diff --git a/Doc/library/sunau.rst b/Doc/library/sunau.rst
index 4bdb99b..eae710d 100644
--- a/Doc/library/sunau.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/sunau.rst
@@ -150,8 +150,9 @@
 
 .. method:: AU_read.getparams()
 
-   Returns a tuple ``(nchannels, sampwidth, framerate, nframes, comptype,
-   compname)``, equivalent to output of the :meth:`get\*` methods.
+   Returns a :func:`~collections.namedtuple` ``(nchannels, sampwidth,
+   framerate, nframes, comptype, compname)``, equivalent to output of the
+   :meth:`get\*` methods.
 
 
 .. method:: AU_read.readframes(n)
diff --git a/Doc/whatsnew/3.4.rst b/Doc/whatsnew/3.4.rst
index 218b822..427083a 100644
--- a/Doc/whatsnew/3.4.rst
+++ b/Doc/whatsnew/3.4.rst
@@ -365,6 +365,13 @@
 (Contributed by Antoine Pitrou in :issue:`17804`.)
 
 
+sunau
+-----
+
+The :meth:`~sunau.getparams` method now returns a namedtuple rather than a
+plain tuple.  (Contributed by Claudiu Popa in :issue:`18901`.)
+
+
 urllib
 ------
 
diff --git a/Lib/sunau.py b/Lib/sunau.py
index 6775a53..7d7cd6c 100644
--- a/Lib/sunau.py
+++ b/Lib/sunau.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
         getcomptype()   -- returns compression type ('NONE' or 'ULAW')
         getcompname()   -- returns human-readable version of
                            compression type ('not compressed' matches 'NONE')
-        getparams()     -- returns a tuple consisting of all of the
+        getparams()     -- returns a namedtuple consisting of all of the
                            above in the above order
         getmarkers()    -- returns None (for compatibility with the
                            aifc module)
@@ -103,6 +103,11 @@
 is destroyed.
 """
 
+from collections import namedtuple
+
+_sunau_params = namedtuple('_sunau_params',
+                           'nchannels sampwidth framerate nframes comptype compname')
+
 # from <multimedia/audio_filehdr.h>
 AUDIO_FILE_MAGIC = 0x2e736e64
 AUDIO_FILE_ENCODING_MULAW_8 = 1
@@ -242,9 +247,9 @@
             return 'not compressed'
 
     def getparams(self):
-        return self.getnchannels(), self.getsampwidth(), \
-                  self.getframerate(), self.getnframes(), \
-                  self.getcomptype(), self.getcompname()
+        return _sunau_params(self.getnchannels(), self.getsampwidth(),
+                  self.getframerate(), self.getnframes(),
+                  self.getcomptype(), self.getcompname())
 
     def getmarkers(self):
         return None
@@ -381,9 +386,9 @@
         self.setcomptype(comptype, compname)
 
     def getparams(self):
-        return self.getnchannels(), self.getsampwidth(), \
-                  self.getframerate(), self.getnframes(), \
-                  self.getcomptype(), self.getcompname()
+        return _sunau_getparams(self.getnchannels(), self.getsampwidth(),
+                  self.getframerate(), self.getnframes(),
+                  self.getcomptype(), self.getcompname())
 
     def tell(self):
         return self._nframeswritten
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_sunau.py b/Lib/test/test_sunau.py
index 339ab57..c381d07 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_sunau.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_sunau.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from test.support import run_unittest, TESTFN
 import unittest
+import pickle
 import os
 
 import sunau
@@ -62,6 +63,27 @@
         self.assertEqual(self.f.readframes(nframes), output)
         self.f.close()
 
+    def test_getparams(self):
+        self.f = sunau.open(TESTFN, 'w')
+        self.f.setnchannels(nchannels)
+        self.f.setsampwidth(sampwidth)
+        self.f.setframerate(framerate)
+        self.f.setcomptype('ULAW', '')
+        output = b'\0' * nframes * nchannels * sampwidth
+        self.f.writeframes(output)
+        self.f.close()
+
+        self.f = sunau.open(TESTFN, 'rb')
+        params = self.f.getparams()
+        self.assertEqual(params.nchannels, nchannels)
+        self.assertEqual(params.sampwidth, sampwidth)
+        self.assertEqual(params.framerate, framerate)
+        self.assertEqual(params.nframes, nframes)
+        self.assertEqual(params.comptype, 'ULAW')
+
+        dump = pickle.dumps(params)
+        self.assertEqual(pickle.loads(dump), params)
+
 
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(SunAUTest)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 328f3fe..9539d62 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #18901: The sunau getparams method now returns a namedtuple rather than
+  a plain tuple.  Patch by Claudiu Popa.
+
 - Issue #17487: The result of the wave getparams method now is pickleable again.
   Patch by Claudiu Popa.