What is /dev/snd in Linux?

This is more about my first experience where ChatGPT brought up useful information faster than my search on DuckDuckGo.

I asked ChatGPT:

What is /dev/snd in linux?

It’s response to that was:

In Linux, /dev/snd is the directory that contains devices that are associated with sound input and output. These devices can include audio and MIDI hardware, as well as software-based audio devices. The devices in this directory are usually managed by the kernel’s sound driver subsystem, and can be accessed by userspace programs to play and record audio.

For example, /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p is a device that represents a PCM audio device, and /dev/snd/controlC0 is a device that allows you to control the audio hardware. You can use tools like aplay and arecord to play and record audio through these devices.

It’s worth noting that the layout and naming conventions for sound devices in /dev/snd can vary depending on the Linux distribution and the specific hardware being used. Some distributions may use a different directory or naming scheme for sound devices.

The same question put into DDG just brought up results on different questions, like “What is /dev”, “What is /dev/sda”, etc.