iPad Media controls - ios

Question

So i am using the following .swift file to get notification showing the media player controls on the lock screen and notification screen. The following code works fine on iOS but not on iPad.
I have uploaded the full code to Github
https://github.com/redimongo/DRN1
The part in question is what do I need to add for the iPad to get media control?
//
// MusicPlayer.swift
// DRN1
//
// Created by Russell Harrower on 25/11/19.
// Copyright © 2019 Russell Harrower. All rights reserved.
//
import Foundation
import AVFoundation
import MediaPlayer
import Kingfisher
class MusicPlayer {
static let shared = MusicPlayer()
var player: AVPlayer?
func startBackgroundMusic() {
self.setupRemoteTransportControls()
let urlString = "http://stream.radiomedia.com.au:8003/stream"
guard let url = URL.init(string: urlString)
else {
return
}
let playerItem = AVPlayerItem.init(url: url)
player = AVPlayer.init(playerItem: playerItem)
player?.play()
do {
// try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(.playback, mode: .default, options: [.mixWithOthers, .allowAirPlay])
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(.playback, mode: .default, options: [.duckOthers, .defaultToSpeaker, .mixWithOthers, .allowAirPlay])
print("Playback OK")
let defaults = UserDefaults.standard
defaults.set("1", forKey: defaultsKeys.musicplayer_connected)
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(true)
print("Session is Active")
} catch {
let defaults = UserDefaults.standard
defaults.set("0", forKey: defaultsKeys.musicplayer_connected)
print(error)
}
}
func setupRemoteTransportControls() {
// Get the shared MPRemoteCommandCenter
let commandCenter = MPRemoteCommandCenter.shared()
// Add handler for Play Command
commandCenter.playCommand.addTarget { [unowned self] event in
if self.player?.rate == 0.0 {
self.player?.play()
return .success
}
return .commandFailed
}
// Add handler for Pause Command
commandCenter.pauseCommand.addTarget { [unowned self] event in
if self.player?.rate == 1.0 {
self.player?.pause()
return .success
}
return .commandFailed
}
// self.nowplaying(artist: "Anna", song: "test")
}
func nowplaying(with artwork: MPMediaItemArtwork, artist: String, song: String){
MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = [
MPMediaItemPropertyTitle:song,
MPMediaItemPropertyArtist:artist,
MPMediaItemPropertyArtwork: artwork,
MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyIsLiveStream: true
]
// self.getArtBoard();
}
func setupNowPlayingInfo(with artwork: MPMediaItemArtwork) {
MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = [
// MPMediaItemPropertyTitle: "Some name",
// MPMediaItemPropertyArtist: "Some name",
MPMediaItemPropertyArtwork: artwork,
//MPMediaItemPropertyPlaybackDuration: CMTimeGetSeconds(currentItem.duration),
//MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyPlaybackRate: 1,
//MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyElapsedPlaybackTime: CMTimeGetSeconds(currentItem.currentTime())
]
}
func getData(from url: URL, completion: #escaping (UIImage?) -> Void) {
URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: url, completionHandler: {(data, response, error) in
if let data = data {
completion(UIImage(data:data))
}
})
.resume()
}
func getArtBoard(artist: String, song: String, cover: String) {
guard let url = URL(string: cover) else { return }
getData(from: url) { [weak self] image in
guard let self = self,
let downloadedImage = image else {
return
}
let artwork = MPMediaItemArtwork.init(boundsSize: downloadedImage.size, requestHandler: { _ -> UIImage in
return downloadedImage
})
self.nowplaying(with: artwork, artist: artist, song: song)
}
}
func stopBackgroundMusic() {
guard let player = player else { return }
player.pause()
}
}
I have added with no success
override func viewDidLoad() {
UIApplication.shared.beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents()
do {
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(.playback, mode: .default)
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(true)
} catch {
print(error)
}
}

Answer 1

iOS simulators running iOS11+ (including iPadOS) will not show remote control center unless if it’s the default controls created by AVPlayerController. You will need a real device to test MPRemoteCommandCenter or install iOS 10 and lower to run it on simulator.
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
// This is an alternative
let avPlayerViewController = AVPlayerViewController()
avPlayerViewController.player = MusicPlayer.shared.player
avPlayerViewController.player?.play()
#if targetEnvironment(simulator)
/*
if you don’t set up remote controls, the AVPlayer from
AVPlayerController will immediately create default remote controls
otherwise your simulator will not show the controls.
*/
#else
MusicPlayer.shared.setupRemoteTransportControls()
// more custom controls set up
#endif
}
Also there is also no need to call UIApplication.shared.beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents() on devices running iOS 7 and later.
**EDIT : **
—— In your MusicPlayer Class —
import Foundation
import AVFoundation
import MediaPlayer
import AVKit
class MusicPlayer {
static let shared = MusicPlayer()
var player: AVPlayer?
let playerViewController = AVPlayerViewController()
func startBackgroundMusic() {
let urlString = "http://stream.radiomedia.com.au:8003/stream"
guard let url = URL.init(string: urlString) else { return }
let playerItem = AVPlayerItem.init(url: url)
player = AVPlayer.init(playerItem: playerItem)
do {
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(.playback, mode: .default, options: [.duckOthers, .defaultToSpeaker, .mixWithOthers, .allowAirPlay])
print("Playback OK")
// let defaults = UserDefaults.standard
// defaults.set("1", forKey: defaultsKeys.musicplayer_connected)
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(true)
print("Session is Active")
} catch {
// let defaults = UserDefaults.standard
// defaults.set("0", forKey: defaultsKeys.musicplayer_connected)
print(error)
}
#if targetEnvironment(simulator)
if playerViewController.player == nil {
playerViewController.player = player
}
playerViewController.player?.play()
print("SIMULATOR")
#else
self.setupRemoteTransportControls()
player?.play()
#endif
}
func setupRemoteTransportControls() {
// Get the shared MPRemoteCommandCenter
let commandCenter = MPRemoteCommandCenter.shared()
// Add handler for Play Command
commandCenter.playCommand.addTarget { [unowned self] event in
if self.player?.rate == 0.0 {
self.player?.play()
return .success
}
return .commandFailed
}
// Add handler for Pause Command
commandCenter.pauseCommand.addTarget { [unowned self] event in
if self.player?.rate == 1.0 {
self.player?.pause()
return .success
}
return .commandFailed
}
// self.nowplaying(artist: "Anna", song: "test")
}
func nowplaying(with artwork: MPMediaItemArtwork, artist: String, song: String){
MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = [
MPMediaItemPropertyTitle:song,
MPMediaItemPropertyArtist:artist,
MPMediaItemPropertyArtwork: artwork,
MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyIsLiveStream: true
]
// self.getArtBoard();
}
func setupNowPlayingInfo(with artwork: MPMediaItemArtwork) {
MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = [
// MPMediaItemPropertyTitle: "Some name",
// MPMediaItemPropertyArtist: "Some name",
MPMediaItemPropertyArtwork: artwork,
//MPMediaItemPropertyPlaybackDuration: CMTimeGetSeconds(currentItem.duration),
//MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyPlaybackRate: 1,
//MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyElapsedPlaybackTime: CMTimeGetSeconds(currentItem.currentTime())
]
}
func getData(from url: URL, completion: #escaping (UIImage?) -> Void) {
URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: url, completionHandler: {(data, response, error) in
if let data = data {
completion(UIImage(data:data))
}
})
.resume()
}
func getArtBoard(artist: String, song: String, cover: String) {
guard let url = URL(string: cover) else { return }
getData(from: url) { [weak self] image in
guard let self = self,
let downloadedImage = image else {
return
}
let artwork = MPMediaItemArtwork.init(boundsSize: downloadedImage.size, requestHandler: { _ -> UIImage in
return downloadedImage
})
self.nowplaying(with: artwork, artist: artist, song: song)
}
}
func stopBackgroundMusic() {
#if targetEnvironment(simulator)
if playerViewController.player != nil {
playerViewController.player?.pause()
}
#else
guard let player = player else { return }
player.pause()
#endif
}
}
Tested it using iPadOS Simulator (7th Generation)

Answer 2

Also, you can use the Media Player framework’s MPRemoteCommandCenter and MPNowPlayingInfoCenter classes with AVPlayer.
You need to invoke beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents()
Swift 3+
UIApplication.sharedApplication().beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents()
AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback)
If you would like to specify custom actions for the MPRemoteCommandCenter:
let commandCenter = MPRemoteCommandCenter.shared()
commandCenter.nextTrackCommand.isEnabled = true
commandCenter.nextTrackCommand.addTarget(self, action:#selector(nextTrackCommandSelector))
For more information refer Apple's official Documentation