HTMLMediaElementin

HTMLMediaElement is a web platform interface that represents media-bearing elements in HTML, specifically the audio and video elements. It is the common API shared by HTMLVideoElement and HTMLAudioElement and extends the base HTMLElement. The interface provides playback control, loading, and playback state information.

Key aspects of the HTMLMediaElement API include properties such as currentTime, duration, paused, ended, playbackRate, volume, muted, loop, src, currentSrc, and readyState. It also defines important methods like play(), pause(), and load(). In contemporary browsers, play() returns a Promise that resolves when playback starts and may reject if playback is not allowed by the user’s environment or policies.

The interface supports a range of events that reflect media loading and playback, including play, pause, ended, timeupdate, seeking, seeked, loadeddata, and loadedmetadata, among others. These events enable developers to monitor buffering, track progress, and respond to user interactions or media changes.

HTMLMediaElement serves as the base for both HTMLAudioElement and HTMLVideoElement. Media sources can be supplied via the src attribute or a child source element, and srcObject can be used to attach a MediaStream. The element also offers state and media-type related capabilities such as canPlayType for capability checks and controls for volume, muting, and looping.

Usage typically involves obtaining a reference to the element, calling play() or pause(), and adjusting properties like currentTime or volume to control playback. Cross-origin considerations, autoplay policies, and media loading behavior influence how media is accessed and played in web pages. See also HTMLVideoElement, HTMLAudioElement, canPlayType, and related media APIs.