---
title: listener
framework: spritekit
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Property
path: spritekit/skscene/listener
---

# listener

A node used to determine the position of the listener for positional audio in the scene.

## Declaration

```swift
weak var listener: SKNode? { get set }
```

## Mentioned in

Using Audio Nodes with the Scene’s Listener

## Discussion

Discussion The default value is nil, which means that the scene’s origin is used as the listener position for audio effects played by SKAudioNode objects in the scene. If a non-nil value is specified, it must be a node in the scene. Typically, you want the camera to be the listener so that audio nodes which are on screen are louder than off screen ones. In a game, the node that defines the player would likely be set as the listener.

## See Also

### Adding Positional Audio

- [Using Audio Nodes with the Scene’s Listener](spritekit/using-audio-nodes-with-the-scene-s-listener.md)
- [audioEngine](spritekit/skscene/audioengine.md)