How do i integrate audio through live URL in CarPlay Audio App

Question

I want to have audio integration to a carplay application. I have created a CPListTemplate with CPListItems and on tap of it, i am pushing a Now playing template. The audio does not seem to play and i cannot interact with the now playing screen.

Question:

1. How do i pass the Audio URl to the now playing template so it can at-least play the sound?
2. How do i interact with the player and display album artwork and text on the screen ?

Note: I am testing this on simulator and i have the Audio URL's in mp3 format.

     var listItems: [CPListItem] = []
     for playListItem in PlayListItems {
          let item = CPListItem(text: playListItem.title, detailText: "")
          item.handler = {listItem, completion in 
          let nowPlayingTemplate = CPNowPlayingTemplate.shared
          nowPlayingTemplate.add(self)
          nowPlayingTemplate.isAlbumArtistButtonEnabled = true
          self.interfaceController?.pushTemplate(nowPlayingTemplate, animated: true)
          }
      listItems.append(item)
     }
     let sectionPlayList = CPListSection(items: listItems)
     self.interfaceController?.pushTemplate(CPListTemplate(title: “Tab 1”, sections: [sectionPlayList]), animated: true)   

Answer 1

1. How do i pass the Audio URl to the now playing template so it can at-least play the sound?

There is no way to pass url in now playing template. Use AVPlayer to play audio url. Add setPlayer() method on item handler and pass your audio url in place of "stationUrl".

var player = AVPlayer()
func setPlayer() {
      let playerItem = AVPlayerItem(url: URL(string: stationUrl)!)
      player = AVPlayer(playerItem: playerItem)
      player.rate = 1.0
      player.play()
      self.setPlayerNowPlayingInformation()
  }

2. How do i interact with the player and display album artwork and text on the screen ?

Display album artwork image and text in now playing template set media information in MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.

func setPlayerNowPlayingInformation() {
      var nowPlayingInfo: [String: Any] = [:]
                
      nowPlayingInfo = [MPMediaItemPropertyTitle: "Media Title"]
                
      if let image = UIImage (named: "carplay_app_icon") {
         nowPlayingInfo[MPMediaItemPropertyArtwork] = MPMediaItemArtwork(boundsSize: image.size, requestHandler: { size -> UIImage in
             return image
          })
      }          
      MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = nowPlayingInfo
}