diff --git a/docs/about/deprecated.rst b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
index cf02ef6821e4..7ba71ebd3435 100644
--- a/docs/about/deprecated.rst
+++ b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
@@ -39,15 +39,6 @@ should specify an ``audiodev=`` property.  Additionally, when using
 vnc, you should specify an ``audiodev=`` property if you plan to
 transmit audio through the VNC protocol.
 
-Creating sound card devices using ``-soundhw`` (since 5.1)
-''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
-
-Sound card devices should be created using ``-device`` instead.  The
-names are the same for most devices.  The exceptions are ``hda`` which
-needs two devices (``-device intel-hda -device hda-duplex``) and
-``pcspk`` which can be activated using ``-machine
-pcspk-audiodev=<name>``.
-
 ``-chardev`` backend aliases ``tty`` and ``parport`` (since 6.0)
 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
 
diff --git a/docs/about/removed-features.rst b/docs/about/removed-features.rst
index 4b831ea29176..086ba3edb042 100644
--- a/docs/about/removed-features.rst
+++ b/docs/about/removed-features.rst
@@ -336,6 +336,16 @@ for the RISC-V ``virt`` machine and ``sifive_u`` machine.
 The ``-no-quit`` was a synonym for ``-display ...,window-close=off`` which
 should be used instead.
 
+Creating sound card devices using ``-soundhw`` (removed in 7.1)
+'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
+
+Sound card devices should be created using ``-device`` instead.  The
+names are the same for most devices.  The exceptions are ``hda`` which
+needs two devices (``-device intel-hda -device hda-duplex``) and
+``pcspk`` which can be activated using ``-machine
+pcspk-audiodev=<name>``.  And ``AC97`` and ``ES1370`` now have to be
+specified in uppercase.
+
 
 QEMU Machine Protocol (QMP) commands
 ------------------------------------
diff --git a/docs/qdev-device-use.txt b/docs/qdev-device-use.txt
index 240888933482..30e7eaa3e66d 100644
--- a/docs/qdev-device-use.txt
+++ b/docs/qdev-device-use.txt
@@ -311,21 +311,16 @@ constraints.
 
 Host and guest part of audio devices have always been separate.
 
-The old way to define guest audio devices is -soundhw C1,...
+Host side (backend) is defined using -audiodev with a specific driver:
 
-The new way is to define each guest audio device separately with
--device.
+    spice
+    pa
+    none
 
-Map from -soundhw sound card name to -device:
-
-    ac97        -device AC97
-    cs4231a     -device cs4231a,iobase=IOADDR,irq=IRQ,dma=DMA
-    es1370      -device ES1370
-    gus         -device gus,iobase=IOADDR,irq=IRQ,dma=DMA,freq=F
-    hda         -device intel-hda,msi=MSI -device hda-duplex
-    sb16        -device sb16,iobase=IOADDR,irq=IRQ,dma=DMA,dma16=DMA16,version=V
-    adlib       not yet available with -device
-    pcspk       not yet available with -device
+And each guest audio device is then defined with -device with
+audiodev=AUDIODEV_ID that refers to the audio backend above.  Exceptions are
+pcspk and adlib which are note yet available with -device and are part of a
+machine type.
 
 For PCI devices, you can add bus=PCI-BUS,addr=DEVFN to control the PCI
 device address, as usual.
diff --git a/docs/replay.txt b/docs/replay.txt
index 5b008ca4911f..c329767c148a 100644
--- a/docs/replay.txt
+++ b/docs/replay.txt
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ Audio devices
 
 Audio data is recorded and replay automatically. The command line for recording
 and replaying must contain identical specifications of audio hardware, e.g.:
- -soundhw ac97
+ -audiodev driver=pa -device ac97,audiodev=audio0
 
 Serial ports
 ------------
diff --git a/hw/audio/ac97.c b/hw/audio/ac97.c
index 3cb81310607f..fd0b3b97d5b5 100644
--- a/hw/audio/ac97.c
+++ b/hw/audio/ac97.c
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
 #include "hw/pci/pci.h"
 #include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
@@ -1430,8 +1429,6 @@ static const TypeInfo ac97_info = {
 static void ac97_register_types (void)
 {
     type_register_static (&ac97_info);
-    deprecated_register_soundhw("ac97", "Intel 82801AA AC97 Audio",
-                                0, TYPE_AC97);
 }
 
 type_init (ac97_register_types)
diff --git a/hw/audio/adlib.c b/hw/audio/adlib.c
index 5f979b1487d1..ba1be6c8378d 100644
--- a/hw/audio/adlib.c
+++ b/hw/audio/adlib.c
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qemu/module.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
 #include "hw/isa/isa.h"
 #include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
@@ -322,7 +321,6 @@ static const TypeInfo adlib_info = {
 static void adlib_register_types (void)
 {
     type_register_static (&adlib_info);
-    deprecated_register_soundhw("adlib", ADLIB_DESC, 1, TYPE_ADLIB);
 }
 
 type_init (adlib_register_types)
diff --git a/hw/audio/cs4231a.c b/hw/audio/cs4231a.c
index 0723e3943044..f510b862efbe 100644
--- a/hw/audio/cs4231a.c
+++ b/hw/audio/cs4231a.c
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
 #include "hw/irq.h"
 #include "hw/isa/isa.h"
@@ -717,7 +716,6 @@ static const TypeInfo cs4231a_info = {
 static void cs4231a_register_types (void)
 {
     type_register_static (&cs4231a_info);
-    deprecated_register_soundhw("cs4231a", "CS4231A", 1, TYPE_CS4231A);
 }
 
 type_init (cs4231a_register_types)
diff --git a/hw/audio/es1370.c b/hw/audio/es1370.c
index 690458981471..62359b84f279 100644
--- a/hw/audio/es1370.c
+++ b/hw/audio/es1370.c
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 #define SILENT_ES1370
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
 #include "hw/pci/pci.h"
 #include "migration/vmstate.h"
@@ -923,8 +922,6 @@ static const TypeInfo es1370_info = {
 static void es1370_register_types (void)
 {
     type_register_static (&es1370_info);
-    deprecated_register_soundhw("es1370", "ENSONIQ AudioPCI ES1370",
-                                0, TYPE_ES1370);
 }
 
 type_init (es1370_register_types)
diff --git a/hw/audio/gus.c b/hw/audio/gus.c
index 42f010b67193..c7710a684b88 100644
--- a/hw/audio/gus.c
+++ b/hw/audio/gus.c
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qemu/module.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
 #include "hw/irq.h"
 #include "hw/isa/isa.h"
@@ -317,7 +316,6 @@ static const TypeInfo gus_info = {
 static void gus_register_types (void)
 {
     type_register_static (&gus_info);
-    deprecated_register_soundhw("gus", "Gravis Ultrasound GF1", 1, TYPE_GUS);
 }
 
 type_init (gus_register_types)
diff --git a/hw/audio/intel-hda.c b/hw/audio/intel-hda.c
index bc77e3d8c9dc..e77552363a4c 100644
--- a/hw/audio/intel-hda.c
+++ b/hw/audio/intel-hda.c
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 #include "qemu/log.h"
 #include "qemu/module.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
 #include "intel-hda.h"
 #include "migration/vmstate.h"
 #include "intel-hda-defs.h"
@@ -1307,25 +1306,6 @@ static const TypeInfo hda_codec_device_type_info = {
     .class_init = hda_codec_device_class_init,
 };
 
-/*
- * create intel hda controller with codec attached to it,
- * so '-soundhw hda' works.
- */
-static int intel_hda_and_codec_init(PCIBus *bus)
-{
-    DeviceState *controller;
-    BusState *hdabus;
-    DeviceState *codec;
-
-    warn_report("'-soundhw hda' is deprecated, "
-                "please use '-device intel-hda -device hda-duplex' instead");
-    controller = DEVICE(pci_create_simple(bus, -1, "intel-hda"));
-    hdabus = QLIST_FIRST(&controller->child_bus);
-    codec = qdev_new("hda-duplex");
-    qdev_realize_and_unref(codec, hdabus, &error_fatal);
-    return 0;
-}
-
 static void intel_hda_register_types(void)
 {
     type_register_static(&hda_codec_bus_info);
@@ -1333,7 +1313,6 @@ static void intel_hda_register_types(void)
     type_register_static(&intel_hda_info_ich6);
     type_register_static(&intel_hda_info_ich9);
     type_register_static(&hda_codec_device_type_info);
-    pci_register_soundhw("hda", "Intel HD Audio", intel_hda_and_codec_init);
 }
 
 type_init(intel_hda_register_types)
diff --git a/hw/audio/meson.build b/hw/audio/meson.build
index e48a9fc73d57..746b5b98d198 100644
--- a/hw/audio/meson.build
+++ b/hw/audio/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-softmmu_ss.add(files('soundhw.c'))
 softmmu_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_AC97', if_true: files('ac97.c'))
 softmmu_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_ADLIB', if_true: files('fmopl.c', 'adlib.c'))
 softmmu_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_CS4231', if_true: files('cs4231.c'))
diff --git a/hw/audio/pcspk.c b/hw/audio/pcspk.c
index dfc7ebca4e17..72bea5fb202a 100644
--- a/hw/audio/pcspk.c
+++ b/hw/audio/pcspk.c
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "hw/isa/isa.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
 #include "qemu/module.h"
 #include "qemu/timer.h"
@@ -245,18 +244,8 @@ static const TypeInfo pcspk_info = {
     .class_init     = pcspk_class_initfn,
 };
 
-static int pcspk_audio_init_soundhw(ISABus *bus)
-{
-    PCSpkState *s = pcspk_state;
-
-    warn_report("'-soundhw pcspk' is deprecated, "
-                "please set a backend using '-machine pcspk-audiodev=<name>' instead");
-    return pcspk_audio_init(s);
-}
-
 static void pcspk_register(void)
 {
     type_register_static(&pcspk_info);
-    isa_register_soundhw("pcspk", "PC speaker", pcspk_audio_init_soundhw);
 }
 type_init(pcspk_register)
diff --git a/hw/audio/sb16.c b/hw/audio/sb16.c
index 2215386ddb2e..593da2478c14 100644
--- a/hw/audio/sb16.c
+++ b/hw/audio/sb16.c
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
 #include "hw/irq.h"
 #include "hw/isa/isa.h"
@@ -1469,8 +1468,6 @@ static const TypeInfo sb16_info = {
 static void sb16_register_types (void)
 {
     type_register_static (&sb16_info);
-    deprecated_register_soundhw("sb16", "Creative Sound Blaster 16",
-                                1, TYPE_SB16);
 }
 
 type_init (sb16_register_types)
diff --git a/hw/audio/soundhw.c b/hw/audio/soundhw.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 173b674ff53a..000000000000
--- a/hw/audio/soundhw.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,177 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * QEMU System Emulator
- *
- * Copyright (c) 2003-2008 Fabrice Bellard
- *
- * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
- * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
- * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
- * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
- * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
- * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
- *
- * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
- * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
- *
- * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
- * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
- * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
- * THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
- * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
- * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
- * THE SOFTWARE.
- */
-#include "qemu/osdep.h"
-#include "qemu/option.h"
-#include "qemu/help_option.h"
-#include "qemu/error-report.h"
-#include "qom/object.h"
-#include "hw/isa/isa.h"
-#include "hw/pci/pci.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
-
-struct soundhw {
-    const char *name;
-    const char *descr;
-    const char *typename;
-    int enabled;
-    int isa;
-    union {
-        int (*init_isa) (ISABus *bus);
-        int (*init_pci) (PCIBus *bus);
-    } init;
-};
-
-static struct soundhw soundhw[9];
-static int soundhw_count;
-
-void isa_register_soundhw(const char *name, const char *descr,
-                          int (*init_isa)(ISABus *bus))
-{
-    assert(soundhw_count < ARRAY_SIZE(soundhw) - 1);
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].name = name;
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].descr = descr;
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].isa = 1;
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].init.init_isa = init_isa;
-    soundhw_count++;
-}
-
-void pci_register_soundhw(const char *name, const char *descr,
-                          int (*init_pci)(PCIBus *bus))
-{
-    assert(soundhw_count < ARRAY_SIZE(soundhw) - 1);
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].name = name;
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].descr = descr;
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].isa = 0;
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].init.init_pci = init_pci;
-    soundhw_count++;
-}
-
-void deprecated_register_soundhw(const char *name, const char *descr,
-                                 int isa, const char *typename)
-{
-    assert(soundhw_count < ARRAY_SIZE(soundhw) - 1);
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].name = name;
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].descr = descr;
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].isa = isa;
-    soundhw[soundhw_count].typename = typename;
-    soundhw_count++;
-}
-
-void select_soundhw(const char *optarg)
-{
-    struct soundhw *c;
-
-    if (is_help_option(optarg)) {
-    show_valid_cards:
-
-        if (soundhw_count) {
-             printf("Valid sound card names (comma separated):\n");
-             for (c = soundhw; c->name; ++c) {
-                 printf ("%-11s %s\n", c->name, c->descr);
-             }
-             printf("\n-soundhw all will enable all of the above\n");
-        } else {
-             printf("Machine has no user-selectable audio hardware "
-                    "(it may or may not have always-present audio hardware).\n");
-        }
-        exit(!is_help_option(optarg));
-    }
-    else {
-        size_t l;
-        const char *p;
-        char *e;
-        int bad_card = 0;
-
-        if (!strcmp(optarg, "all")) {
-            for (c = soundhw; c->name; ++c) {
-                c->enabled = 1;
-            }
-            return;
-        }
-
-        p = optarg;
-        while (*p) {
-            e = strchr(p, ',');
-            l = !e ? strlen(p) : (size_t) (e - p);
-
-            for (c = soundhw; c->name; ++c) {
-                if (!strncmp(c->name, p, l) && !c->name[l]) {
-                    c->enabled = 1;
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-
-            if (!c->name) {
-                if (l > 80) {
-                    error_report("Unknown sound card name (too big to show)");
-                }
-                else {
-                    error_report("Unknown sound card name `%.*s'",
-                                 (int) l, p);
-                }
-                bad_card = 1;
-            }
-            p += l + (e != NULL);
-        }
-
-        if (bad_card) {
-            goto show_valid_cards;
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-void soundhw_init(void)
-{
-    struct soundhw *c;
-    ISABus *isa_bus = (ISABus *) object_resolve_path_type("", TYPE_ISA_BUS, NULL);
-    PCIBus *pci_bus = (PCIBus *) object_resolve_path_type("", TYPE_PCI_BUS, NULL);
-
-    for (c = soundhw; c->name; ++c) {
-        if (c->enabled) {
-            if (c->typename) {
-                warn_report("'-soundhw %s' is deprecated, "
-                            "please use '-device %s' instead",
-                            c->name, c->typename);
-                if (c->isa) {
-                    isa_create_simple(isa_bus, c->typename);
-                } else {
-                    pci_create_simple(pci_bus, -1, c->typename);
-                }
-            } else if (c->isa) {
-                if (!isa_bus) {
-                    error_report("ISA bus not available for %s", c->name);
-                    exit(1);
-                }
-                c->init.init_isa(isa_bus);
-            } else {
-                if (!pci_bus) {
-                    error_report("PCI bus not available for %s", c->name);
-                    exit(1);
-                }
-                c->init.init_pci(pci_bus);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
-
diff --git a/include/hw/audio/soundhw.h b/include/hw/audio/soundhw.h
deleted file mode 100644
index f09a297854af..000000000000
--- a/include/hw/audio/soundhw.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef HW_SOUNDHW_H
-#define HW_SOUNDHW_H
-
-void isa_register_soundhw(const char *name, const char *descr,
-                          int (*init_isa)(ISABus *bus));
-
-void pci_register_soundhw(const char *name, const char *descr,
-                          int (*init_pci)(PCIBus *bus));
-void deprecated_register_soundhw(const char *name, const char *descr,
-                                 int isa, const char *typename);
-
-void soundhw_init(void);
-void select_soundhw(const char *optarg);
-
-#endif
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 34e9b32a5c00..47bbd86a4533 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -892,33 +892,6 @@ SRST
         ``qemu.wav``.
 ERST
 
-DEF("soundhw", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_soundhw,
-    "-soundhw c1,... enable audio support\n"
-    "                and only specified sound cards (comma separated list)\n"
-    "                use '-soundhw help' to get the list of supported cards\n"
-    "                use '-soundhw all' to enable all of them\n", QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
-SRST
-``-soundhw card1[,card2,...] or -soundhw all``
-    Enable audio and selected sound hardware. Use 'help' to print all
-    available sound hardware. For example:
-
-    .. parsed-literal::
-
-        |qemu_system_x86| -soundhw sb16,adlib disk.img
-        |qemu_system_x86| -soundhw es1370 disk.img
-        |qemu_system_x86| -soundhw ac97 disk.img
-        |qemu_system_x86| -soundhw hda disk.img
-        |qemu_system_x86| -soundhw all disk.img
-        |qemu_system_x86| -soundhw help
-
-    Note that Linux's i810\_audio OSS kernel (for AC97) module might
-    require manually specifying clocking.
-
-    ::
-
-        modprobe i810_audio clocking=48000
-ERST
-
 DEF("device", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_device,
     "-device driver[,prop[=value][,...]]\n"
     "                add device (based on driver)\n"
diff --git a/scripts/codeconverter/codeconverter/test_regexps.py b/scripts/codeconverter/codeconverter/test_regexps.py
index a445634d88ac..0161cadffee6 100644
--- a/scripts/codeconverter/codeconverter/test_regexps.py
+++ b/scripts/codeconverter/codeconverter/test_regexps.py
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ def test_initial_includes():
 #define SILENT_ES1370
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
 #include "hw/pci/pci.h"
 #include "migration/vmstate.h"
diff --git a/softmmu/qdev-monitor.c b/softmmu/qdev-monitor.c
index 12fe60c4670d..5c80d135ebf0 100644
--- a/softmmu/qdev-monitor.c
+++ b/softmmu/qdev-monitor.c
@@ -66,9 +66,7 @@ typedef struct QDevAlias
 
 /* Please keep this table sorted by typename. */
 static const QDevAlias qdev_alias_table[] = {
-    { "AC97", "ac97" }, /* -soundhw name */
     { "e1000", "e1000-82540em" },
-    { "ES1370", "es1370" }, /* -soundhw name */
     { "ich9-ahci", "ahci" },
     { "lsi53c895a", "lsi" },
     { "virtio-9p-device", "virtio-9p", QEMU_ARCH_VIRTIO_MMIO },
diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index 06a0e342fe9e..2f7158574e4f 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@
 #include "migration/snapshot.h"
 #include "sysemu/tpm.h"
 #include "sysemu/dma.h"
-#include "hw/audio/soundhw.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
 #include "sysemu/cpus.h"
 #include "sysemu/cpu-timers.h"
@@ -2669,8 +2668,6 @@ static void qemu_create_cli_devices(void)
 {
     DeviceOption *opt;
 
-    soundhw_init();
-
     qemu_opts_foreach(qemu_find_opts("fw_cfg"),
                       parse_fw_cfg, fw_cfg_find(), &error_fatal);
 
@@ -3018,9 +3015,6 @@ void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
             case QEMU_OPTION_audiodev:
                 audio_parse_option(optarg);
                 break;
-            case QEMU_OPTION_soundhw:
-                select_soundhw (optarg);
-                break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_h:
                 help(0);
                 break;
