FMOD explained

FMOD
Author:	Firelight Technologies
Released:	^[1]
Platform:	Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, Android, OpenHarmony,^[2] Wii U, 3DS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, HTML5
Genre:	Game middleware Game development tool Digital audio workstation
License:	Various proprietary licenses

FMOD is a proprietary sound effects engine and authoring tool for video games and applications developed by Firelight Technologies. It is able to play and mix sounds of diverse formats on many operating systems.

Features

The FMOD sound system is supplied as a programmer's API and authoring tool, similar to a digital audio workstation.

FMOD consists of the following technologies:

• FMOD Studio - An audio creation tool for games, designed like a digital audio workstation. Succeeds FMOD Designer.
• FMOD Studio run-time API - A programmer API to interface with FMOD Studio.
• FMOD Studio low-level API - A programmer API that stands alone, with a simple interface for playing sound files, adding special effects and performing 3D sound.

Legacy products include:

• FMOD Ex - The sound playback and mixing engine.
• FMOD Designer 2010 - An audio designer tool used for authoring complex sound events and music for playback.
• FMOD Event Player - An auditioning tool in conjunction with FMOD Designer 2010.

The FMOD sound system has an advanced plugin architecture that can be used to extend the support of audio formats or to develop new output types, e.g. for streaming.

Licensing

FMOD is available under multiple license schemes:^[3]

• FMOD Non-Commercial License, which allows software not intended for commercial distribution to use FMOD for free.
• FMOD Indie License, a bottom level license for software intended for commercial distribution, with development budgets less than US$500k.
• FMOD Basic License, a mid-level license for software intended for commercial distribution, with development budgets between US$500k and US$1.5m.
• FMOD Premium License, a top level license for software intended for commercial distribution, with development budgets over US$1.5m.

Support

Platforms

FMOD is written in portable C++, and can thus run on many different PC, mobile and gaming console platforms including:Microsoft Windows (x86 and x86-64), macOS,iOS,Linux (x86 and x86-64),Android,BlackBerry,Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Nintendo Switch,Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One,PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Google Native Client and OpenHarmony-based platforms.

FMOD contains support for AMD TrueAudio, and Sound Blaster hardware acceleration.^[4]

File formats

FMOD can play back the following audio formats: AIFF, ASF, ASX, DLS, FLAC, FSB (FMOD's sample bank format), IT, M3U, MIDI, MOD, MP2, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, PLS, S3M, VAG (PS2/PSP format), WAV, WAX (Windows Media Audio Redirector), WMA, XM, XMA (only on the Xbox 360), as well as raw audio data.^[5]

Game engines

FMOD has been integrated as a primary sound-effects system into the following video game engines:

• Unity from Unity Technologies
• Unreal Engine 3 from Epic Games^[6]
• Unreal Engine 4 from Epic Games^[7]
• CryEngine from Crytek^[8]
• Torque Game Engine from GarageGames
• BigWorld Technology from Bigworld Technology^[9]
• Scaleform from Scaleform Corporation^[10]
• Havok Vision Engine^[11]
• Havok Project Anarchy^[12]
• Source from Valve^[13]
• HeroEngine from Idea Fabrik Plc.^[14]
• Prism3D from SCS Software^[15]
• Red Engine 1 and 2 from CD Projekt
• Halo Engine from Bungie

Games using FMOD

FMOD has been used in many high-profile commercial games since release; this is a partial list.^{[16] [17] [18]}

• 3D Ultra Minigolf
• Allods Online
• American Truck Simulator ^[19]
• Arcaea ^[20]
• Ashes Cricket 2009
• Assetto Corsa
• Audition Online
• Automation
• Bastion
• BeamNG.drive
• BioShock
• BioShock2
• Brütal Legend
• Bugsnax
• Carrion
• Cavern Commandos
• Celeste
• Clive Barker's Jericho
• Cortex Command
• Crossout
• Crysis
• Cult of the Lamb
• Darkest Dungeon
• Darkfall
• Dark Souls
• Daymare 1998
• DJ Hero
• DJMax Respect V
• De Blob
• Diablo 3
• Diner Dash Adventures
• Dogfighter
• Dwarf Fortress
• Dying Light
• Euro Truck Simulator 2^[21]
• Fall Guys
• Far Cry
• Fast & Furious Crossroads
• Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
• Forts
• Forza Motorsport 2
• Forza Motorsport 3
• Guild Wars
• Guild Wars 2
• Guitar Hero III
• Geometry Dash
• Hades
• Halo 3
• Hard Reset
• Heavenly Sword
• Heroes of Newerth
• Impressive Title
• Into the Breach
• iRacing.com
• Just Cause 2
• KartRider: Drift
• League of Legends (replaced by Wwise after patch 4.7)
• Lego Universe
• Limbus Company
• LittleBigPlanet
• Mechwarrior Online
• Minecraft (Bedrock Edition)
• My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero
• Natural Selection 2
• Nickelodeon Kart Racers
• Nicktoons Unite!
• No More Room in Hell
• Noita
• Orwell
• Path of Exile
• Patrick's Parabox
• Pizza Tower
• Planetary Annihilation^[22]
• Project Cars 3
• Project Torque
• Pure
• Pyre
• Quake Champions
• Renegade Ops
• Reus
• Rise of Flight: The First Great Air War
• Roblox
• Ruiner
• Run8
• Scrap Mechanic
• Second Life
• Shadowgrounds
• Shantae and the Seven Sirens
• Shatter
• Shattered Horizon^[23]
• Shovel Knight^[24]
• Sky
• SOMA (video game)
• Spelunky 2
• Stargate Worlds
• Star Stable Online
• Star Trek Online
• Stranglehold
• Subnautica
• Super Motherload
• Sven Co-op
• The Forest
• The Jackbox Party Pack 7
• The Swapper
• TimeShift
• TNA iMPACT!
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
• Tomb Raider
• Torchlight
• Torchlight III
• Transistor
• Trine
• Tropico 3
• The Walking Dead
• Unravel
• Vessel
• Viscerafest
• vSide
• War Thunder
• Warcraft III
• Where's My Perry
• Where's My Water?
• Where's My Water? 2
• Wobbly Life
• World of Subways
• World of Warcraft
• Worms W.M.D
• X-Plane (simulator)
• You Don't Know Jack
• Zuma

See also

• OpenAL
• irrKlang
• AMD TrueAudio
• Audiokinetic Wwise

External links

• Project home page
• – special version of Oculus VR's "Tuscany Demo" showcasing GenAudio's AstoundSound with calculations shunted to AMD TrueAudio

Notes and References

1. Book: Somberg . Guy . Game Audio Programming: Principles and Practices . 3 October 2016 . CRC Press . 9781315351650 . 103 . 21 May 2020.
2. Web site: 4. Platform Details Open Harmony . FMOD . 10 June 2024.
3. Web site: FMOD Licenses. 2017-11-27. Firelight Technologies.
4. Web site: Creative Labs: Connect . Connect.creativelabs.com . 2010-05-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100504065155/http://connect.creativelabs.com/developer/Gaming/Forms/AllItems.aspx . 2010-05-04 .
5. Web site: FMOD Core API Reference, FMOD_SOUND_TYPE . FMOD Core API Reference . 18 April 2021.
6. Web site: Unreal Technology . Unreal Technology . 2010-05-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100529013331/http://www.unrealtechnology.com/partner-program.php . 2010-05-29 .
7. Web site: Unreal Technology . Unreal Technology . 2015-04-15.
8. Web site: Crytek GmbH: Specifications . Crytek.com . 2010-04-13 . 2010-05-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091217135020/http://www.crytek.com/technology/cryengine-2/specifications . 2009-12-17 .
9. Web site: BigWorld Technology - BigWorld Partners . Bigworldtech.com . 2010-05-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100918044026/http://bigworldtech.com/company/partners.php . 2010-09-18 .
10. Web site: Integration . scaleform . 2010-05-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100420052611/http://www.scaleform.com/products/integration . 2010-04-20 .
11. Web site: Products - Vision Game Engine | 3rd Party Integrations . havok.com . 2010-05-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120504123657/http://www.havok.com/products/vision-engine . 2012-05-04 . dead .
12. Web site: Project Anarchy . havok.com.
13. Web site: Implementing FMOD . Valve.
14. Web site: HeroEngine 1.47.0 Enhancements . HeroEngine wiki . 2011-08-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110411083558/http://hewiki.heroengine.com/wiki/HeroEngine_1_Release_40#1.47.0_Enhancements . 2011-04-11 .
15. Web site: FMOD: First Tease. blog.scssoft.com. SCS Software. February 18, 2020. May 5, 2020.
16. Web site: Game List - FmodWiki . https://archive.today/20120801051139/http://www.fmod.org/wiki/index.php5?title=Game_List . dead . 2012-08-01 . Fmod.org . 2009-12-21 . 2010-05-17 .
17. News: Eaglercraft . 13 November 2023.
18. Web site: FMOD - Games . 2018-05-01 .
19. Web site: American Truck Simulator Update 1.37 Open Beta is here!.
20. Web site: Arcaea - Rhythm Game. 30 January 2019.
21. Web site: The ETS2 1.37 Open Beta is here!.
22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_lUYyGVtZY| Planetary Annihilation: LiveStream February 1st, 2013
23. Web site: Shattered Horizon Interview. 4 September 2009.
24. Web site: Breaking the NES for Shovel Knight. 25 June 2014.