---
title: "init(formatDescription:)"
framework: avfaudio
role: symbol
role_heading: Initializer
path: "avfaudio/avaudioformat/init(formatdescription:)"
---

# init(formatDescription:)

## Declaration

```swift
init?(formatDescription: CMAudioFormatDescription)
```

## Parameters

- `formatDescription`: The CMAudioFormatDescriptionRef.

## Discussion

Discussion Initialize from a CMAudioFormatDescriptionRef. If formatDescription is invalid, this method fails (returns nil).

## See Also

### Creating a New Audio Format Representation

- [init(standardFormatWithSampleRate:channelLayout:)](avfaudio/avaudioformat/init(standardformatwithsamplerate:channellayout:).md)
- [init(standardFormatWithSampleRate:channels:)](avfaudio/avaudioformat/init(standardformatwithsamplerate:channels:).md)
- [init(commonFormat:sampleRate:channels:interleaved:)](avfaudio/avaudioformat/init(commonformat:samplerate:channels:interleaved:).md)
- [init(commonFormat:sampleRate:interleaved:channelLayout:)](avfaudio/avaudioformat/init(commonformat:samplerate:interleaved:channellayout:).md)
- [init(settings:)](avfaudio/avaudioformat/init(settings:).md)
- [init(streamDescription:)](avfaudio/avaudioformat/init(streamdescription:).md)
- [init(streamDescription:channelLayout:)](avfaudio/avaudioformat/init(streamdescription:channellayout:).md)
- [init(cmAudioFormatDescription:)](avfaudio/avaudioformat/init(cmaudioformatdescription:)-8rdfj.md)