diff --git a/examples/osgmovie/osgmovie.cpp b/examples/osgmovie/osgmovie.cpp
index 803505f88..23961e776 100644
--- a/examples/osgmovie/osgmovie.cpp
+++ b/examples/osgmovie/osgmovie.cpp
@@ -383,16 +383,21 @@ class SDLAudioSink : public osg::AudioSink
     public:
 
         SDLAudioSink(osg::AudioStream* audioStream):
-            _playing(false),
+            _started(false),
+            _paused(false),
             _audioStream(audioStream) {}
 
         ~SDLAudioSink();
 
-        virtual void startPlaying();
-        virtual bool playing() const { return _playing; }
+        virtual void play();
+        virtual void pause();
+        virtual void stop();
+
+        virtual bool playing() const { return _started && !_paused; }
 
 
-        bool                                _playing;
+        bool                                _started;
+        bool                                _paused;
         osg::observer_ptr<osg::AudioStream> _audioStream;
 };
 
@@ -670,19 +675,24 @@ static void soundReadCallback(void * user_data, uint8_t * data, int datalen)
 
 SDLAudioSink::~SDLAudioSink()
 {
-    if (_playing)
-    {
-
-        SDL_PauseAudio(1);
-        SDL_CloseAudio();
-
-        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"~SDLAudioSink() destructor, but still playing"<<std::endl;
-    }
+    stop();
 }
 
-void SDLAudioSink::startPlaying()
+void SDLAudioSink::play()
 {
-    _playing = true;
+    if (_started)
+    {
+        if (_paused)
+        {
+            SDL_PauseAudio(0);
+            _paused = false;
+        }
+        return;
+    }
+
+    _started = true;
+    _paused = false;
+
     osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"SDLAudioSink()::startPlaying()"<<std::endl;
 
     osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"  audioFrequency()="<<_audioStream->audioFrequency()<<std::endl;
@@ -707,6 +717,25 @@ void SDLAudioSink::startPlaying()
 
 }
 
+void SDLAudioSink::pause()
+{
+    if (_started)
+    {
+        SDL_PauseAudio(1);
+        _paused = true;
+    }
+}
+
+void SDLAudioSink::stop()
+{
+    if (_started)
+    {
+        if (!_paused) SDL_PauseAudio(1);
+        SDL_CloseAudio();
+
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"~SDLAudioSink() destructor, but still playing"<<std::endl;
+    }
+}
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/include/osg/AudioStream b/include/osg/AudioStream
index 1ad20d275..989c99e3a 100644
--- a/include/osg/AudioStream
+++ b/include/osg/AudioStream
@@ -26,14 +26,18 @@ public:
 
     AudioSink();
 
-    virtual void startPlaying() = 0;
+    virtual const char * libraryName() const { return "osg"; }
+    virtual const char * className() const { return "AudioSinkInterface"; }
+
+    virtual void play() = 0;
+    virtual void pause()  = 0;
+    virtual void stop()  = 0;
+
     virtual bool playing() const = 0;
 
     virtual double getDelay() const { return _delay; }
     virtual void setDelay(const double delay) { _delay = delay; }
 
-    virtual const char * libraryName() const { return "osgFFmpeg"; }
-    virtual const char * className() const { return "AudioSinkInterface"; }
 
 private:
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderAudio.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderAudio.cpp
index 7579b5854..bf67ae1c6 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderAudio.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoderAudio.cpp
@@ -91,10 +91,15 @@ void FFmpegDecoderAudio::open(AVStream * const stream)
 
 void FFmpegDecoderAudio::pause(bool pause)
 {
-    if(pause)
-        m_paused = true;
-    else
-        m_paused = false;
+    if (pause != m_paused)
+    {
+        m_paused = pause;
+        if (m_audio_sink.valid())
+        {
+            if (m_paused) m_audio_sink->pause();
+            else m_audio_sink->play();
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 void FFmpegDecoderAudio::close(bool waitForThreadToExit)
@@ -183,7 +188,7 @@ void FFmpegDecoderAudio::decodeLoop()
     if (! skip_audio && ! m_audio_sink->playing())
     {
         m_clocks.audioSetDelay(m_audio_sink->getDelay());
-        m_audio_sink->startPlaying();
+        m_audio_sink->play();
     }
     else
     {
diff --git a/src/osgWrappers/osg/AudioStream.cpp b/src/osgWrappers/osg/AudioStream.cpp
index c73529ca9..de138b27d 100644
--- a/src/osgWrappers/osg/AudioStream.cpp
+++ b/src/osgWrappers/osg/AudioStream.cpp
@@ -28,9 +28,29 @@ BEGIN_ABSTRACT_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osg::AudioSink)
 	I_Constructor0(____AudioSink,
 	               "",
 	               "");
-	I_Method0(void, startPlaying,
+	I_Method0(const char *, libraryName,
+	          Properties::VIRTUAL,
+	          __C5_char_P1__libraryName,
+	          "return the name of the object's library. ",
+	          "Must be defined by derived classes. The OpenSceneGraph convention is that the namespace of a library is the same as the library name. ");
+	I_Method0(const char *, className,
+	          Properties::VIRTUAL,
+	          __C5_char_P1__className,
+	          "return the name of the object's class type. ",
+	          "Must be defined by derived classes. ");
+	I_Method0(void, play,
 	          Properties::PURE_VIRTUAL,
-	          __void__startPlaying,
+	          __void__play,
+	          "",
+	          "");
+	I_Method0(void, pause,
+	          Properties::PURE_VIRTUAL,
+	          __void__pause,
+	          "",
+	          "");
+	I_Method0(void, stop,
+	          Properties::PURE_VIRTUAL,
+	          __void__stop,
 	          "",
 	          "");
 	I_Method0(bool, playing,
@@ -48,16 +68,6 @@ BEGIN_ABSTRACT_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osg::AudioSink)
 	          __void__setDelay__C5_double,
 	          "",
 	          "");
-	I_Method0(const char *, libraryName,
-	          Properties::VIRTUAL,
-	          __C5_char_P1__libraryName,
-	          "return the name of the object's library. ",
-	          "Must be defined by derived classes. The OpenSceneGraph convention is that the namespace of a library is the same as the library name. ");
-	I_Method0(const char *, className,
-	          Properties::VIRTUAL,
-	          __C5_char_P1__className,
-	          "return the name of the object's class type. ",
-	          "Must be defined by derived classes. ");
 	I_SimpleProperty(double, Delay, 
 	                 __double__getDelay, 
 	                 0);