How do I get my AVPlayer to play while app is in background?

UPDATE IOS 11.2 with Swift 4:

Now if you are using AVPlayer to play music files you should also configure MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default() to show now playing info on the lock screen.

Below code will show now playing controls on the screen but it won't be able to respond any commands.

If you also want to controls to work you should check apple's sample project here: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/samplecode/MPRemoteCommandSample/Introduction/Intro.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40017322

Apple sample code covers all but i find it confusing.

If you want to play sound and show controls on the lock screen these steps will do just fine.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are NOT using AVPlayer to play sound. If you are using some third party libraries to generate sound or playback a sound file you should read comments inside the code. Also if you are using ios simulator 11.2 you won't be able to see any controls on lock screen. You should use a device to see it work.

1- Select project -> capabilites -> set background modes ON -> tick Audio, AirPlay and Picture in Picture

2- AppDelegate.swift file should look like this :

import UIKitimport AVFoundation@UIApplicationMainclass AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate{    var window: UIWindow?    func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplicationLaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool    {        // Override point for customization after application launch.        do        {            try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback)            try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(true)         //!! IMPORTANT !!         /*         If you're using 3rd party libraries to play sound or generate sound you should         set sample rate manually here.         Otherwise you wont be able to hear any sound when you lock screen         */            //try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setPreferredSampleRate(4096)        }        catch        {            print(error)        }        // This will enable to show nowplaying controls on lock screen        application.beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents()        return true    }}

3- ViewController.swift should look like this:

import UIKitimport AVFoundationimport MediaPlayerclass ViewController: UIViewController{    var player : AVPlayer = AVPlayer()    override func viewDidLoad()    {        super.viewDidLoad()        let path = Bundle.main.path(forResource: "music", ofType: "mp3")        let url = URL(fileURLWithPath: path!)        // !! IMPORTANT !!        /*            If you are using 3rd party libraries to play sound             or generate sound you should always setNowPlayingInfo             before you create your player object.            right:            self.setNowPlayingInfo()            let notAVPlayer = SomePlayer()            wrong(You won't be able to see any controls on lock screen.):            let notAVPlayer = SomePlayer()            self.setNowPlayingInfo()         */        self.setNowPlayingInfo()        self.player = AVPlayer(url: url)    }    func setNowPlayingInfo()    {        let nowPlayingInfoCenter = MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default()        var nowPlayingInfo = nowPlayingInfoCenter.nowPlayingInfo ?? [String: Any]()        let title = "title"        let album = "album"        let artworkData = Data()        let image = UIImage(data: artworkData) ?? UIImage()        let artwork = MPMediaItemArtwork(boundsSize: image.size, requestHandler: {  (_) -> UIImage in            return image        })        nowPlayingInfo[MPMediaItemPropertyTitle] = title        nowPlayingInfo[MPMediaItemPropertyAlbumTitle] = album        nowPlayingInfo[MPMediaItemPropertyArtwork] = artwork        nowPlayingInfoCenter.nowPlayingInfo = nowPlayingInfo    }    @IBAction func startPlayingButtonPressed(_ sender: Any)    {        self.player.play()    }

OLD ANSWER IOS 8.2:

Patrick's answer is totally right.

But i'm gonna write what i do for ios 8.2:

I add my app's info.plistrequired background modeslike below:

And in my AppDelegate.h i add these imports:

#import <AVFoundation/AVFoundation.h>#import <AudioToolbox/AudioToolbox.h>

Then in my AppDelegate.m i wrote application didFinishLaunchingWithOptionsthis exactly like below:

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {    // Override point for customization after application launch.    [[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:nil];    return YES;}

Now App keeps playing music even if screen is locked :)

Had the same problem, but found a solution for this..

Look here: https://devforums.apple.com/message/395049#395049

The content of the above link:

Replace APPNAME with your own app name!

Im on iOS 4.2.1

EDIT: Working with iOS5 + 6 + 7 beta so far

Add UIBackgroundModes in the APPNAME-Info.plist, with the selection App plays audio

Then add the AudioToolBox framework to the folder frameworks.

In the APPNAMEAppDelegate.h add:

#import <AVFoundation/AVFoundation.h>#import <AudioToolbox/AudioToolbox.h>

so it look like this:

...#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>#import <AVFoundation/AVFoundation.h>#import <AudioToolbox/AudioToolbox.h>...

In the APPNAMEAppDelegate.m add the following:

// Set AudioSessionNSError *sessionError = nil;[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setDelegate:self];[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayAndRecord error:&sessionError];/* Pick any one of them */// 1. Overriding the output audio route//UInt32 audioRouteOverride = kAudioSessionOverrideAudioRoute_Speaker;//AudioSessionSetProperty(kAudioSessionProperty_OverrideAudioRoute, sizeof(audioRouteOverride), &audioRouteOverride);// 2. Changing the default output audio routeUInt32 doChangeDefaultRoute = 1;AudioSessionSetProperty(kAudioSessionProperty_OverrideCategoryDefaultToSpeaker, sizeof(doChangeDefaultRoute), &doChangeDefaultRoute);

into the

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {

but before the two lines:

[self.window addSubview:viewController.view];[self.window makeKeyAndVisible];

Build your project and see if theres any error, If not, try debug on Device insted of the Simulator, it CAN bug on simulator.

Hope this helps others with same problem..

I have successfully made audio run in the background by adding the following to my applicationDidFinishLaunching

// Registers this class as the delegate of the audio session.[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setDelegate: self];    // Allow the app sound to continue to play when the screen is locked.[[AVAudioSession sharedInstance] setCategory:AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback error:nil];