WLED on ESP32 – Setup Guide (with Audio Reactive)

DroneBot Workshop September 28, 2025
Video Thumbnail
DroneBot Workshop Logo

DroneBot Workshop

@dronebotworkshop

About

Welcome to the Workshop! The DroneBot Workshop is the place where I work with Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP32, and lots of other cool microcontrollers, components, and sensors. This is a channel for learning and understanding. While I do build projects, most episodes focus on showing you HOW things work, so you can use the information to bring your own designs to life. Every video has a corresponding article on my website at https://dronebotworkshop.com , along with the diagrams and code samples you’ll need to build your own creations. You can also participate in discussions on my Forum at https://forum.dronebotworkshop.com. Please note that I no longer do any sponsored videos, enquiries for these will be ignored! If you'd like to know more about me or the DroneBot Workshop you can read the FAQ at https://dronebotworkshop.com/about-dronebot-workshop/faq/ And if you have technical questions please ask them on the Forum. Welcome to the Workshop! I hope you enjoy your stay! Bill

Video Description

We’re making LED Strips dance to the music with WLED and an ESP32! Get started right away, no code required! Article: https://dronebotworkshop.com/wled/ More articles and tutorials: https://dronebotworkshop.com Join the conversation on the forum: https://forum.dronebotworkshop.com Subscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: https://dronebotworkshop.com/subscribe/ WLED is an incredible open-source project that turns an ESP32 into a sophisticated LED strip light controller. Capable of working with virtually any type and size of LED strip, this versatile product can be installed and configured without requiring a single line of code. And even better- you can control it with an app, a web-based interface, or even use it with Home Assistant and Alexa! Today, we will learn everything required for a successful WLED project. We’ll determine the best type of ESP32 for our situation and learn how to select the correct LED strip. Then we will install WLED using its web-based installer and configure it to drive both a NeoPixel LED Strip and an 8x8 addressable LED array. We’ll also add “Audio Reactive” capability to our setup using a small and inexpensive I2S microphone. Perfect for dancing to the music! Here is the Table of Contents of today's colorful episode: 00:00 - Introduction 01:11 - WLED 03:06 - Selecting an ESP32 06:40 - Installing WLED on ESP32 10:23 - Selecting LED Strips 18:34 - Hooking Everything Up 25:32 - WLED Setup & Demos 30:32 - Audio Reactive WLED 34:00 - Audio Reactive WLED Demo 35:33 - Conclusion Whether you want to control a single strip or thousands of addressable LEDs, WLED is up to the task. I’m sure you’ll have fun with this project, and I hope you enjoy the video! Bill

Light Up Your Projects

AI-recommended products based on this video

Loading...
Ksipze led Lights Strip for Bedroom 100FT,Smart Music Sync RGB Color Changing with App and Remote Control, Power Supply Led Strip Lights Lumiere LED for Room Home Party Decoration
Best Seller

Ksipze led Lights Strip for Bedroom 100FT,Smart Music Sync RGB Color Changing with App and Remote Control, Power Supply Led Strip Lights Lumiere LED for Room Home Party Decoration

(4,149)
$17.99
FREE delivery Sun, Oct 19 on your first order
3K+ bought in past month
Loading...
9V Battery Powered Led Kayak Strip Lights, 2 Pcs 6.56 FT RGB Color Changing Paddleboard SUP Canoes Lights, IP68 Waterproof Marine Submersible Boat Light Strip with Remote, Marine Boat Interior Light.

9V Battery Powered Led Kayak Strip Lights, 2 Pcs 6.56 FT RGB Color Changing Paddleboard SUP Canoes Lights, IP68 Waterproof Marine Submersible Boat Light Strip with Remote, Marine Boat Interior Light.

(0)
$45.99
FREE delivery Mon, Jul 7
Loading...
Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.4 Headphones, Noise Canceling Ear Buds with 75hr Playtime, LED Power Display, IPX7 Waterproof Earphones Over Ear Earphones for Sports/Workouts

Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.4 Headphones, Noise Canceling Ear Buds with 75hr Playtime, LED Power Display, IPX7 Waterproof Earphones Over Ear Earphones for Sports/Workouts

(87)
$29.99
FREE delivery Fri, Feb 13 on your first order
300+ bought in past month
Loading...
Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.4 Headphones, Noise Canceling Ear Buds with 75hr Playtime, LED Power Display, IPX7 Waterproof Earphones Over Ear Earphones for Sports/Workouts

Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.4 Headphones, Noise Canceling Ear Buds with 75hr Playtime, LED Power Display, IPX7 Waterproof Earphones Over Ear Earphones for Sports/Workouts

(142)
$29.99
FREE delivery Mon, Feb 2 on your first order
1K+ bought in past month
Loading...
HAOYUYAN Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.3 Headphones with 80H Playback, IPX7 Waterproof Over Ear Buds with LED Power Display for Sports Running Workouts - Rose Gold

HAOYUYAN Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.3 Headphones with 80H Playback, IPX7 Waterproof Over Ear Buds with LED Power Display for Sports Running Workouts - Rose Gold

(8)
$27.99
Prime
400+ bought in past month
Loading...
HAOYUYAN Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.3 Headphones with 80H Playback, IPX7 Waterproof Over Ear Buds with LED Power Display for Sports Running Workouts - Black

HAOYUYAN Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.3 Headphones with 80H Playback, IPX7 Waterproof Over Ear Buds with LED Power Display for Sports Running Workouts - Black

(961)
$27.99
Prime
2K+ bought in past month
Loading...
3Pack USB C Charger for iPhone 15 16,10FT+6FT USB C Cable and USB C Charger Blcok for iPhone 16 15 Pro/15 Pro Max/15 Plus, Long iPhone 16 15 Fast Charging Cable for iPad Pro12.9/11,iPad Air,iPad mini

3Pack USB C Charger for iPhone 15 16,10FT+6FT USB C Cable and USB C Charger Blcok for iPhone 16 15 Pro/15 Pro Max/15 Plus, Long iPhone 16 15 Fast Charging Cable for iPad Pro12.9/11,iPad Air,iPad mini

(7,956)
$17.59$16.36
FREE delivery Sat, Jun 14 on your first order
2K+ bought in past month
Loading...
UGREEN USB to USB C Adapter & USB C to USB Adapter Combo 4-Pack, 10Gbps Type-C Converter, Car Charger Compatible with MacBook Pro, iPad Mac mini, iPhone 17/16, Galaxy, PC/Laptop, Hard Drive Enclosure

UGREEN USB to USB C Adapter & USB C to USB Adapter Combo 4-Pack, 10Gbps Type-C Converter, Car Charger Compatible with MacBook Pro, iPad Mac mini, iPhone 17/16, Galaxy, PC/Laptop, Hard Drive Enclosure

(86)
$9.74
Prime
Loading...
Elebase USB to USB C Adapter 4 Pack,USBC Female to A Male Car Charger,Type C Converter for iPhone 16 Pro Max,15 14 13 12 11 Plus,Apple Watch iWatch 10 9 8,Airpods,iPad Air Mini 6 7,Samsung Galaxy S25

Elebase USB to USB C Adapter 4 Pack,USBC Female to A Male Car Charger,Type C Converter for iPhone 16 Pro Max,15 14 13 12 11 Plus,Apple Watch iWatch 10 9 8,Airpods,iPad Air Mini 6 7,Samsung Galaxy S25

(54,858)
$12.99
FREE delivery Sat, Jun 14 on your first order
1K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Nulaxy Bluetooth FM Transmitter for Car, Upgraded QC3.0 & 5V 1A Dual USB Charger Bluetooth Car Adapter Wireless Radio, 7-Color LED Backlit Light, Hands-Free Calling, Support USB Drive TF Card - NX10

Nulaxy Bluetooth FM Transmitter for Car, Upgraded QC3.0 & 5V 1A Dual USB Charger Bluetooth Car Adapter Wireless Radio, 7-Color LED Backlit Light, Hands-Free Calling, Support USB Drive TF Card - NX10

(18,436)
$18.69$17.38
FREE delivery Sat, Jan 3 on your first order
1K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Ksipze led Lights Strip for Bedroom 100FT,Smart Music Sync RGB Color Changing with App and Remote Control, Power Supply Led Strip Lights Lumiere LED for Room Home Party Decoration
Best Seller

Ksipze led Lights Strip for Bedroom 100FT,Smart Music Sync RGB Color Changing with App and Remote Control, Power Supply Led Strip Lights Lumiere LED for Room Home Party Decoration

(4,149)
$17.99
FREE delivery Sun, Oct 19 on your first order
3K+ bought in past month
Loading...
9V Battery Powered Led Kayak Strip Lights, 2 Pcs 6.56 FT RGB Color Changing Paddleboard SUP Canoes Lights, IP68 Waterproof Marine Submersible Boat Light Strip with Remote, Marine Boat Interior Light.

9V Battery Powered Led Kayak Strip Lights, 2 Pcs 6.56 FT RGB Color Changing Paddleboard SUP Canoes Lights, IP68 Waterproof Marine Submersible Boat Light Strip with Remote, Marine Boat Interior Light.

(0)
$45.99
FREE delivery Mon, Jul 7
Loading...
2 Pack Controller Battery Pack Rechargeable for Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S with 4 Battery Cover Xbox Play and Charge Kit with Micro USB Charging Cable for Xbox One S/X/Elite Controller

2 Pack Controller Battery Pack Rechargeable for Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S with 4 Battery Cover Xbox Play and Charge Kit with Micro USB Charging Cable for Xbox One S/X/Elite Controller

(355)
$36.99
FREE delivery Sun, Aug 24
Loading...
2 Pack Rechargeable Controller Battery Pack for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One with 10FT USB C Charging Cable and Micro USB Adapter 6amLifestyle Battery Pack Xbox Play and Charge Kit

2 Pack Rechargeable Controller Battery Pack for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One with 10FT USB C Charging Cable and Micro USB Adapter 6amLifestyle Battery Pack Xbox Play and Charge Kit

(4,379)
$34.99
FREE delivery Sun, Jun 15 on your first order
Loading...
Multi Charging Cable, Multi Charger Cable 3 in 1 Charger Fast Charge Multiple Ends 4FT Braided Universal Charging Cord with USB C Micro Lightning Cord for iPhone iPad Samsung Android Phone Tablet Global Recycled Standard

Multi Charging Cable, Multi Charger Cable 3 in 1 Charger Fast Charge Multiple Ends 4FT Braided Universal Charging Cord with USB C Micro Lightning Cord for iPhone iPad Samsung Android Phone Tablet Global Recycled Standard

(41)
$8.99
FREE delivery Sun, Oct 5 on your first order
600+ bought in past month
Loading...
LED Desk Lamp with Dual Heads, Height Adjustable, USB Charging Port, 5 Light Modes & Dimmable Brightness, Bedside Lamp for Reading, Crafting, Work, Study (White, 15W)

LED Desk Lamp with Dual Heads, Height Adjustable, USB Charging Port, 5 Light Modes & Dimmable Brightness, Bedside Lamp for Reading, Crafting, Work, Study (White, 15W)

(3,090)
$20.99
FREE delivery Sat, Jun 14 on your first order