Playback
PLAY-bak
/ˈpleɪbæk/
The act or sound output of reproducing previously recorded audio or video content.
Refers specifically to the operational phase of listening to recorded content, as opposed to live recording or editing.
The story behind the word. Formed as a compound noun in mid-20th century magnetic tape recording studios. Engineers needed a noun to distinguish playing back recorded tape from performing live music in front of microphones.
Word relationships
- reproduction: Reproduction is a general physical/fidelity term, while playback refers specifically to running audio/video media.
- replay: Replay usually implies playing something a second time, while playback is the act of listening to any recording.
- recording: Recording is capturing original audio input, whereas playback is reproducing already stored audio output.
Commonly confused with
- playhead: Playback is the listening process, while the playhead is the graphic indicator showing current time in audio software.
Word family
- play back (verb): To play recorded audio or video.
Collocations
- playback speed
- audio playback
- playback quality
- instant playback
Example sentences
- "The sound engineer carefully listened to the playback to spot subtle background noise." Audio Engineering
- "The mobile app features variable playback speed settings ranging from half-speed to double-speed." Software Features
Memory hook
PLAY the audio BACK to check how it sounds. Listen back to what was recorded.
When not to use
Do not use to describe live microphone feeds or initial raw recording sessions before reproduction.
Fun facts
- In early tape recorders, 'playback head' was the physical component reading magnetic signals off passing audio tape.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.