Fake "user initiated" <audio> tag on iPad

Question

I know that Apple reports that mp3 in the <audio> tag on the iPhone OS cannot be played without user intervention (they refer to bandwidth problems, which are quite reasonable). However, did anyone manage to fake a user action to play sound? Perhaps injecting events into stand-alone audio controls using JavaScript? I am using jPlayer right now, which works fine on the Safari desktop but doesn't work on my iPad.

I am prototyping the touch interface using WebKit on the iPad, and sound is an integral part of the experience, so yes, I have a good reason to refuse this agreement.

I would appreciate any help. Thank.

Answer 1

I had the same problem ... I would like to control the sound from "get go" as it is.

My solution was to put sound tags in a hidden DIV like this.

<div id="junk" style="display: none">
  <audio id="effect1" src="..." autobuffer="autobuffer" controls="" ></audio>
  <audio id="effect2" src="..." autobuffer="autobuffer" controls="" ></audio>
  <audio id="effect3" src="..." autobuffer="autobuffer" controls="" ></audio>
</div>

Then in my javascript I have code like this in a game program.

function playEffect(x) {
  var a = document.getElementById('effect' + x);
  if (a && a instanceof Audio) {
    if (a.currentTime) { a.currentTime = 0; }
    a.play();
  }
}

So ... you follow the rules, because there is a “required” UI Control, but, of course, this does not interfere with the web page. Checking currentTime in the playEffect function rewinds the sound ... if you do not, it will not play a second time.

iPad iPhone, Safari Mac. IE . Google Maps API v3.