iOS apps doing something screwy with audio API

[Ichinisan]

Facebook and "New" Words with Friends are just 2 examples of apps that do this.

• iPad mini 2 (retina)
• Apple TV 3
• AirPort Extreme 6th gen (802.11ac)
• Everything on 5 GHz
• iOS 8.2 (latest)
• Silent mode switch is in the Silent position

I'm listening to music with the standard iOS Music app, streaming to Apple TV. Just launching one of those other apps kills the AirPlay stream. If you can get the music to play again (very difficult), anything that would trigger a sound effect in the other app kills AirPlay again (even though I wouldn't hear the sound effect because I'm in silent mode). The output device is set back to "iPad" again.

It's driving me insane and it has been going on a long time. App developers aren't listening.

[edit]
I'm thinking this is more Apple's fault with iOS 8.

 

[eelw]

Turn on do not disturb mode when streaming music?

 

[nickbits]

That's the default behavior of the API, if an app isn't doing that, they explicitly programmed it. Once an app plays a sound, it takes exclusive ownership over the audio subsystem.

 

[Ichinisan]

That's the default behavior of the API, if an app isn't doing that, they explicitly programmed it. Once an app plays a sound, it takes exclusive ownership over the audio subsystem.

I used to be able to multitask just fine. Whatever was playing in the background, associated with Control Center, would be routed via AirPlay to the target (Apple TV). Anything that was NOT associated with Control Center should play through the device -- things like game sound effects or Facebook's stupid noises -- things that are not meant to ever play in the background while you're not in an app. With the switch in silent mode, local sounds should not play at all. Not on the device. Not on the AirPlay stream.

This is extremely irritating because it defeats what AirPlay streaming was meant to do. Other than Safari, I can't use my tablet anymore while doing AirPlay.

...and it's just a matter of time before some link launches an app that plays a local sound effect and kills AirPlay.

If this behavior was intended, then I shouldn't have so much trouble getting the music to start playing again. Everything gets all through out-of-sync between Music and Control Center. Progress, Play/Pause state, ...everything. I have to keep pressing pause / play over and over in the Music app and in CC. Enable AirPlay again. Disable it again. Only then, it *might* allow me to start playing again (on my device). If it finally starts playing on the device, then I can finally enable AirPlay again and it will work until some app kicks it off again.

It's bizarre to think just how bad things have been since iOS 8. Apple stuff used to "just work" with each other. Now, Bluetooth A2DP works 100% better than AirPlay for music streaming...WHY?! (The disadvantage is that app sound effects always get routed through A2DP)

AirPlay used to be awesome. Not just for music. But video too. YouTube app won't play in the background? Just AirPlay it and you can leave the YouTube app. Enable AirPlay with Amazon Prime Instant Video and browse IMDB...

Now, trying to use AirPlay is just an exercise in frustration.