Practical audio testing - a QA checklist for audio apps and features
Why audio testing matters
Audio features are everywhere - music apps, podcast players, voice assistants, video conferencing, gaming, and in-app notifications. When audio breaks, users notice immediately. A stutter during playback, a crash when switching Bluetooth devices, or a distorted equalizer effect will drive users away.
This guide covers the practical side of audio QA: what to test, how to create test files, and the checklist BetterQA's engineers use when testing audio features across mobile and desktop applications.
How to create test audio files
Before testing, you need audio files with different specifications. Start with a high-quality source file (WAV, FLAC, or AIFF) and convert it down to other formats. You cannot add quality to a compressed file, but you can compress from high quality.
Using Audacity (free, open-source)
- Open your source track in Audacity
- Click File - Export - Export Audio
- Select the target format (MP3, OGG, AAC, etc.)
- For MP3: use Constant bit rate mode, 320 kbps quality, stereo
- For WAV: select the desired bit depth in "Save as type"
Test files to create:
- MP3 at 128, 192, 256, and 320 kbps
- WAV at 16-bit and 24-bit, 44100 Hz and 48000 Hz
- FLAC (lossless compressed)
- OGG Vorbis and AAC / M4A
- Files with special characters in names (umlauts, spaces, symbols)
- Large files (2+ GB) and long files (3+ hours)
Naming convention: Name files by their specs for easy tracking, e.g., 44100-16-320.mp3 (44100 Hz sample rate, 16-bit depth, 320 kbps bit rate).
Audio testing checklist
1. Access and permissions
- App requests storage/media permissions on first launch
- App handles permission denial gracefully (shows explanation, not a crash)
- App discovers and lists all compatible audio files from device storage
- File list loads within a reasonable time (or shows a loading indicator)
2. Interface and controls
- Play/pause button toggles correctly (play does not stop, pause does not reset)
- Previous button: single tap restarts current track, double tap goes to previous
- Next button: advances to next track, wraps to first track at end of playlist
- Seeking bar reflects current position and responds to user input
- Volume slider works smoothly without audio pops or clicks
- Shuffle and repeat modes toggle and function correctly
- Now-playing display shows correct track name, artist, album art
3. File compatibility
- All supported formats appear in the playlist
- Each format plays without errors for at least 20-30 seconds
- Files with album artwork display correctly in grid and list views
- Files with missing metadata (no artist, no album) display gracefully
- Files with special characters in filenames play without issues
- Large files (2+ GB) and long files (3+ hours) load and play normally
- Seeking works correctly on variable bit rate (VBR) files
4. Audio fidelity
- No stuttering, distortion, or artifacts during playback
- Audio quality matches the source (compare 128 kbps vs 320 kbps vs FLAC)
- Equalizer presets apply audible changes without clipping
- Custom EQ settings persist across app restarts
- 3D/spatial audio effects work without distortion
- Volume normalization works across tracks with different loudness levels
- No audio pops or clicks when starting, pausing, or seeking
5. Peripheral handling
- Wired headphones: audio routes correctly when plugged in and unplugged
- Bluetooth speakers/headphones: audio routes on connect, reverts on disconnect
- Multiple Bluetooth devices: correct device receives audio
- Headphone unplug during playback: audio pauses (not plays through speakers)
- AUX to Bluetooth transition: no audio gap or crash
6. Background and interruption behavior
- Playback continues when app moves to background
- Background playback survives for 30-60+ minutes without stopping
- Incoming phone call: audio pauses, resumes after call ends
- Notification sound: audio ducks (lowers volume) or pauses, then resumes
- Another audio app starts: current app handles audio focus correctly
- Lock screen controls (play/pause/skip) work correctly
- App resumes correctly after device sleep/wake
7. Streaming-specific tests
- Playback starts within acceptable time on different network speeds (3G, 4G, WiFi)
- Buffering indicator appears when network is slow
- Audio continues during brief network drops (buffered content)
- Switch between WiFi and cellular: no interruption
- Offline mode: downloaded tracks play without network
- Stream quality adapts to network conditions (if adaptive bitrate)
8. Performance and stability
- Rapid play/pause tapping does not crash the app
- Rapidly skipping between tracks does not cause errors
- Rapidly toggling EQ effects does not cause distortion or crash
- Memory usage stays stable during extended playback (2+ hours)
- App startup time remains reasonable with large libraries (10,000+ tracks)
- CPU usage during playback is within acceptable range
Tools for audio testing
Common audio bugs
- Audio continues playing through speakers when headphones disconnect (privacy/embarrassment risk)
- EQ settings reset after app restart
- Seeking to the last second of a track crashes the app
- Bluetooth reconnection after range loss does not resume playback
- Album art from one track displays on another
- Audio routing breaks after a phone call interruption
Audio testing is specialized work that requires both technical knowledge and trained ears. If your team needs help testing audio features, BetterQA's 50+ engineers include specialists with experience in media app testing across iOS, Android, and desktop platforms.
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