Building Real-Time Audio Pipelines in React Native

Real-time audio in React Native isn't just about playing files anymore. Callstack's engineering team reveals why buffer-based pipelines are becoming essential for voice AI, live streaming, and audio processing apps.

This technical deep-dive from Callstack explores the shift from traditional file-based audio playback to real-time buffer processing in React Native. The article covers the architectural patterns, native integration challenges, and performance considerations needed to build production-grade audio pipelines that can handle streaming data.

Key Takeaways

• Buffer-based audio enables real-time processing for AI voice and streaming features
• JSI and TurboModules provide the low-level access needed for audio pipelines
• Memory ownership between JavaScript and native code requires careful management
• Async processing can break without proper GC and pointer handling patterns

The article includes specific code patterns for avoiding the most common memory pitfalls that break audio processing in production.