When Video plays using AVPLayer, it stops background music ios

Question

I am playing video using AVPlayer, it stops iPhone's music which is on going in background. Please help me to resolve

let item1 = AVPlayerItem.init(URL: NSURL(string:path))
player = AVPlayer(playerItem: item1)
layer?.player = player;
player?.play()

Answer 1

My movies are for animations; they have no sound. To let other sound continue playing, in Swift:

    // None of our movies should interrupt system music playback.
    _ = try? AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSession.Category.playback, mode: .default, options: .mixWithOthers)

Thanks to Marcus Adams for the original answer.

Answer 2

Use a category for the AVAudioSession that allows mixing, such as AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback and add AVAudioSessionCategoryOptionMixWithOthers.

From the docs:

• AVAudioSessionCategoryOptionMixWithOthers

  Mixes audio from this session with audio from other active sessions.

  Valid only if the session category is AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayAndRecord or AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback. (Implicit if the session category is AVAudioSessionCategoryAmbient.)

  If you activate your session while using this option, your app’s audio will not interrupt audio from other apps (such as the Music app). If not using this option (or a category that is implicitly mixable), activating your session will interrupt other nonmixable sessions.

  Available in iOS 6.0 and later.

Answer 3

In swift 4.2 Please try this one.

do {
        try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback, mode: AVAudioSessionModeDefault, options: .mixWithOthers)
        try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(true)
   } catch {
        print(error)
   }

Answer 4

According to Apple

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/avfoundation/media_assets_playback_and_editing/creating_a_basic_video_player_ios_and_tvos/playing_audio_from_a_video_asset_in_the_background

If you want to continue playing audio, you disconnect the AVPlayer instance from the presentation when entering the background and reconnect it when returning to the foreground.

func applicationDidEnterBackground(_ application: UIApplication) {

     // Disconnect the AVPlayer from the presentation when entering background

     // If presenting video with AVPlayerViewController
     playerViewController.player = nil

     // If presenting video with AVPlayerLayer
     playerLayer.player = nil
}

func applicationWillEnterForeground(_ application: UIApplication) {
     // Reconnect the AVPlayer to the presentation when returning to foreground

    // If presenting video with AVPlayerViewController
    playerViewController.player = player

    // If presenting video with AVPlayerLayer
    playerLayer.player = player
}

Eg for your ViewController using AVPlayer

Step : 1

Enable Background mode In Capabilities for Audio, AirPlay, and Pictures in pictures

Step : 2

AppDelegate.swift

do {
        try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback, with: .mixWithOthers)
        print("Playback OK")
        try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(true)
        print("Session is Active")
    } catch {
        print(error)
    }

Step : 3

YourViewcontroller.swift

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    addPlayerNotifications()
}

override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillDisappear(animated)
    removePlayerNotifations()
}

 func addPlayerNotifications() {

    NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector: #selector(applicationWillEnterForeground), name: NSNotification.Name.UIApplicationWillEnterForeground, object: nil)
    NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector: #selector(applicationDidEnterBackground), name: NSNotification.Name.UIApplicationDidEnterBackground, object: nil)
}

func removePlayerNotifations() {

    NotificationCenter.default.removeObserver(self, name:NSNotification.Name.UIApplicationWillEnterForeground, object: nil)
    NotificationCenter.default.removeObserver(self, name:NSNotification.Name.UIApplicationDidEnterBackground, object: nil)
}

//App enter in forground.
@objc func applicationWillEnterForeground(_ notification: Notification)        {

    yourPlayerLayer.player = yourplayer

}

//App enter in forground.
@objc func applicationDidEnterBackground(_ notification: Notification) {

    yourPlayerLayer.player = nil

}