diff --git a/crates/sound/src/lib.rs b/crates/sound/src/lib.rs
index 3c73338..fb3b176 100644
--- a/crates/sound/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/sound/src/lib.rs
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ pub struct SoundConfig {
 impl SoundConfig {
     /// Create a new instance of the SoundConfig struct, containing the
     /// parameters to be fed into the sound-backend server.
-    pub fn new(socket: String, multi_thread: bool) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(socket: String, multi_thread: bool, audio_backend_name: String) -> Self {
         Self {
             socket,
             multi_thread,
-            audio_backend_name: "null".to_string(),
+            audio_backend_name,
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/sound/src/main.rs b/crates/sound/src/main.rs
index 542fdb6..7f3c844 100644
--- a/crates/sound/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/sound/src/main.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ struct SoundArgs {
     /// vhost-user Unix domain socket path.
     #[clap(long)]
     socket: String,
+    /// audio backend to be used (supported: null)
+    #[clap(long)]
+    backend: String,
 }
 
 impl TryFrom<SoundArgs> for SoundConfig {
@@ -19,8 +22,9 @@ impl TryFrom<SoundArgs> for SoundConfig {
 
     fn try_from(cmd_args: SoundArgs) -> Result<Self> {
         let socket = cmd_args.socket.trim().to_string();
+        let backend = cmd_args.backend.trim().to_string();
 
-        Ok(SoundConfig::new(socket, false))
+        Ok(SoundConfig::new(socket, false, backend))
     }
 }
 
@@ -43,6 +47,7 @@ mod tests {
         fn from_args(socket: &str) -> Self {
             SoundArgs {
                 socket: socket.to_string(),
+                backend: "null".to_string(),
             }
         }
     }