then played with 'audioPlayer.play'.

What logic is implemented for the 'play recording' button?

The 'play recording' button toggles between 'Start Playing Recording' and 'Stop Playing Recording' based on whether the audio is currently playing. The 'isPlaying' Boolean variable tracks the playback state, and the button's onPressed callback plays or stops the audio accordingly.

What troubleshooting steps are mentioned for testing audio on Android?

For Android, if the audio isn't working during testing, make sure the microphone input is enabled in the Android simulator's settings. This can be done by going to the microphone settings and ensuring all three options are enabled.