wave file IO benchmark(soundfile and librosa)

benchmark.py

## linux + HDD
# soundfile r: 111.3170223236084
# soundfile w: 21.47102665901184
# librosa r: 27.82967972755432
# librosa w: 24.776712656021118

## windows + SSD
# soundfile r: 12.918063640594482
# soundfile w: 11.726674318313599
# librosa r: 16.433390378952026
# librosa w: 0.5162301063537598

## linux(WHL) + SSD
# soundfile r: 14.984661340713501
# soundfile w: 10.617738246917725
# librosa r: 14.605595827102661
# librosa w: 0.49469470977783203


import librosa
import time
import soundfile

p = librosa.util.example_audio_file()

def check_read_speed(backend):
    start = time.time()
    for i in range(100):
        if backend == "soundfile":
            y, sr = soundfile.read(p)
        else:
            y, sr = librosa.load(p,sr=None)

    print(backend, "r:", time.time() - start)



def check_write_speed(backend):
    y, sr = librosa.load(p,sr=None)
    start = time.time()
    for i in range(100):
        if backend == "soundfile":
            soundfile.write("1.wav",y,sr)
        else:
            librosa.output.write_wav("1.wav",y,sr)

    print(backend, "w:", time.time() - start)



for a  in  ["soundfile","librosa"]:
    check_read_speed(a)  
    check_write_speed(a)

If you specify a sample rate other than None to librosa (even if it's the native SR of the audio), speeds seem to be comparabe (MacOS, SSD)

Using humpback recording and sr=22050:
soundfile r: 3.250004768371582 librosa r: 3.225004196166992