MPEG-H Audio decoder software now available on GitHub

July 6, 2023

The MPEG-H Audio decoder software implementation from Fraunhofer IIS is now available as source code on GitHub.

The demand for devices and software products that can play back advanced audio formats is on the rise. Consumers have come to expect immersive sound and content creators want to provide personalized experiences that meet the accessibility requirements and personal preferences of their audiences. MPEG-H Audio is the only mature technology that can deliver on these demands while being transparent and flexible enough to adapt to most integration requirements.

To make it easier for all developers to include MPEG-H Audio playback into their applications, Fraunhofer IIS has now released their decoder software implementation on GitHub. The Fraunhofer FDK MPEG-H Software can be used for a range of operating systems, such as Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. In addition to the decoder source code, the release comprises the MPEG-H Audio User Interface (UI) manager for easy access to the personalization options of MPEG-H Audio and packager software to enable HDMI passthrough of MPEG-H Audio bitstreams to external devices such as AVRs and soundbars. The MPEG-H Audio GitHub repositories also include example programs and wiki pages with helpful technical documentation. This facilitates the development of comprehensive solutions for personalized and immersive sound for software players and client devices.

The Fraunhofer FDK MPEG-H Software is available under the FDK license, a license that is also used for the highly successful Fraunhofer FDK AAC for the AAC Audio Codec range, which has enabled xHE-AAC in billions of devices.

“We are excited to see the ideas and products creative developers will come up with. This GitHub release facilitates the access to the best MPEG-H Audio decoder implementation on the market,” says Harald Fuchs, Head of the Media Systems and Applications Department at Fraunhofer IIS.

The release of the MPEG-H Audio decoder software is the next step in the evolution of the MPEG-H Audio system. Another important part of it is the MPEG-H Authoring Suite (MAS), a set of tools for fast and easy content creation – content which can then be played back by software players and client devices enhanced by the Fraunhofer FDK MPEG-H Software.

In addition to the free-of-charge MAS that can be downloaded here, comprehensive information, tutorials, and demo content is available on mpegh.com