the act of reproducing recorded sound
"he was allowed to hear the playback of his testimony"
electronic equipment comprising the part of a tape recorder that reproduces the recorded material
"The playback mechanism on his vintage tape deck was worn out, causing the music to sound scratchy and distorted."
The replaying of something previously recorded, especially sound or moving images.
"The audience waited in silence as the technician initiated the playback of the concert footage from last night."
In plain English: Playback is when you listen to recorded audio, such as music from your phone.
"The playback sounded perfect after we made all the necessary adjustments to the audio levels."
Usage: Playback refers specifically to the act of playing back a recording rather than performing live material in real time. Use this term when discussing audio files, video clips, or other media that are being retransmitted from storage instead of generated anew at the moment.
The word playback is a straightforward compound of "play" and "back." It was first used to describe the act of playing recorded sound or film again after it has been performed once.