pw-cat

Play a WAV file over the default target

$ pw-cat [[-p|--playback]] [path/to/file.wav]

$ pw-cat [[-q|--quality]] [0..15] [[-p|--playback]] [path/to/file.wav]

$ pw-cat [[-r|--record]] --volume [1.25] [path/to/file.wav]

$ pw-cat [[-r|--record]] --rate [6000] [path/to/file.wav]

$ pw-cat [[-h|--help]]

pw-cat [options] [file]

-h
    Show help options.

-r
    Record audio from the default source.

-p
    Play audio to the default sink.

-c
    Set the number of channels.

-n
    Set the number of buffers.

-f
    Set the sample format (e.g., s16le, f32). Use pw-dump to list available formats.

-R
    Set the sample rate.

-b
    Set the buffer size.

[file]
    The audio file to play or record. If omitted when playing, pw-cat reads from standard input; if omitted when recording, pw-cat writes to standard output.

pw-cat is a command-line utility provided by PipeWire for playing and recording audio files. It functions like a simple audio player or recorder, allowing users to easily interact with audio streams using PipeWire. It can read from and write to various audio file formats.

pw-cat leverages PipeWire's graph-based processing model, enabling seamless integration with other PipeWire modules and applications. This allows for flexible audio routing and manipulation. The command's simplicity makes it useful for quick audio testing, simple playback tasks, and basic audio recording scenarios. It is often used to debug and test PipeWire setups, verify audio stream configurations and capture output.

pw-cat is a relatively basic tool and might not support advanced audio features. It relies on PipeWire's configuration and setup, so issues can arise if PipeWire is not configured correctly. Error messages can sometimes be cryptic, requiring familiarity with PipeWire's architecture for debugging.

Playing a WAV file:
pw-cat audio.wav

Recording audio to a WAV file:
pw-cat -r record.wav

Playing standard input:
cat audio.raw | pw-cat

Recording to standard output:
pw-cat -r > record.raw

pw-cat was developed as part of the PipeWire project. It's designed to be a simple and effective way to interact with audio streams in the PipeWire ecosystem. It builds upon the concepts of other similar command-line tools for audio processing, but leverages PipeWire's modularity and graph-based architecture to provide more flexible control over audio routing and processing.

pw-dump(1), pw-cli(1)