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Analyze audio files using the Gemini API
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You can ask a Gemini model to analyze audio files that you provide either inline (base64-encoded) or via URL. When you use Firebase AI Logic, you can make this request directly from your app.

With this capability, you can do things like:

Describe, summarize, or answer questions about audio content
Transcribe audio content
Analyze specific segments of audio using timestamps

Jump to code samples Jump to code for streamed responses

See other guides for additional options for working with audio
Generate structured output Multi-turn chat Bidirectional streaming

Before you begin

Click your Gemini API provider to view provider-specific content and code on this page.

If you haven't already, complete the getting started guide, which describes how to set up your Firebase project, connect your app to Firebase, add the SDK, initialize the backend service for your chosen Gemini API provider, and create a GenerativeModel instance.

For testing and iterating on your prompts and even getting a generated code snippet, we recommend using Google AI Studio.

Need a sample audio file?

You can use this publicly available file with a MIME type of audio/mp3 (view or download file). https://storage.googleapis.com/cloud-samples-data/generative-ai/audio/pixel.mp3

Generate text from audio files (base64-encoded)

Before trying this sample, complete the Before you begin section of this guide to set up your project and app.
In that section, you'll also click a button for your chosen Gemini API provider so that you see provider-specific content on this page.

You can ask a Gemini model to generate text by prompting with text and audio—providing the input file's mimeType and the file itself. Find requirements and recommendations for input files later on this page.

Swift

You can call generateContent() to generate text from multimodal input of text and a single audio file.


import FirebaseAI

// Initialize the Gemini Developer API backend service
let ai = FirebaseAI.firebaseAI(backend: .googleAI())

// Create a `GenerativeModel` instance with a model that supports your use case
let model = ai.generativeModel(modelName: "gemini-2.0-flash")


// Provide the audio as `Data`
guard let audioData = try? Data(contentsOf: audioURL) else {
    print("Error loading audio data.")
    return // Or handle the error appropriately
}

// Specify the appropriate audio MIME type
let audio = InlineDataPart(data: audioData, mimeType: "audio/mpeg")


// Provide a text prompt to include with the audio
let prompt = "Transcribe what's said in this audio recording."

// To generate text output, call `generateContent` with the audio and text prompt
let response = try await model.generateContent(audio, prompt)

// Print the generated text, handling the case where it might be nil
print(response.text ?? "No text in response.")

Kotlin

You can call generateContent() to generate text from multimodal input of text and a single audio file.

^{For Kotlin, the methods in this SDK are suspend functions and need to be called
from a Coroutine scope.}


// Initialize the Gemini Developer API backend service
// Create a `GenerativeModel` instance with a model that supports your use case
val model = Firebase.ai(backend = GenerativeBackend.googleAI())
                        .generativeModel("gemini-2.0-flash")


val contentResolver = applicationContext.contentResolver

val inputStream = contentResolver.openInputStream(audioUri)

if (inputStream != null) {  // Check if the audio loaded successfully
    inputStream.use { stream ->
        val bytes = stream.readBytes()

        // Provide a prompt that includes the audio specified above and text
        val prompt = content {
            inlineData(bytes, "audio/mpeg")  // Specify the appropriate audio MIME type
            text("Transcribe what's said in this audio recording.")
        }

        // To generate text output, call `generateContent` with the prompt
        val response = generativeModel.generateContent(prompt)

        // Log the generated text, handling the case where it might be null
        Log.d(TAG, response.text?: "")
    }
} else {
    Log.e(TAG, "Error getting input stream for audio.")
    // Handle the error appropriately
}

Java

You can call generateContent() to generate text from multimodal input of text and a single audio file.

^{For Java, the methods in this SDK return a
ListenableFuture.}


// Initialize the Gemini Developer API backend service
// Create a `GenerativeModel` instance with a model that supports your use case
GenerativeModel ai = FirebaseAI.getInstance(GenerativeBackend.googleAI())
        .generativeModel("gemini-2.0-flash");

// Use the GenerativeModelFutures Java compatibility layer which offers
// support for ListenableFuture and Publisher APIs
GenerativeModelFutures model = GenerativeModelFutures.from(ai);


ContentResolver resolver = getApplicationContext().getContentResolver();

try (InputStream stream = resolver.openInputStream(audioUri)) {
    File audioFile = new File(new URI(audioUri.toString()));
    int audioSize = (int) audioFile.length();
    byte audioBytes = new byte[audioSize];
    if (stream != null) {
        stream.read(audioBytes, 0, audioBytes.length);
        stream.close();

        // Provide a prompt that includes the audio specified above and text
        Content prompt = new Content.Builder()
              .addInlineData(audioBytes, "audio/mpeg")  // Specify the appropriate audio MIME type
              .addText("Transcribe what's said in this audio recording.")
              .build();

        // To generate text output, call `generateContent` with the prompt
        ListenableFuture<GenerateContentResponse> response = model.generateContent(prompt);
        Futures.addCallback(response, new FutureCallback<GenerateContentResponse>() {
            @Override
            public void onSuccess(GenerateContentResponse result) {
                String text = result.getText();
                Log.d(TAG, (text == null) ? "" : text);
            }
            @Override
            public void onFailure(Throwable t) {
                Log.e(TAG, "Failed to generate a response", t);
            }
        }, executor);
    } else {
        Log.e(TAG, "Error getting input stream for file.");
        // Handle the error appropriately
    }
} catch (IOException e) {
    Log.e(TAG, "Failed to read the audio file", e);
} catch (URISyntaxException e) {
    Log.e(TAG, "Invalid audio file", e);
}

Web

You can call generateContent() to generate text from multimodal input of text and a single audio file.


import { initializeApp } from "firebase/app";
import { getAI, getGenerativeModel, GoogleAIBackend } from "firebase/ai";

// TODO(developer) Replace the following with your app's Firebase configuration
// See: https://firebase.google.com/docs/web/learn-more#config-object
const firebaseConfig = {
  // ...
};

// Initialize FirebaseApp
const firebaseApp = initializeApp(firebaseConfig);

// Initialize the Gemini Developer API backend service
const ai = getAI(firebaseApp, { backend: new GoogleAIBackend() });

// Create a `GenerativeModel` instance with a model that supports your use case
const model = getGenerativeModel(ai, { model: "gemini-2.0-flash" });


// Converts a File object to a Part object.
async function fileToGenerativePart(file) {
  const base64EncodedDataPromise = new Promise((resolve) => {
    const reader = new FileReader();
    reader.onloadend = () => resolve(reader.result.split(','));
    reader.readAsDataURL(file);
  });
  return {
    inlineData: { data: await base64EncodedDataPromise, mimeType: file.type },
  };
}

async function run() {
  // Provide a text prompt to include with the audio
  const prompt = "Transcribe what's said in this audio recording.";

  // Prepare audio for input
  const fileInputEl = document.querySelector("input[type=file]");
  const audioPart = await fileToGenerativePart(fileInputEl.files);

  // To generate text output, call `generateContent` with the text and audio
  const result = await model.generateContent([prompt, audioPart]);

  // Log the generated text, handling the case where it might be undefined
  console.log(result.response.text() ?? "No text in response.");
}

run();

Dart

You can call generateContent() to generate text from multimodal input of text and a single audio file.


import 'package:firebase_ai/firebase_ai.dart';
import 'package:firebase_core/firebase_core.dart';
import 'firebase_options.dart';

// Initialize FirebaseApp
await Firebase.initializeApp(
  options: DefaultFirebaseOptions.currentPlatform,
);

// Initialize the Gemini Developer API backend service
// Create a `GenerativeModel` instance with a model that supports your use case
final model =
      FirebaseAI.googleAI().generativeModel(model: 'gemini-2.0-flash');


// Provide a text prompt to include with the audio
final prompt = TextPart("Transcribe what's said in this audio recording.");

// Prepare audio for input
final audio = await File('audio0.mp3').readAsBytes();

// Provide the audio as `Data` with the appropriate audio MIME type
final audioPart = InlineDataPart('audio/mpeg', audio);

// To generate text output, call `generateContent` with the text and audio
final response = await model.generateContent([
  Content.multi([prompt,audioPart])
]);

// Print the generated text
print(response.text);

Unity

You can call generateContent() to generate text from multimodal input of text and a single audio file.


using Firebase;
using Firebase.AI;

// Initialize the Gemini Developer API backend service
var ai = FirebaseAI.GetInstance(FirebaseAI.Backend.GoogleAI());

// Create a `GenerativeModel` instance with a model that supports your use case
var model = ai.GetGenerativeModel(modelName: "gemini-2.0-flash");


// Provide a text prompt to include with the audio
var prompt = ModelContent.Text("Transcribe what's said in this audio recording.");

// Provide the audio as `data` with the appropriate audio MIME type
var audio = ModelContent.InlineData("audio/mpeg",
      System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(System.IO.Path.Combine(
        UnityEngine.Application.streamingAssetsPath, "audio0.mp3")));

// To generate text output, call `GenerateContentAsync` with the text and audio
var response = await model.GenerateContentAsync(new [] { prompt, audio });

// Print the generated text
UnityEngine.Debug.Log(response.Text ?? "No text in response.");

Learn how to choose a model appropriate for your use case and app.

Stream the response

You can achieve faster interactions by not waiting for the entire result from the model generation, and instead use streaming to handle partial results. To stream the response, call generateContentStream.