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# 32.4. `winsound` — Sound-playing interface for Windows

Platforms: Windows

The `winsound` module provides access to the basic sound-playing machinery provided by Windows platforms. It includes functions and several constants.

`winsound.``Beep`(frequency, duration)
  Beep the PC’s speaker. The frequency parameter specifies frequency, in hertz, of the sound, and must be in the range 37 through 32,767. The duration parameter specifies the number of milliseconds the sound should last. If the system is not able to beep the speaker, `RuntimeError` is raised.

`winsound.``PlaySound`(sound, flags)
  Call the underlying `PlaySound()` function from the Platform API. The sound parameter may be a filename, audio data as a string, or `None`. Its interpretation depends on the value of flags, which can be a bitwise ORed combination of the constants described below. If the sound parameter is `None`, any currently playing waveform sound is stopped. If the system indicates an error, `RuntimeError` is raised.

`winsound.``MessageBeep`([type=MB_OK])
  Call the underlying `MessageBeep()` function from the Platform API. This plays a sound as specified in the registry. The type argument specifies which sound to play; possible values are `-1`, `MB_ICONASTERISK`, `MB_ICONEXCLAMATION`, `MB_ICONHAND`, `MB_ICONQUESTION`, and `MB_OK`, all described below. The value `-1` produces a “simple beep”; this is the final fallback if a sound cannot be played otherwise.

`winsound.``SND_FILENAME`
  The sound parameter is the name of a WAV file. Do not use with `SND_ALIAS`.

`winsound.``SND_ALIAS`

  The sound parameter is a sound association name from the registry. If the registry contains no such name, play the system default sound unless `SND_NODEFAULT` is also specified. If no default sound is registered, raise `RuntimeError`. Do not use with `SND_FILENAME`.

  All Win32 systems support at least the following; most systems support many more:

  `PlaySound()` name | Corresponding Control Panel Sound name
  --- | ---
  `'SystemAsterisk'` | Asterisk
  `'SystemExclamation'` | Exclamation
  `'SystemExit'` | Exit Windows
  `'SystemHand'` | Critical Stop
  `'SystemQuestion'` | Question

  For example:

      import winsound
      # Play Windows exit sound.
      winsound.PlaySound("SystemExit", winsound.SND_ALIAS)

      # Probably play Windows default sound, if any is registered (because
      # "*" probably isn't the registered name of any sound).
      winsound.PlaySound("*", winsound.SND_ALIAS)

`winsound.``SND_LOOP`
  Play the sound repeatedly. The `SND_ASYNC` flag must also be used to avoid blocking. Cannot be used with `SND_MEMORY`.

`winsound.``SND_MEMORY`

  The sound parameter to `PlaySound()` is a memory image of a WAV file, as a string.

  Note

  This module does not support playing from a memory image asynchronously, so a combination of this flag and `SND_ASYNC` will raise `RuntimeError`.

`winsound.``SND_PURGE`

  Stop playing all instances of the specified sound.

  Note

  This flag is not supported on modern Windows platforms.

`winsound.``SND_ASYNC`
  Return immediately, allowing sounds to play asynchronously.

`winsound.``SND_NODEFAULT`
  If the specified sound cannot be found, do not play the system default sound.

`winsound.``SND_NOSTOP`
  Do not interrupt sounds currently playing.

`winsound.``SND_NOWAIT`
  Return immediately if the sound driver is busy.

`winsound.``MB_ICONASTERISK`
  Play the `SystemDefault` sound.

`winsound.``MB_ICONEXCLAMATION`
  Play the `SystemExclamation` sound.

`winsound.``MB_ICONHAND`
  Play the `SystemHand` sound.

`winsound.``MB_ICONQUESTION`
  Play the `SystemQuestion` sound.

`winsound.``MB_OK`
  Play the `SystemDefault` sound.

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