Is there a way get something like decibel levels from an audio file and transform that information into a json array?

Question

So that I can use the information to coordinate a page animation like making elements brighter as the decibel levels get higher

Answer 1

This approach will work in Chrome / Safari:

+function(){
  
  var ctx = new AudioContext()
    , url = 'https://cf-media.sndcdn.com/OfjMZo27DlvH.128.mp3?Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOlt7IlJlc291cmNlIjoiKjovL2NmLW1lZGlhLnNuZGNkbi5jb20vT2ZqTVpvMjdEbHZILjEyOC5tcDMiLCJDb25kaXRpb24iOnsiRGF0ZUxlc3NUaGFuIjp7IkFXUzpFcG9jaFRpbWUiOjE1MTUwNDM5Njd9fX1dfQ__&Signature=FfmL2qUssAKs3Z7EPoYo0Yq8-SAg8rKLPs65EasXwuVkfsOB4joFqeCvVR2elpaG-lJaV4hXpXFiRCDWXNOYyAtO4Oz~sexiPwIoSk8-jWiVbGQRS8TMmUmj7TJzxemMOIj7ugWJKk6PHsrUdgqs9woDpHzxmkGCzk6sfqJEIsdeZJ4rWUFAh4iGWn9M6b0xfzTgndAJmytkNj9raCpWCBVmdr5u-r9nt~q5uF1easNSW9oaFilM4s1Hq2ei~VJye8zW9bzvrGm8idVdy-tiPeMWAKcE8J2VuaS1Ret6jRTRaHTDuiNgA5sZvgTzNpEpKtWI7UmAWI5TrqNVSlxpgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJAGZ7VMH2PFPW6UQ'  
    , audio = new Audio(url)
    // 2048 sample buffer, 1 channel in, 1 channel out  
    , processor = ctx.createScriptProcessor(2048, 1, 1)
    , meter = document.getElementById('meter')
    , source
    
  audio.crossOrigin = 'anonymous'

  audio.addEventListener('canplaythrough', function(){
    source = ctx.createMediaElementSource(audio)
    source.connect(processor)
    source.connect(ctx.destination)
    processor.connect(ctx.destination)
    audio.play()
  }, false);
  
  // loop through PCM data and calculate average
  // volume for a given 2048 sample buffer
  processor.onaudioprocess = function(evt){
    var input = evt.inputBuffer.getChannelData(0)
      , len = input.length   
      , total = i = 0
      , rms
    while ( i < len ) total += Math.abs( input[i++] )
    rms = Math.sqrt( total / len )
    meter.style.width = ( rms * 100 ) + '%'
  }
  
}()

#meter {
  width: 0%;
  height: 15px;
  margin: 2px 0;
  background: green;
  -webkit-transition: width .05s;
}

<div id="meter"></div>

The important stuff happens here:

processor.onaudioprocess = function(evt){
  var input = evt.inputBuffer.getChannelData(0)
    , len = input.length   
    , total = i = 0
    , rms
  while ( i < len ) total += Math.abs( input[i++] )
  rms = Math.sqrt( total / len )
  meter.style.width = ( rms * 100 ) + '%' 
}

Basically, you grab the raw PCM data (values from -1 to 1) every 2048 samples and you loop through them, calculating the average signal level over the given period of time.

You can then use that value to do your animations.

Edit: Updated to use RMS, which as Jason pointed out is a more meaningful measurement.