---
id: voice-recording
title: Voice Recording Attachment
---

import GHComponentLink from '../../../_docusaurus-components/GHComponentLink';
import ImageShowcase from '@site/src/components/ImageShowcase';

import VoiceRecordingRequestPayload from '../../../assets/voice-recording-response-payload.png';
import VoiceRecordingPlayer from '../../../assets/voice-recording-player.png';
import VoiceRecordingPlayerInProgress from '../../../assets/voice-recording-player-in-progress.png';
import VoiceRecordingPlayerStoppedRepro from '../../../assets/voice-recording-player-stopped-repro.png';
import VoiceRecordingPlayerFileSizeFallback from '../../../assets/voice-recording-player-file-size-fallback.png';
import VoiceRecordingPlayerFallbackTitle from '../../../assets/voice-recording-fallback-title.png';
import VoiceRecordingPlayerMissingWaveformData from '../../../assets/voice-recording-empty-waveform-data.png';

import QuotedVoiceRecording from '../../../assets/voice-recording-quoted.png';
import QuotedVoiceRecordingFileSizeFallback from '../../../assets/voice-recording-quoted-file-size-fallback.png';
import QuotedVoiceRecordingFallbackTitle from '../../../assets/voice-recording-quoted-fallback-title.png';

Audio attachments recorded directly from the chat UI are called voice recordings. The SDK provides a default implementation called <GHComponentLink text='VoiceRecording' path='/Attachment/VoiceRecording.tsx'/>. The default component renders or <GHComponentLink text='VoiceRecordingPlayer component' path='/Attachment/VoiceRecording.tsx'/> or <GHComponentLink text='QuotedVoiceRecording' path='/Attachment/VoiceRecording.tsx'/>.

The `VoiceRecordingPlayer` component is displayed in the message attachment list and is used to reproduce the audio.

<ImageShowcase
  border
  items={[
    {
      image: VoiceRecordingPlayer,
      caption: <span>VoiceRecordingPlayer component</span>,
      alt: 'Image of the VoiceRecordingPlayer component',
    },
  ]}
/>

Whereas `QuotedVoiceRecording` is used to display basic information about the voice recording in quoted message reply.

<ImageShowcase
  border
  items={[
    {
      image: QuotedVoiceRecording,
      caption: <span>QuotedVoiceRecording component</span>,
      alt: 'Image of the QuotedVoiceRecording component',
    },
  ]}
/>

## Attachment payload

The response payload for the voice recording attachment comes with the following properties:

<ImageShowcase
  border
  items={[
    {
      image: VoiceRecordingRequestPayload,
      caption: <span>Voice recording payload</span>,
      alt: 'Image of the voice recording payload',
    },
  ]}
/>

These properties serve the following purpose:

| Property          | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **asset_url**     | the URL where the voice recording is downloaded from                                                                                                                                                            |
| **duration**      | the audio duration in seconds                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| **file_size**     | the file size in bytes (displayed as fallback to duration if duration is not available)                                                                                                                         |
| **mime_type**     | the file type that is later reflected in the icon displayed in the voice recording attachment widget                                                                                                            |
| **title**         | the audio title                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| **type**          | the value will always be `"voiceRecording"`                                                                                                                                                                     |
| **waveform_data** | the array of fractional number values between 0 and 1. These values represent the amplitudes later reflected in the <GHComponentLink text='WaveProgressBar' path='/Attachment/components/WaveProgressBar.tsx'/> |

## VoiceRecordingPlayer

### Navigation

By clicking in the space of waveform or by dragging the progress indicator a user can navigate to a specific place in the audio track. The progress indicator is placed at the point of the click or drag end and the preceding amplitude bars are highlighted to manifest the progress.

<ImageShowcase
  border
  items={[
    {
      image: VoiceRecordingPlayerStoppedRepro,
      caption: <span>VoiceRecordingPlayer navigation</span>,
      alt: 'Image of the VoiceRecordingPlayer stopped in the middle of the reproduction',
    },
  ]}
/>

### Playback speed change

The playback speed can be changed by clicking the <GHComponentLink text='PlaybackRateButton' path='/Attachment/components/PlaybackRateButton.tsx'/>. The button is visible only during the audio reproduction. The rate is changed by repeatedly clicking the <GHComponentLink text='PlaybackRateButton' path='/Attachment/components/PlaybackRateButton.tsx'/>. Once the highest rate speed is achieved, the next click resets the speed to the initial value.

<ImageShowcase
  border
  items={[
    {
      image: VoiceRecordingPlayerInProgress,
      caption: <span>VoiceRecordingPlayer playing the audio</span>,
      alt: 'Image of the VoiceRecordingPlayer playing the audio',
    },
  ]}
/>

## UI Fallbacks

### Missing duration

If the duration is not available in the [attachment object payload](./#attachment-payload), `VoiceRecordingPlayer` as well as `QuotedVoiceRecording` component will display the attachment size instead.

<ImageShowcase
  border
  items={[
    {
      image: VoiceRecordingPlayerFileSizeFallback,
      caption: <span>VoiceRecordingPlayer displaying file size instead of audio duration</span>,
      alt: 'Image of the VoiceRecordingPlayer displaying file size instead of audio duration',
    },
    {
      image: QuotedVoiceRecordingFileSizeFallback,
      caption: <span>QuotedVoiceRecording displaying file size instead of audio duration</span>,
      alt: 'Image of the QuotedVoiceRecording displaying file size instead of audio duration',
    },
  ]}
/>

### Missing title

If the voice recording does not come with title, a fallback title is provided.

<ImageShowcase
  border
  items={[
    {
      image: VoiceRecordingPlayerFallbackTitle,
      caption: <span>VoiceRecordingPlayer displaying the fallback title</span>,
      alt: 'Image of the VoiceRecordingPlayer displaying the fallback title',
    },
    {
      image: QuotedVoiceRecordingFallbackTitle,
      caption: <span>QuotedVoiceRecording displaying the fallback title</span>,
      alt: 'Image of the QuotedVoiceRecording displaying the fallback title',
    },
  ]}
/>

### Missing `waveform_data`

If the `waveform_data` is an empty array, then no progress bar is rendered.

<ImageShowcase
  border
  items={[
    {
      image: VoiceRecordingPlayerMissingWaveformData,
      caption: <span>VoiceRecordingPlayer without progress bar</span>,
      alt: 'Image of the VoiceRecordingPlayer missing progress bar',
    },
  ]}
/>

## Default components customization

The pattern of customization applied to the default `VoiceRecording` component will be the same:

1. Create a custom voice recording component (e.g. `CustomVoiceRecording`). It will serve as a wrapper component that renders `VoiceRecordingPlayer` resp. `QuotedVoiceRecording`. Pass props to these components.

2. Create a custom attachment component (e.g. `CustomAttachment`), that will be again a wrapper around the SDK's `Attachment` component. Pass the custom voice recording component to the `Attachment` component via prop `VoiceRecording`.

### Provide custom list of playback speeds

You can override the default list of playback rates by overriding the <GHComponentLink text='VoiceRecording' path='/Attachment/VoiceRecording.tsx'/> component.

Example:

```typescript jsx
import {
  Attachment,
  AttachmentProps,
  VoiceRecordingPlayer,
  VoiceRecordingProps,
  Channel,
  QuotedVoiceRecording,
} from 'stream-chat-react';

import { ChannelInner } from './ChannelInner';

const CustomVoiceRecording = ({ attachment, isQuoted }: VoiceRecordingProps) =>
  isQuoted ? (
    <QuotedVoiceRecording attachment={attachment} />
  ) : (
    <VoiceRecordingPlayer attachment={attachment} playbackRates={[2.0, 3.0]} />
  );

const CustomAttachment = (props: AttachmentProps) => (
  <Attachment {...props} VoiceRecording={CustomVoiceRecording} />
);

const App = () => (
  <Channel Attachment={CustomAttachment}>
    <ChannelInner />
  </Channel>
);

export default App;
```

### Remove title

This could be solved by customizing the styles. You can stop displaying the recording title by tweaking the CSS:

```css
.str-chat__message-attachment__voice-recording-widget__title {
  display: none;
}
```

### Customize the fallback title

If you do not like our fallback title, you can change it by changing the translation key `"Voice message"`.

### Other customizations

If you would like to perform the following customizations:

- change the progress bar
- change the file icon SVG

We recommend you to assemble your own components, that serve to display voice recording data and allow for reproduction. Then you can pass those components to the custom attachment component as described above.

The reason is, that `VoiceRecordingPlayer` and `QuotedVoiceRecording` are considerably small components. The inspiration can be taken from the default components implementations.
