When should you use the <audio> tag?

HTML5's audio element gives semantic meaning when it wraps sound or audio stream content in your markup. Audio content also needs a text alternative to be accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This can be done with nearby text on the page or a link to a transcript.

The audio tag supports the controls attribute. This shows the browser default play, pause, and other controls, and supports keyboard functionality. This is a boolean attribute, meaning it doesn't need a value, its presence on the tag turns the setting on.

Here's an example:

Copy<audio id="meowClip" controls>
  <source src="audio/meow.mp3" type="audio/mpeg" />
  <source src="audio/meow.ogg" type="audio/ogg" />
</audio>