index.md

---

title: AudioContext.suspend()
slug: Web/API/AudioContext/suspend
page-type: web-api-instance-method
browser-compat: api.AudioContext.suspend

---

{{ APIRef("Web Audio API") }}

The suspend() method of the {{ domxref("AudioContext") }} Interface suspends the progression of time in the audio context, temporarily halting audio hardware access and reducing CPU/battery usage in the process — this is useful if you want an application to power down the audio hardware when it will not be using an audio context for a while.

This method will cause an INVALID_STATE_ERR exception to be thrown if called on an {{domxref("OfflineAudioContext")}}.

Syntax

suspend()

Parameters

None.

Return value

A {{jsxref("Promise")}} that resolves with {{jsxref('undefined')}}. The promise is rejected if the context has already been closed.

Examples

The following snippet is taken from our AudioContext states demo (see it running live.) When the suspend/resume button is clicked, the {{domxref("BaseAudioContext/state", "AudioContext.state")}} is queried — if it is running, suspend() is called; if it is suspended, {{domxref("AudioContext/resume", "resume()")}} is called. In each case, the text label of the button is updated as appropriate once the promise resolves.

susresBtn.onclick = () => {
  if (audioCtx.state === "running") {
    audioCtx.suspend().then(() => {
      susresBtn.textContent = "Resume context";
    });
  } else if (audioCtx.state === "suspended") {
    audioCtx.resume().then(() => {
      susresBtn.textContent = "Suspend context";
    });
  }
};

Specifications

{{Specifications}}

Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

See also

• Using the Web Audio API

• Web Audio API