diff --git a/core/jni/android_media_AudioRecord.cpp b/core/jni/android_media_AudioRecord.cpp
index 5928c69f1181f..6c2bbd45ea517 100644
--- a/core/jni/android_media_AudioRecord.cpp
+++ b/core/jni/android_media_AudioRecord.cpp
@@ -321,6 +321,7 @@ native_init_failure:
     delete lpCallbackData;
     env->SetLongField(thiz, javaAudioRecordFields.nativeCallbackCookie, 0);
 
+    // lpRecorder goes out of scope, so reference count drops to zero
     return (jint) AUDIORECORD_ERROR_SETUP_NATIVEINITFAILED;
 }
 
diff --git a/core/jni/android_media_AudioTrack.cpp b/core/jni/android_media_AudioTrack.cpp
index 5b52a49bc5208..5faa15008359b 100644
--- a/core/jni/android_media_AudioTrack.cpp
+++ b/core/jni/android_media_AudioTrack.cpp
@@ -405,6 +405,7 @@ native_init_failure:
     delete lpJniStorage;
     env->SetLongField(thiz, javaAudioTrackFields.jniData, 0);
 
+    // lpTrack goes out of scope, so reference count drops to zero
     return (jint) AUDIOTRACK_ERROR_SETUP_NATIVEINITFAILED;
 }
 
diff --git a/media/jni/soundpool/SoundPool.cpp b/media/jni/soundpool/SoundPool.cpp
index 8038cdf322634..a705bcc374065 100644
--- a/media/jni/soundpool/SoundPool.cpp
+++ b/media/jni/soundpool/SoundPool.cpp
@@ -753,6 +753,7 @@ void SoundChannel::play(const sp<Sample>& sample, int nextChannelID, float leftV
             status = newTrack->initCheck();
             if (status != NO_ERROR) {
                 ALOGE("Error creating AudioTrack");
+                // newTrack goes out of scope, so reference count drops to zero
                 goto exit;
             }
             // From now on, AudioTrack callbacks received with previous toggle value will be ignored.