pw-play

View documentation for the original command

$ tldr pw-cat

pw-play [options] file...

-h, --help
    Show help options

--version
    Show version information

-v, --verbose
    Increase verbosity level

--volume=VOLUME
    Set the stream volume

--target=TARGET
    The name of the node to use

file...
    The audio files to play

The pw-play command is a simple command-line tool used to play audio files using the PipeWire multimedia framework. It acts as a PipeWire client, connecting to the PipeWire server and streaming the specified audio file to the default or specified audio output. Unlike more complex audio players, pw-play is primarily designed for basic audio playback, scripting, and testing PipeWire setups. It supports various audio file formats that are understood by GStreamer, which it relies on for decoding.

The command can be used to quickly play audio files without requiring a full-fledged media player. It is especially useful in environments where a lightweight audio playback solution is needed. While lacking advanced features like playlist management or equalization, pw-play provides a straightforward way to output audio through PipeWire.

It is primarily useful for testing or basic usage.

pw-play relies on GStreamer for decoding audio files. Therefore, the available audio formats depend on the installed GStreamer plugins.

Error messages may be cryptic. Use the -v flag to increase verbosity for more detailed error information.

pw-record(1), pw-cli(1), pipewire(1)