FMOD

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Proprietary sound effects engine and authoring tool

title: "FMOD" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["audio-libraries", "middleware", "video-game-development-software", "video-game-development-software-for-linux", "video-game-music-technology"] description: "Proprietary sound effects engine and authoring tool" topic_path: "technology/operating-systems" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FMOD" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Proprietary sound effects engine and authoring tool ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox software"]

FieldValue
titleFMOD
logoFMOD logo.svg
screenshot
authorFirelight Technologies
released
latest release date
latest preview date
platformMicrosoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, Android, OpenHarmony, Wii U, 3DS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, HTML5
language count
genreGame middleware
Game development tool
Digital audio workstation
licenseVarious proprietary licenses
website
::

| title = FMOD | name = | logo = FMOD logo.svg | logo caption = | screenshot = | caption = | collapsible = | author = Firelight Technologies | developer = | released = | discontinued = | latest release version = | latest release date = | latest preview version = | latest preview date = | status = | programming language = | platform = Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, Android, OpenHarmony, Wii U, 3DS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, HTML5 | size = | language = | language count = | language footnote = | genre = Game middleware Game development tool Digital audio workstation | license = Various proprietary licenses | website = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | screenshot_size = | screenshot_alt = FMOD is a proprietary sound effects engine and authoring tool for video games and applications developed by Firelight Technologies. It is able to play and mix sounds of diverse formats on many operating systems.

Features

The FMOD sound system is supplied as a programmer's API and authoring tool, similar to a digital audio workstation.

FMOD consists of the following technologies:

  • FMOD Studio - An audio creation tool for games, designed like a digital audio workstation. Succeeds FMOD Designer.
  • FMOD Studio run-time API - A programmer API to interface with FMOD Studio.
  • FMOD Studio low-level API - A programmer API that stands alone, with a simple interface for playing sound files, adding special effects and performing 3D sound.

Legacy products include:

  • FMOD Ex - The sound playback and mixing engine.
  • FMOD Designer 2010 - An audio designer tool used for authoring complex sound events and music for playback.
  • FMOD Event Player - An auditioning tool in conjunction with FMOD Designer 2010.

The FMOD sound system has an advanced plugin architecture that can be used to extend the support of audio formats or to develop new output types, e.g. for streaming.

Licensing

FMOD is available under multiple license schemes:

  • FMOD Non-Commercial License, which allows software not intended for commercial distribution to use FMOD for free.
  • FMOD Indie License, a bottom level license for software intended for commercial distribution, with development budgets less than US$600k.
  • FMOD Basic License, a mid-level license for software intended for commercial distribution, with development budgets between US$600k and US$1.8m.
  • FMOD Premium License, a top level license for software intended for commercial distribution, with development budgets over US$1.8m.

Support

{{Anchor|Platforms}}Platforms

FMOD is written in portable C++, and can thus run on many different PC, mobile and gaming console platforms including: Microsoft Windows (x86 and x86-64), macOS, iOS, Linux (x86 and x86-64), Android, BlackBerry, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Google Native Client and OpenHarmony-based platforms.

FMOD contains support for AMD TrueAudio, and Sound Blaster hardware acceleration.

File formats

FMOD can play back the following audio formats: AIFF, ASF, ASX, DLS, FLAC, FSB (FMOD's sample bank format), IT, M3U, MIDI, MOD, MP2, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, PLS, S3M, VAG (PS2/PSP format), WAV, WAX (Windows Media Audio Redirector), WMA, XM, XMA (only on the Xbox 360), as well as raw audio data.

Game engines

FMOD has been integrated as a primary sound-effects system into the following video game engines:

Games using FMOD

FMOD has been used in many high-profile commercial games since release; this is a partial list.

References

References

  1. (3 October 2016). "Game Audio Programming: Principles and Practices". CRC Press.
  2. "4. Platform Details {{!}} Open Harmony".
  3. "FMOD Licenses". Firelight Technologies.
  4. "Creative Labs: Connect". Connect.creativelabs.com.
  5. "FMOD Core API Reference, FMOD_SOUND_TYPE".
  6. "Unreal Technology". Unreal Technology.
  7. "Unreal Technology". Unreal Technology.
  8. (2010-04-13). "Crytek GmbH: Specifications". Crytek.com.
  9. "BigWorld Technology - BigWorld Partners". Bigworldtech.com.
  10. "Integration". scaleform.
  11. "Products - Vision Game Engine | 3rd Party Integrations". havok.com.
  12. "Project Anarchy". havok.com.
  13. "Implementing FMOD". [[Valve Corporation.
  14. "HeroEngine 1.47.0 Enhancements". HeroEngine wiki.
  15. (February 18, 2020). "FMOD: First Tease". [[SCS Software]].
  16. (2009-12-21). "Game List - FmodWiki". Fmod.org.
  17. "FMOD - Games".
  18. "American Truck Simulator Update 1.37 Open Beta is here!".
  19. (30 January 2019). "Arcaea - Rhythm Game".
  20. "The ETS2 1.37 Open Beta is here!".
  21. Planetary Annihilation: LiveStream February 1st, 2013
  22. (4 September 2009). "Shattered Horizon Interview".
  23. (25 June 2014). "Breaking the NES for Shovel Knight".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

audio-librariesmiddlewarevideo-game-development-softwarevideo-game-development-software-for-linuxvideo-game-music-technology