diff --git a/mini_al.h b/mini_al.h
index 18dd3b40..45bfc520 100644
--- a/mini_al.h
+++ b/mini_al.h
@@ -1435,6 +1435,12 @@ void mal_mutex_unlock(mal_mutex* pMutex);
 //
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+// Retrieves a friendly name for a backend.
+const char* mal_get_backend_name(mal_backend backend);
+
+// Retrieves a friendly name for a format.
+const char* mal_get_format_name(mal_format format);
+
 // Blends two frames in floating point format.
 void mal_blend_f32(float* pOut, float* pInA, float* pInB, float factor, mal_uint32 channels);
 
@@ -10287,6 +10293,39 @@ mal_uint32 mal_convert_frames(void* pOut, mal_format formatOut, mal_uint32 chann
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+const char* mal_get_backend_name(mal_backend backend)
+{
+    switch (backend)
+    {
+        case mal_backend_null:      return "Null";
+        case mal_backend_wasapi:    return "WASAPI";
+        case mal_backend_dsound:    return "DirectSound";
+        case mal_backend_winmm:     return "WinMM";
+        case mal_backend_alsa:      return "ALSA";
+        //case mal_backend_pulse:     return "PulseAudio";
+        //case mal_backend_jack:      return "JACK";
+        //case mal_backend_coreaudio: return "Core Audio";
+        case mal_backend_oss:       return "OSS";
+        case mal_backend_opensl:    return "OpenSL|ES";
+        case mal_backend_openal:    return "OpenAL";
+        default:                    return "Unknown";
+    }
+}
+
+const char* mal_get_format_name(mal_format format)
+{
+    switch (format)
+    {
+        case mal_format_unknown: return "Unknown";
+        case mal_format_u8:      return "8-bit Unsigned Integer";
+        case mal_format_s16:     return "16-bit Signed Integer";
+        case mal_format_s24:     return "24-bit Signed Integer (Tightly Packed)";
+        case mal_format_s32:     return "32-bit Signed Integer";
+        case mal_format_f32:     return "32-bit IEEE Floating Point";
+        default:                 return "Invalid";
+    }
+}
+
 void mal_blend_f32(float* pOut, float* pInA, float* pInB, float factor, mal_uint32 channels)
 {
     for (mal_uint32 i = 0; i < channels; ++i) {