sndcpy (v1.1)

This tool forwards audio from an Android 10 device to the computer. It does not require any root access. It works on GNU/Linux, Windows and macOS.

The purpose is to enable audio forwarding while mirroring with scrcpy. However, it can be used independently.

Update: scrcpy 2.0 now supports audio forwarding natively.

Note

This application is a proof-of-concept. But as explained below, many apps are restricted and could not forward the audio.

Requirements

• The Android device requires at least Android 10.
• VLC must be installed on the computer.

Get the app

Download the latest release:

• sndcpy-v1.1.zip
  _{SHA-256: b045320ddddbc5a237d6d95213c664f03b2f46ef8bbfcef91c2d95644ed42bbc}
• sndcpy-with-adb-windows-v1.1.zip
  _{SHA-256: 0b93c846f574df3f38f53eeee44b1a35b863a49465da8f5cd5b1b69a29305901}

On Windows, for simplicity, take the second archive, which also contains adb.

Alternatively, you could build the app.

Run the app

Plug an Android 10 device with USB debugging enabled, and execute:

./sndcpy

If several devices are connected (listed by adb devices):

./sndcpy <serial>  # replace <serial> by the device serial

(omit ./ on Windows)

It will install the app on the device and start forwarding audio.

Press Ctrl+c in the terminal to stop (except on Windows, just disconnect the device or stop capture from the device notifications).

VLC may print this error message once:

main stream error: connection error: Connection refused

It is "expected", just ignore it.

The sound continues to be played on the device. The volume can be adjusted independently on the device and on the computer.

Wireless / ADB-Free Mode (WiFi)

You can also run sndcpy completely wirelessly over WiFi/LAN without needing ADB, USB debugging, or a cable. In this mode, the PC runs a Python receiver server, and you enter the PC's IP and port directly into the sndcpy Android app.

1. Run the receiver on the PC

Start the Python server on your computer:

./sndcpy-server

(By default, this plays audio via VLC on port 28200. You can also specify --pipewire or --pulseaudio backends).

2. Stream from the Android app

1. Build and install the sndcpy APK on your phone.
2. Open the sndcpy app on your device.
3. Enter your PC's IP address and the port (default: 28200).
4. Tap Start Streaming.

To stop streaming, either tap the Stop Streaming button in the app, click the notification action on your phone, or press Ctrl+C on the PC server terminal. The phone volume will automatically mute during streaming and restore to its original state when stopped.

Uninstall

To uninstall the app from the device:

adb uninstall com.rom1v.sndcpy

Apps restrictions

sndcpy may only forward audio from apps which do not prevent audio capture. The rules are detailed in §capture policy:

• By default, apps that target versions up to and including to Android 9.0 do not permit playback capture. To enable it, include android:allowAudioPlaybackCapture="true" in the app's manifest.xml file.
• By default, apps that target Android 10 (API level 29) or higher allow their audio to be captured. To disable playback capture, include android:allowAudioPlaybackCapture="false" in the app's manifest.xml file.

So some apps might need to be updated to support audio capture.

Audio delay

This is just a proof-of-concept, so it's far from perfect.

For example, jitter may cause VLC to automatically increase its buffering, causing an unacceptable delay:

main input error: ES_OUT_SET_(GROUP_)PCR  is called too late (pts_delay increased to 377 ms)

In that case, just restart it.

Environment variables

The scripts sndcpy and sndcpy.bat use some default values which can be overridden by environment variables.

• ADB: the full path to the adb executable
• VLC: the full path to the vlc executable
• SNDCPY_APK: the full path to sndcpy.apk
• SNDCPY_PORT: the local port to forward to communicate with the device

Blog post

• Audio forwarding on Android 10