How to play sounds in React Native using react-native-sound

Incorporating sounds into a React Native app can significantly enhance user engagement, and the react-native-sound module offers a robust solution for handling audio tasks across iOS, Android, and Windows platforms. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough on setting up and using react-native-sound to add, play, and manage audio files from various sources, including native bundles, JavaScript bundles, and remote paths. The module allows developers to control sound instances using predefined methods, thereby mitigating concerns about slow app rerenders. Despite being labeled as "alpha quality," react-native-sound is widely popular among developers. The tutorial covers practical steps such as importing sound components, setting sound categories, adjusting volume, and playing audio files, with examples for both local and remote audio sources. It also highlights the importance of releasing memory to prevent leaks after audio playback is complete. For those seeking additional audio functionalities, the guide suggests exploring the expo-av module from Expo unimodules. Furthermore, tools like LogRocket are recommended for monitoring and improving the user experience in React Native apps by identifying technical and usability issues.