[video_player][ios]: mixWithOthers not working on iOS as it stops the music in the background when video is mounted

[obrunsmann]

We are experiencing strange behavior with the video_player package in latest version 2.2.7:

Expected Behavior:

VideoPlayerController.file(
  file,
  videoPlayerOptions: VideoPlayerOptions(mixWithOthers: true),
);

Using this playing background music with music app or Spotify should continue playing in background while mounting and playing a video in a widget.

Actual behavior:
Music stops 💩

Reproduce:
I was not able to fully reproduce by myself, but what we've got reported from our users was strange. We deployed 3 different versions to our production users:

1)

VideoPlayerController.file(file, videoPlayerOptions: VideoPlayerOptions(mixWithOthers: true))

This stopped music on iOS but worked fine on Android 🤖

2)

VideoPlayerController.file(file)

Worked on iOS, stopped on Android 😬

3)

VideoPlayerController.file(
    file,
    videoPlayerOptions: isAndroid
        ? VideoPlayerOptions(mixWithOthers: true)
        : null,
  )

Stopped on iOS, worked on Android 🦗

In parallel we only further use flutter_tts package, so I am now debugging if there could be a an issue in combination.

Doctor

[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 2.5.3, on macOS 12.0.1 21A559 darwin-x64, locale de-DE)
    • Flutter version 2.5.3 at /Users/oliver/flutter
    • Upstream repository https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git
    • Framework revision 18116933e7 (6 weeks ago), 2021-10-15 10:46:35 -0700
    • Engine revision d3ea636dc5
    • Dart version 2.14.4

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      (or visit https://flutter.dev/docs/get-started/install/macos#android-setup for detailed instructions).
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    • Xcode 13.1, Build version 13A1030d
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      (or visit https://flutter.dev/docs/get-started/install/macos#android-setup for detailed instructions).

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[✓] Connected device (3 available)
xxx
! Doctor found issues in 2 categories.

[darshankawar]

@obrunsmann
It seems the video_player plugin doesn't work / support background video or audio playing. Can you try this SO solution and see if it works for you ?

[obrunsmann]

@darshankawar this issue looks like to be the reverse side of my issue.

My issue is that we have a video playing without audio inside the app (while being in foreground) but as soon as the video gets mounted on the screen it pauses spotify or apple music which plays in background.

So there is something not yet 100 % working regarding the mixWithOthers flag and a (shared?) audio session on iOS.
I also tried solving this issue with the audio_session plugin but was not yet successfull while the video_player plugin seems to force create an own audio session or something.

[darshankawar]

@obrunsmann
Thanks for the update. I tried a scenario based on above description and can somewhat replicate it. For example:

1. Play a music on iphone (ex: youtube link)
2. Run Flutter video player app that has a video without audio.
3. The music stops alongwith the video

Is this a correct interpretation of your use case ?
Also, I think you are hitting #30438, but withMixOthers parameter.

[obrunsmann]

@darshankawar Yepp - fully correct 👍

[darshankawar]

My issue is that we have a video playing without audio inside the app (while being in foreground) but as soon as the video gets mounted on the screen it pauses spotify or apple music which plays in background.

I can see this behavior even without using mixWithOthers parameter and using the official video player plugin example and following the steps to replicate as mentioned #94328 (comment), but also have a doubt if flutter app in general or video player in iOS fully supports playing audio / video in background when app is running. Will keep it open for further insights from the team on expected / intended behavior.

related / similar issue comments for reference:

#30438 (comment)
#30438 (comment)

/cc @cyanglaz @mvanbeusekom

[b4tchkn]

I'm facing the same problem.
It seems that when VideoPlayerController calls initialize, the background audio stops for iOS only.

[clemortel]

Facing the same problem.
Does anyone found a workaround as the issue is opened form 2021 ?

[stuartmorgan]

If anyone is interested in moving this forward, flutter/plugins#5872 is a starting point for implementing this.