java.lang.RuntimeException: start failed

Question

I am trying to record audio in one of my Activities using MediaRecorder. Part of the code is shown below.

File file = new File(AppConstants.MSGS_DIR, filename);
MediaRecorder recorder = new MediaRecorder();
recorder.setAudioSource(AudioSource.MIC);
recorder.setOutputFormat(OutputFormat.THREE_GPP);
recorder.setAudioEncoder(AudioEncoder.AMR_WB);
recorder.setOutputFile(file.getAbsolutePath());
try {
    recorder.prepare();
    recorder.start();
} catch (IOException e) {
    System.out.println("Exception: " + e.getMessage());
}

I've given the following permissions in manifest file.

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS" />

but at the line recorder.start() I am getting the runtime exception. Logcat shows the following error messages.

09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697): java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.mypackage/com.mypackage.RecordingActivity}: java.lang.RuntimeException: start failed.
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2250)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2300)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.app.ActivityThread.access$600(ActivityThread.java:144)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1295)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:150)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5162)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:525)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:744)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:560)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697): Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: start failed.
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.media.MediaRecorder.start(Native Method)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at com.mypackage.RecordingActivity.startRecording(RecordingActivity.java:169)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at com.mypackage.RecordingActivity.onCreate(RecordingActivity.java:107)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5288)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1087)
09-23 15:47:54.462: E/AndroidRuntime(8697):     at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2214)

Tried questions corresponding to the error in stackoverflow but unable to conclude a valid answers from them. Please check this and help me which is going wrong in the code.

FYI> this piece of code failing in only specific devices. Am I missing any additional permissions?

Answer 1

Few of the devices are not supporting because they do not support 3GP format as well as AudioEncoder.AMR_WB encoding. Click here to check the supported formats.

Please use below code which will support maximum number of devices.

recorder.setOutputFormat(OutputFormat.MPEG_4);
recorder.setAudioEncoder(AudioEncoder.AAC);