Media type · audio/mpeg
audio/mpeg
audio/mpeg is the media type for MP3 audio.
Key facts
| Type | audio/mpeg |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .mp3 |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 11172-3; ISO/IEC 13818-3 |
| Text or binary | Binary |
| Browser behavior | Plays in the audio element |
What audio/mpeg is
It identifies MPEG audio, most commonly MP3. Browsers play it through the <audio> element or the Web Audio API. The type says nothing about bitrate or sample rate; those are properties of the stream.
Common mistakes
audio/mp3 is not a registered type; use audio/mpeg. Serving MP3 as application/octet-stream makes browsers download it instead of playing. For streaming, servers should support range requests so the player can seek; without them, the browser may fetch the whole file before starting.
Frequently asked questions
Is audio/mp3 valid?
No. The registered type is audio/mpeg. Some players accept audio/mp3, but it is not standard.
Why does my audio element download the file?
The server is probably sending a generic binary type. Send audio/mpeg and allow range requests for seeking.