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Player SDK (Legacy)

Our JavaScript Player SDK allows you to automatically embed audio versions into their source pages using our player UI or your own UI.
This means that you can build a UI and customize player controls to suit your needs. For example, it is possible to render the player to all users but only make it usable to those with a subscription.
The JavaScript Player and SDK is client-side JavaScript library that is separate from the API. You connect to it differently, and it gives you a different range of options.

Install the JavaScript Player

You can install the JavaScript Player and SDK through NPM:
npm install --save @beyondwords/audio-player
Or, you can reference an up‐to‐date version on our CDN:
<script type="module">
import BeyondWords from 'https://proxy.beyondwords.io/npm/@beyondwords/audio-player@latest/dist/module/index.js';
</script>

Initialize the JavaScript Player

To initialize the JavaScript Player, use the following:
const initParams = {
// Mandatory Parameters
projectId: "...",
// One of the following parameters
podcastId: "...",
articleUrl: "...",
externalId: "...",
// Advanced Parameter
renderNode: "...", // The default is set to `beyondwords-player`
};
// Check if audio is available for your init params
BeyondWords.isAudioReady(initParams).then((boolResponse) => {
if (boolResponse) {
// If true, the player can be inited
BeyondWords.player(initParams).then((appInst) => {
// Player is initialized
});
}
});
Or, intialize the JavaScript Player with the SDK, import the package:
import { BeyondWordsSdk } from '@beyondwords/audio-player';
Then use the following:
const initParams = {
// Mandatory Parameters
projectId: "...",
// One of the following parameters
podcastId: "...",
articleUrl: "...",
externalId: "...",
// Advanced Parameter
renderNode: "...", // The default is set to `beyondwords-player`
};
// Check if audio is available for your init params
BeyondWordsSdk.isAudioReady(initParams).then((boolResponse) => {
if (boolResponse) {
// If true, the player can be inited
BeyondWordsSdk.player(initParams).then((appInst) => {
// Player is initialized
// App instance provides access to methods & events (see below)
});
}
});
// Check if audio is available for your params
appInst.isAudioReady({
projectId: "...",
// One of the following parameters
podcastId: "..."
}).then((boolResponse) => {
if (boolResponse) {
// If true, the audio has been processed
}
});
Method
Type
Description
playbackRate()
-
Get the playback rate
changePlaybackRate(number)
number
Set the playback rate. It accepts any numeric value from the following list: 0.5, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 2
currentMedia()
-
Get the media object being played.
changeColor(object)
object
Set the Player colors for light and dark modes.
changeColor({
dm: true, // use darkmode
color: '#000000', // colour for icons
textColor: '#000000', // colour for titles
bgColor: '#ffffff', // colour for background
dmColor: '#ffffff', // colour for icons for darkmode
dmTextColor: '#ffffff', // colour for titles for darkmode
dmBgColor: '#000000', // colour for background for darkmode
})

Player events

You can run custom functions based on specific Player events using the on and off listener to bind your functions to the events:
BeyondWordsSdk.player(parameters).then(appInst => {
// Bind to the play event:
appInst.events.on(BeyondWordsSdk.Events.play, dataEvent => {
console.log(`on -> ${BeyondWordsSdk.Events.play} -> `, dataEvent);
});
// on -> play -> { duration: 10.23, progress: 3.12 }
});
appInst.events supported a next methods
  • on(type, handler): Register an event handler for the given type
  • off(type, handler): Remove an event handler for the given type

Play

This event fires when playback is initiated.
Event data
duration number
The total duration of the audio in seconds, rounded to two decimal places, e.g. 28.05.
---
progress number
The duration of the audio already played in seconds, rounded to two decimal places, e.g. 28.05.
Sample event data
{
"duration": 30.04,
"progress": 10.6,
}

Pause

This event fires when audio is paused.
Event data
duration number
The total duration of the audio in seconds, rounded to two decimal places, e.g. 28.05.
---
progress number
The duration of the audio played, when the pause was triggered, in seconds, rounded to two decimal places, e.g. 28.05.
Sample event data
{
"duration": 30.04,
"progress": 10.6,
}

timeUpdate

This event fires every 25ms during playback and indicates, in seconds, the duration of the audio that has been played, e.g. 28.05.
Event data
duration number
The total duration of the audio in seconds, rounded to two decimal places, e.g. 28.05.
---
progress number
The duration of the audio played in seconds, rounded to two decimal places, e.g. 28.05.
Sample event data
{
"duration": 30.04,
"progress": 10.6,
}

playbackRate

This event fires when the playback rate of the audio in the Player changes.
Event data
playbackRate number
The new playback rate, e.g. 1.5.
{
"playbackRate": 1.5
}

ended

This event fires when the audio completes playback.
Event data
playbackRate number
The new playback rate, e.g. 1.5.
{
"playbackRate": 1.5
}