Play MPMoviePlayerController audio stream in background - ios

So I have this app where I play videos and when you exit the app I would like the user to continue to listen to the audio of the video. I use MPMoviePlayerController to play the video and it works in the app perfectly fine. I also setup AVAudioSession up before I play the video and I get no error.
NSError *audioSessionError;
NSError *activationError;
AVAudioSession *audioSession = [AVAudioSession sharedInstance];
[audioSession setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:&audioSessionError];
[audioSession setActive:YES error:&activationError];
I also set in plist background modes audio. But the video with the audio both stop playing when you close the app. I've also imported the AVFoundation framework.

Simply set Application does not run in background to NO in .plsit file

You need to make couple of changes in plist file.i.e.
1) Set Required background mode to App plays audio
2) set Application does not run in background to YES.
NSError *setCategoryErr = nil;
NSError *activationErr = nil;
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory: AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:&setCategoryErr];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setActive:YES error:&activationErr];
Then, you need to write these much code in AppDelegate
Now, you can easily run audio while phone screen locks or goes in background.

This code worked for me, first you must to give your app permissions to keep playing music in the background (In your .plis), after that go to the wished class and implement this code, first the imports and the the method to play the music.
#import <MediaPlayer/MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.h>
#import <MediaPlayer/MPMediaItem.h>
#import <AVFoundation/AVFoundation.h>
---- o ----
-(void) playMusic{
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setDelegate: self];
NSError *myErr;
// Initialize the AVAudioSession here.
if (![[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:&myErr]) {
// Handle the error here.
NSLog(#"Audio Session error %#, %#", myErr, [myErr userInfo]);
}else{
// Since there were no errors initializing the session, we'll allow begin receiving remote control events
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents];
}
//initialize our audio player
audioPlayer = [[MPMoviePlayerController alloc] initWithContentURL:[NSURL URLWithString:#"http://www.cocoanetics.com/files/Cocoanetics_031.mp3"]];
[audioPlayer setShouldAutoplay:NO];
[audioPlayer setControlStyle: MPMovieControlStyleEmbedded];
audioPlayer.view.hidden = YES;
[audioPlayer prepareToPlay];
[audioPlayer play];
}//end playmusic

You need to turn on Background Modes in capabilities.

Related

AVAudioPlayer cannot play on background when Youtube playing

I make an alarm feature for my app, at the time I setup for alarm fire I can play a music track with AVAudioPlayer, it worked well on background mode. But if at this time I opening Youtube app and playing a video then the AVAudioPlayer not work.
Please tell me why this happen and how to resolve this issue, how to play both at the same time
This is code I implement:
NSURL *soundURL = [[NSBundle mainBundle] URLForResource:#"remind2"
withExtension:#"mp3"];
avSound = [[AVAudioPlayer alloc]
initWithContentsOfURL:soundURL error:nil];
[avSound setDelegate:self];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:nil];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setActive: YES error: nil];
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents];
[avSound prepareToPlay];
[avSound setNumberOfLoops:10];
[avSound setVolume:1.0];
[avSound play];
Thanks!
This is happened because of Youtube app also set property "UIBackgroundMode" property in plist. And even if you check any of other Music app like gaana, savan, etc. this will happened in all of the music app.
Replace this line
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:nil];
by this:
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback withOptions:AVAudioSessionCategoryOptionMixWithOthers error:nil];
and I resolved my problem
It takes me two days to put the right questions to this problem, I only find the solution when i ask Google why Youtube stop my audio stream and this result search help me
AVAudioPlayer turns off iPod - how to work around?

iOS - Unable to play a sound in background

I'm currently trying to implement a system like the alarm one to alert the phone when an event occurred (in my case a bluetooth event). I want this alert to occur even if the phone is in silent and in background.
I create a local notification but i can't get sound played if the phone is in silent mode (which seems to be normal since we put the phone in silent).
So i tried to manage the sound by myself and i'm struggling with playing sound in background. So far i implement the "App plays audio or streams audio/video using AirPlay" key in my plist and i'm using this code.
AVAudioSession *audioSession = [AVAudioSession sharedInstance];
NSError *error = nil;
BOOL result = [audioSession setActive:YES error:&error];
if ( ! result && error) {
NSLog(#"Error For AudioSession Activation: %#", error);
}
error = nil;
result = [audioSession setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:&error];
if ( ! result && error) {
NSLog(#"Error For AudioSession Category: %#", error);
}
if (player == nil) {
NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"bell" ofType:#"wav"];
NSURL *url = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:path];
NSError *err = nil;
player = [[AVAudioPlayer alloc] initWithContentsOfURL:url error:&err];
if(err)
{
NSLog(#"Error Player == %#", err);
}
else {
NSLog(#"Play ready");
}
}
[player prepareToPlay];
[player setVolume:1.0];
if([player play])
{
NSLog(#"YAY sound");
}
else {
NSLog(#"Error sound");
}
The sound works great in foreground, even in silent mode, but i got no sound at all in background. Any ideas ?
Thanks
EDIT:
Finally i got it working with the above code. The only missing point is that i was trying to play the sound in somewhat appeared to be a different thread, when i play it right in my bluetooth event and not my function call it's working.
An app that plays audio continuously (even while the app is running in the background) can register as a background audio app by including the UIBackgroundModes key (with the value audio) in its Info.plist file. Apps that include this key must play audible content to the user while in the background.
Apple reference "Playing Background Audio"
Ensuring That Audio Continues When the Screen Locks
Found here
I'm not sure if your problem is that you have not configure correctly the audio session output. I had similar problem while playing .wav in my app. I only listened them with earphones. This method helped me:
- (void) configureAVAudioSession {
//get your app's audioSession singleton object
AVAudioSession *session = [AVAudioSession sharedInstance];
//error handling
BOOL success;
NSError* error;
//set the audioSession category.
//Needs to be Record or PlayAndRecord to use audioRouteOverride:
success = [session setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayAndRecord
error:&error];
if (!success) NSLog(#"AVAudioSession error setting category:%#",error);
//set the audioSession override
success = [session overrideOutputAudioPort:AVAudioSessionPortOverrideSpeaker
error:&error];
if (!success) NSLog(#"AVAudioSession error overrideOutputAudioPort:%#",error);
//activate the audio session
success = [session setActive:YES error:&error];
if (!success) NSLog(#"AVAudioSession error activating: %#",error);
else NSLog(#"audioSession active"); }
Try it out!
You need to make couple of changes in plist file.
for enabling sound when the app enter's Background.
1) Set Required background mode to App plays audio
2) set Application does not run in background to YES.
NSError *setCategoryErr = nil;
NSError *activationErr = nil;
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory: AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:&setCategoryErr];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setActive:YES error:&activationErr];
Then, you need to write these much code in AppDelegate
Now, you can easily run audio while phone screen locks or in background.
It works fine for me. :)
for more please refer to Playing Audio in background mode and Audio Session Programming Guide

Can't play sound when app is in background mode

In Info.plist I added:
<key>UIBackgroundModes</key>
<array>
<string>audio</string>
<string>location</string>
</array>
...
I load the sound like this:
NSURL *urlFail = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:[NSString stringWithFormat:#"%#/criticalSound.wav", [[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath]]];
NSError *error;
audioPlayer = [[AVAudioPlayer alloc] initWithContentsOfURL:urlFail error:&error];
[audioPlayer setDelegate:self];
audioPlayer.numberOfLoops = 0;
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryAmbient error:nil];
[audioPlayer setVolume:1.0];
if (audioPlayer == nil){
}else{
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryAmbient error:nil];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setActive: YES error: nil];
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents];
musicPlayer = [MPMusicPlayerController iPodMusicPlayer];
if (musicPlayer.playbackState == MPMusicPlaybackStatePlaying)
{
self.wasMusicAppOn = YES;
[musicPlayer pause];
}else{
self.wasMusicAppOn = NO;
}
[audioPlayer play];
}
This works fine when app is active.
But I have a location update when application is in background and from time to time (like when user pass 500m) I should play this sound.
So I put this code there.
Anyway problem is that sound plays when app is in foreground but doesn't work when it is in background.
What am I doing wrong here?
As far as I've been able to tell, you must actually be playing sound while going into the background to be able to continue playing sound in the background.
Also, the description for AVAudioSessionCategoryAmbient states that "Your audio is silenced by screen locking and by the Silent switch (called the Ring/Silent switch on iPhone)".
You need to make couple of changes in plist file.
1) Set Required background mode to App plays audio
2) set Application does not run in background to YES.
NSError *setCategoryErr = nil;
NSError *activationErr = nil;
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory: AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:&setCategoryErr];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setActive:YES error:&activationErr];
Then, you need to write these much code in AppDelegate
Now, you can easily run audio while phone screen locks or in background.
It works fine for me. :)
for more please refer to Playing Audio in background mode and Audio Session Programming Guide

Audio feed back in foreground and background

I have to give audio feedback when my app is in foreground and also in background. But when the app enters background audio feedback is not heard. In info.plist I have set background mode to App plays audio or streams audio/video using AirPlay and used the following but the audioPlayerDidFinishPlaying delegate is not called when app enters background and audio is not heard.
AVAudioPlayer *sound = [[AVAudioPlayer alloc] initWithContentsOfURL:url error:&err];
sound.delegate = self;
///Fixed the issue No audible feedback when main audio is silent
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:nil];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setActive: YES error: nil];
// This is necessary if you want to play a sequence of songs, otherwise your app will be
// killed after the first one finishes.
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents];
[soundQueue addObject:sound];
You need to make couple of changes in plist file.
1) Set Required background mode to App plays audio
2) set Application does not run in background to YES.
NSError *setCategoryErr = nil;
NSError *activationErr = nil;
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory: AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:&setCategoryErr];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setActive:YES error:&activationErr];
Then, you need to write these much code in AppDelegate
Now, you can easily run audio while phone screen locks or in background.
It works fine for me. :)
for more please refer to Playing Audio in background mode and Audio Session Programming Guide

How to play Video-Audio on iOS 6?

I am playing videos and audio in my iOS app using AVAudioPlayer for Audio files (.mp3 files) and MPMoviePlayerViewController for videos files (.mp4 files).
It works fine on iOS 5 and lower versions.
But in my iPad ( iOS 6) it doesn't work. It plays video with no audio. Of course it doesn't play audio at all.
Please help me to resolve this problem.
Thanks in advance ...
Since iOS 6 the mute switch will also mute apps, did you check if the mute swoth is turned off.
To force playback if the device is muted you could do the following:
NSError *error= nil;
if ([[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory: AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:&error]) {
NSLog(#"Error setting audio session: %#", error);
}
NSError *setCategoryErr = nil;
NSError *activationErr = nil;
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:&setCategoryErr];
[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setActive:YES error:&activationErr];
if(setCategoryErr || activationErr)
{
NSLog(#"%# Error: Could not activate silence mode. %# %#", self, setCategoryErr, activationErr);
}

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