Re: [mediacapture-screen-share] Capturing audio-only (#100)

My use cases involve live stream production, where users capture audio from multiple sources.  This often includes other software such as Skype, Zoom, DJ-style media players, other tabs sharing audio, etc.

Audio-only streaming is very much relevant.  Video is not always required nor desired.  Native applications have no problem in capturing audio in this way.  We only have to look to the success of software such as OBS, Wirecast, Rocket Broadcaster, Voicemeeter, etc., to understand that we need this capability on the web.  All of these support audio-only modes and capturing from other applications.

The users should be empowered.  This specification and its implementation are the limiting factors right now, as I see it.  

I propose:

 - `getDisplayMedia({audio: true, video: true})` will show the current sharing dialog, with "share audio" checkbox pre-checked.  (Users may un-check it.)
 - `getDisplayMedia({audio: true, video: false})` will show the current sharing dialog, with the correct verbiage explaining that only audio is being shared.
 - `getDisplayMedia({audio: {exact: true}, video: ...})` will show the current sharing dialog with "share audio" checkbox pre-checked and locked.  User may cancel to reject.  Only surfaces supporting audio sharing will be selectable.  If audio sharing is not available, an overconstrained error should throw.
 - Shared applications may have a similar overlay as they do now, but with verbiage explaining that only audio is being shared.

In other words... I propose that this API match what is expected and consistent with the `getUserMedia()` API.  This solves for existing use cases, providing a generic interface for future use cases, simplifying the API for application developers, hopefully resulting in minimal user agent changes, while continuing to offer a user experience that is very similar to what exists today.

-- 
GitHub Notification of comment by bradisbell
Please view or discuss this issue at https://github.com/w3c/mediacapture-screen-share/issues/100#issuecomment-1092264677 using your GitHub account


-- 
Sent via github-notify-ml as configured in https://github.com/w3c/github-notify-ml-config

Received on Thursday, 7 April 2022 22:21:35 UTC