Explore the integration of media technologies within your app. Discuss working with audio, video, camera, and other media functionalities.

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Notification interruptions
My app Balletrax is a music player for people to use while they teach ballet. Used to be you could silence notifications during use, but now the customer seems to have to know how to use Focus mode, remember to turn it on and off, and have to check the notifications one does and doesn't want to use. Is there no way to silence all notifications when the app is in use?
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83
Apr ’25
Playing audio live from Bluetooth headset on iPhone speaker
Hi guys, I am having issue in live-streaming audio from Bluetooth headset and playing it live on the iPhone speaker. I am able to redirect audio back to the headset but this is not what I want. The issue happens when I am trying to override output - the iPhone switches to speaker but also switches a microphone. This is example of the code: import AVFoundation class AudioRecorder { let player: AVAudioPlayerNode let engine:AVAudioEngine let audioSession:AVAudioSession let audioSessionOutput:AVAudioSession init() { self.player = AVAudioPlayerNode() self.engine = AVAudioEngine() self.audioSession = AVAudioSession.sharedInstance() self.audioSessionOutput = AVAudioSession() do { try self.audioSession.setCategory(AVAudioSession.Category.playAndRecord, options: [.defaultToSpeaker]) try self.audioSessionOutput.setCategory(AVAudioSession.Category.playAndRecord, options: [.allowBluetooth]) // enables Bluetooth HFP profile try self.audioSession.setMode(AVAudioSession.Mode.default) try self.audioSession.setActive(true) // try self.audioSession.overrideOutputAudioPort(.speaker) // doens't work } catch { print(error) } let input = self.engine.inputNode self.engine.attach(self.player) let bus = 0 let inputFormat = input.inputFormat(forBus: bus) self.engine.connect(self.player, to: engine.mainMixerNode, format: inputFormat) input.installTap(onBus: bus, bufferSize: 512, format: inputFormat) { (buffer, time) -> Void in self.player.scheduleBuffer(buffer) print(buffer) } } public func start() { try! self.engine.start() self.player.play() } public func stop() { self.player.stop() self.engine.stop() } } I am not sure if this is a bug or not. Can somebody point me into the right direction? I there a way to design a custom audio routing? I would also appreciate some good documentation besides AVFoundation docs.
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341
Mar ’25
Call Limit of the Apple Music API
We are planning to develop an application using the Apple Music API. We would like to design our system based on the details of the rate limits mentioned below and have a few questions: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/applemusicapi/generating-developer-tokens#Request-Rate-Limiting Regarding the Catalog API (/v1/catalog/*), we understand that server-side caching is enabled, making it less likely to reach the rate limit. Is this understanding correct? (Excluding the search API) For APIs like the Library API (/v1/me/library/*), where responses vary by user, we assume they are more likely to reach the rate limit. Is this correct? We plan to implement optimizations to minimize unnecessary API calls. Given this, would the current Music API be able to handle a significant increase in users? (Assuming a DAU of around 100,000 to 1,000,000) If the API cannot support this scale, would it be allowed under Apple’s policy to cache responses from the Catalog API (/v1/catalog/*) via our proxy server to avoid hitting the rate limit? The third question is the one we most want to confirm.
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480
Feb ’25
Different behaviors of USB-C to Headphone Jack Adapters
I bought two "Apple USB-C to Headphone Jack Adapters". Upon closer inspection, they seems to be of different generations: The one with product ID 0x110a on top is working fine. The one with product ID 0x110b has two issues: There is a short but loud click noise on the headphone when I connect it to the iPad. When I play audio using AVAudioPlayer the first half of a second or so is cut off. Here's how I'm playing the audio: audioPlayer = try AVAudioPlayer(contentsOf: url) audioPlayer?.delegate = self audioPlayer?.prepareToPlay() audioPlayer?.play() Is this a known issue? Am I doing something wrong?
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320
Jul ’25
AVFoundationErrorDomain Code=-11819 in AVPlayer – Causes & Fixes?
We are encountering an issue where AVPlayer throws the error: Error Domain=AVFoundationErrorDomain Code=-11819 "Cannot Complete Action" > Underlying Error Domain[(null)]:Code[0]:Desc[(null)] This error seems to occur intermittently during video playback, especially after extended usage or when switching between different streams. We observe Error 11819 (AVFoundationErrorDomain) in Conviva platform that some of our users experience it but we couldn't reproduce it so far and we’re need support to determine the root cause and/or best practices to prevent it. Some questions we have: What typically triggers this error? Could it be related to memory/resource constraints, network instability, or backgrounding? Are there any recommended ways to handle or recover from this error gracefully? Any insights or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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163
Apr ’25
occasional glitches and empty buffers when using AudioFileStream + AVAudioConverter
I'm streaming mp3 audio data using URLSession/AudioFileStream/AVAudioConverter and getting occasional silent buffers and glitches (little bleeps and whoops as opposed to clicks). The issues are present in an offline test, so this isn't an issue of underruns. Doing some buffering on the input coming from the URLSession (URLSessionDataTask) reduces the glitches/silent buffers to rather infrequent, but they do still happen occasionally. var bufferedData = Data() func parseBytes(data: Data) { bufferedData.append(data) // XXX: this buffering reduces glitching // to rather infrequent. But why? if bufferedData.count > 32768 { bufferedData.withUnsafeBytes { (bytes: UnsafeRawBufferPointer) in guard let baseAddress = bytes.baseAddress else { return } let result = AudioFileStreamParseBytes(audioStream!, UInt32(bufferedData.count), baseAddress, []) if result != noErr { print("❌ error parsing stream: \(result)") } } bufferedData = Data() } } No errors are returned by AudioFileStream or AVAudioConverter. func handlePackets(data: Data, packetDescriptions: [AudioStreamPacketDescription]) { guard let audioConverter else { return } var maxPacketSize: UInt32 = 0 for packetDescription in packetDescriptions { maxPacketSize = max(maxPacketSize, packetDescription.mDataByteSize) if packetDescription.mDataByteSize == 0 { print("EMPTY PACKET") } if Int(packetDescription.mStartOffset) + Int(packetDescription.mDataByteSize) > data.count { print("❌ Invalid packet: offset \(packetDescription.mStartOffset) + size \(packetDescription.mDataByteSize) > data.count \(data.count)") } } let bufferIn = AVAudioCompressedBuffer(format: inFormat!, packetCapacity: AVAudioPacketCount(packetDescriptions.count), maximumPacketSize: Int(maxPacketSize)) bufferIn.byteLength = UInt32(data.count) for i in 0 ..< Int(packetDescriptions.count) { bufferIn.packetDescriptions![i] = packetDescriptions[i] } bufferIn.packetCount = AVAudioPacketCount(packetDescriptions.count) _ = data.withUnsafeBytes { ptr in memcpy(bufferIn.data, ptr.baseAddress, data.count) } if verbose { print("handlePackets: \(data.count) bytes") } // Setup input provider closure var inputProvided = false let inputBlock: AVAudioConverterInputBlock = { packetCount, statusPtr in if !inputProvided { inputProvided = true statusPtr.pointee = .haveData return bufferIn } else { statusPtr.pointee = .noDataNow return nil } } // Loop until converter runs dry or is done while true { let bufferOut = AVAudioPCMBuffer(pcmFormat: outFormat, frameCapacity: 4096)! bufferOut.frameLength = 0 var error: NSError? let status = audioConverter.convert(to: bufferOut, error: &error, withInputFrom: inputBlock) switch status { case .haveData: if verbose { print("✅ convert returned haveData: \(bufferOut.frameLength) frames") } if bufferOut.frameLength > 0 { if bufferOut.isSilent { print("(haveData) SILENT BUFFER at frame \(totalFrames), pending: \(pendingFrames), inputPackets=\(bufferIn.packetCount), outputFrames=\(bufferOut.frameLength)") } outBuffers.append(bufferOut) totalFrames += Int(bufferOut.frameLength) } case .inputRanDry: if verbose { print("🔁 convert returned inputRanDry: \(bufferOut.frameLength) frames") } if bufferOut.frameLength > 0 { if bufferOut.isSilent { print("(inputRanDry) SILENT BUFFER at frame \(totalFrames), pending: \(pendingFrames), inputPackets=\(bufferIn.packetCount), outputFrames=\(bufferOut.frameLength)") } outBuffers.append(bufferOut) totalFrames += Int(bufferOut.frameLength) } return // wait for next handlePackets case .endOfStream: if verbose { print("✅ convert returned endOfStream") } return case .error: if verbose { print("❌ convert returned error") } if let error = error { print("error converting: \(error.localizedDescription)") } return @unknown default: fatalError() } } }
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555
Jul ’25
AVAudioSession automatically sets the tablet audio volume to 50% when recording audio.
Environment→ ・Device: iPad 10th generation ・OS:**iOS18.3.2 I'm using AVAudioSession to record sound in my application. But I recently came to realize that when the app starts a recording session on a tablet, OS automatically sets the tablet volume to 50% and when after recording ends, it doesn't change back to the previous volume level before starting the recording. So I would like to know whether this is an OS default behavior or a bug? If it's a default behavior, I much appreciate if I can get a link to the documentation.
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117
Apr ’25
How to Keep Camera Running in iOS PiP Mode (Like WhatsApp/Google Meet)?
I'm using Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode in my native iOS application, which is similar to Google Meet, using the VideoSDK.live Native iOS SDK. The SDK has built-in support for PiP and it's working fine for the most part. However, I'm running into a problem: When the app enters PiP mode, the local camera (self-video) of the participant freezes or stops. I want to fix this and achieve the same smooth behavior seen in apps like Google Meet and WhatsApp, where the local camera keeps working even in PiP mode. I've been trying to find documentation or examples on how to achieve this but haven't had much luck. I came across a few mentions that using the camera in the background may require special entitlements from Apple (like in the entitlements file). Most of the official documentation says background camera access is restricted due to Apple’s privacy policies. So my questions are: Has anyone here successfully implemented background camera access in PiP mode on iOS? If yes, what permissions or entitlements are required? How do apps like WhatsApp and Google Meet achieve this functionality on iPhones? Any help, advice, or pointers would be really appreciated!
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268
Aug ’25
Instagram video embed in WKWebView freezes on start on iOS18.5
Hi everyone! Here's what I observed so far: On device it's reproducible on iOS/iPadOS18.5, but works on iPadOS17.7. On iPhone16 iOS 18.5 simulator that I was extensively using for development it was reproducible until I reset content and settings. On iPhone 16 iOS18.4 simulator, which was also used a lot during development it still works always, so I tend to think it's 18.5 issue. Setting config.websiteDataStore = .nonPersistent() doesn't help. Cleaning WKWebsiteDataStore doesn't help. It works fine using direct URL from the embedded code (see the code below). Can someone provide some insight on how this could be fixed? Here's the code: import SwiftUI import WebKit @main struct IGVideoApp: App { var body: some Scene { WindowGroup { WebView() } } } private struct WebView: UIViewRepresentable { func makeUIView(context: Context) -> WKWebView { let config = WKWebViewConfiguration() config.allowsInlineMediaPlayback = true return .init(frame: .zero, configuration: config) } func updateUIView(_ uiView: WKWebView, context: Context) { let urlString = "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKHFOGct3z7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" /// It works when loading from the data-instgrm-permalink URL directly // uiView.load(.init(url: .init(string: "\(urlString)")!)) /// It doesn't work whith embedding /// Note: the code part for embedding (<blockquote>...</blockquote>) is taken from my /// Instagram post (https://www.instagram.com/p/DKHFOGct3z7/) /// and stripped down. The urlString was also extracted for demonstration of direct loading. let string = """ <!doctype html> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <html> <head /> <body style="background-color:black; margin:0px"> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="14" data-instgrm-permalink="\(urlString)"> </blockquote> <script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script> </body> </html> """ uiView.loadHTMLString(string, baseURL: .init(string: "https://www.instagram.com")) } }
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256
Jul ’25
How can I find the user's "Favorite Songs" playlist?
It sounds simple but searching for the name "Favorite Songs" is a non-starter because it's called different names in different countries, even if I specify "&l=en_us" on the query. So is there another property, relationship or combination thereof which I can use to tell me when I've found the right playlist? Properties I've looked at so far: canEdit: will always be false so narrows things down a little inFavorites: not helpful as it depends on whether the user has favourite the favourites playlist, so not relevant hasCatalog: seems always true so again may narrow things down a bit isPublic: doesn't help Adding the catalog relationship doesn't seem to show anything immediately useful either. Can anyone help? Ideally I'd like to see this as a "kind" or "type" as it has different properties to other playlists, but frankly I'll take anything at this point.
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285
Jul ’25
Clarification of use of `AVAssetDownloadConfiguration` and `AVAssetDownloadTask` to persist MP3 Audio downloads/streams
Hello! I have been following the UsingAVFoundationToPlayAndPersistHTTPLiveStreams sample code in order to test persisting streams to disk. In addition to support for m3u8, I have noticed in testing that this also seems to work for MP3 Audio, simply by changing the plist entries to point to remote URLs with audio/mpeg content. Is this expected, or are there caveats that I should be aware of? Thanks you!
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74
Apr ’25
About the built-in instrument sound of Apple devices
Does anyone know how to pronounce the sound of a specific instrument when you tap a button on the screen on your iPhone or iPad? Now, in the middle of creating a music learning app, I'm thinking of assigning monotones or chords to the button-like frames on the keyboard and fingerboard on the screen. Can it be achieved with SwiftUI chords alone? Once upon a time, MIDI level 1 I remember that there was a pronunciation function of the instrument, but I don't think about implementing the same function in the current OS. Please lend me your wisdom.
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58
May ’25
Inconsistent history responses in early morning polls
I use the Apple Music API to poll my listening history at regular intervals. Every morning between 5:30AM and 7:30AM, I observe a strange pattern in the API responses. During this window, one or more of the regular polling intervals returns a response that differs significantly from the prior history response, even though I had no listening activity at that time. I'm using this endpoint: https://api.music.apple.com/v1/me/recent/played/tracks?types=songs,library-songs&include[library-songs]=catalog&include[songs]=albums,artists Here’s a concrete example from this morning: Time: 5:45AM Fetch 1 Tracks (subset): 1799261990, 1739657416, 1786317143, 1784288789, 1743250261, 1738681804, 1789325498, 1743036755, ... Time: 5:50AM Fetch 2 Tracks (subset): 1799261990, 1739657416, 1786317143, 1623924746, 1635185172, 1574004238, 1198763630, 1621299055, ... Time: 5:55AM Fetch 3 Tracks (subset): 1799261990, 1739657416, 1786317143, 1784288789, 1743250261, 1738681804, 1789325498, 1743036755, ... At 5:50, a materially different history is returned, then it returns back to the prior history at the next poll. I've listened to all of the tracks in each set, but the 5:50 history drops some tracks and returns some from further back in history. I've connected other accounts and the behavior is consistent and repeatable every day across them. It appears the API is temporarily returning a different (possibly outdated or cached?) view of the user's history during that early morning window. Has anyone seen this behavior before? Is this a known issue with the Apple Music API or MusicKit backend? I'd love any insights into what might cause this, or recommendations on how to work around it.
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133
Apr ’25
Unstable Playlist.Entry.id causes crashes when removing duplicates
When multiple identical songs are added to a playlist, Playlist.Entry.id uses a suffix-based identifier (e.g. songID_0, songID_1, etc.). Removing one entry causes others to shift, changing their .id values. This leads to diffing errors and collection view crashes in SwiftUI or UIKit when entries are updated. Steps to Reproduce: Add the same song to a playlist multiple times. Observe .id.rawValue of entries (e.g. i.SONGID_0, i.SONGID_1). Remove one entry. Fetch playlist again — note the other IDs have shifted. FB18879062
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542
Jul ’25
Lightning to HDMI mirrors
I am developing a VOD playback app, but when I stream video to an external monitor connected via HDMI with Lightning on iOS 18 or later, the screen goes dark and I cannot confirm playback. The app I am developing does not detect the HDMI and display the Player separately, but simply mirrors the video. We have confirmed that the same phenomenon occurs with other services, but we were able to confirm playback with some services such as Apple TV. Please let us know if there are any other necessary settings such as video certificates required for video playback. We would also like to know if the problem occurs with iOS 18 or later.
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278
Mar ’25
How to inform Logic Pro that AU view does not have a fixed aspect ratio?
I have an AUv3 that passes all validation and can be loaded into Logic Pro without issue. The UI for the plug in can be any aspect ratio but Logic insists on presenting it in a view with a fixed aspect ratio. That is when resizing, both the height and width are resized. I have never managed to work out what it is I need to do specify to Logic to allow the user to resize width or height independently of each other. Can anyone tell me what I need to specify in the AU code that will inform Logic that the view can be resized from any side of the window/panel?
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134
Apr ’25
FCPX Workflow Extension: Drag & Drop FCPXML with Titles to Timeline Not Working Despite Following File Promise Guidelines
I'm developing a Final Cut Pro X workflow extension that transcribes audio and creates a text output. I need to allow users to drag this text directly from my extension into FCPX's timeline as titles. Current Implementation: Using NSFilePromiseProvider as per Apple's guidelines for drag and drop Generating valid FCPXML (v1.10) with proper structure: Complete resources section with format and asset references Event and project hierarchy Asset clip with connected title elements Proper timing and duration calculations Supporting multiple pasteboard types: com.apple.finalcutpro.xml.v1-10 com.apple.finalcutpro.xml.v1-9 com.apple.finalcutpro.xml What's Working: Drag operation initiates correctly File promise provider is set up properly FCPXML generation is successful (verified content) All required pasteboard types are registered Proper logging confirms data is being requested and provided Current Pasteboard Types Offered: com.apple.NSFilePromiseItemMetaData com.apple.pasteboard.promised-file-name com.apple.pasteboard.promised-suggested-file-name com.apple.pasteboard.promised-file-content-type Apple files promise pasteboard type com.apple.pasteboard.NSFilePromiseID com.apple.pasteboard.promised-file-url com.apple.finalcutpro.xml.v1-10 com.apple.finalcutpro.xml.v1-9 com.apple.finalcutpro.xml What additional requirements or considerations are needed to make FCPX accept the dragged FCPXML content? Are there specific requirements for workflow extensions regarding drag and drop operations with titles that aren't documented? Any insights, especially from those who have implemented similar functionality in FCPX workflow extensions, would be greatly appreciated. Technical Details: macOS Version: 15.5 (24F74) FCPX Version: 11.1.1 Extension built with SwiftUI and AppKit integration Using NSFilePromiseProvider and NSPasteboardItemDataProvider Full pasteboard type support for FCPXML versions
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187
Jul ’25