In addition to all the other (excellent!) sibling replies, I’d like to add that there are some cases in which audio is impractical. e.g. I often see reference g

In addition to all the other (excellent!) sibling replies, I’d like to add that there are some cases in which audio is impractical. e.g. I often see reference grammars of obscure languages use IPA transcription, especially when there is no standard orthography and the language uses a lot of unusual sounds. In those cases, IPA is often the only feasible option.