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# MPMediaPlayback

A protocol that defines the interface for controlling audio media playback.

```
protocol MPMediaPlayback
```

## Overview

This protocol supports basic transport operations including start, stop, and pause, and also lets you seek forward and back through media or to a specific point in its timeline.

## Topics

### Starting and stopping playback

[`-  play`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlayback/play())

Initiates playback of the current item.

[`-  pause`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlayback/pause())

Pauses playback of the current item.

[`-  stop`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlayback/stop())

Ends playback of the current item.

[`-  prepareToPlay`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlayback/prepareToPlay())

Prepares a media player for playback.

[`isPreparedToPlay`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlayback/isPreparedToPlay)

A Boolean value indicating whether a media player is ready to play.

### Seeking within media

[`-  beginSeekingBackward`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlayback/beginSeekingBackward())

Begins seeking backward through the media content.

[`-  beginSeekingForward`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlayback/beginSeekingForward())

Begins seeking forward through the media content.

[`-  endSeeking`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlayback/endSeeking())

Ends forward and backward seeking through the media content.

### Accessing playback attributes

[`currentPlaybackRate`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlayback/currentPlaybackRate)

The current playback rate for the player.

[`currentPlaybackTime`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlayback/currentPlaybackTime)

The current position of the playhead.

### Notifications

[`MPMediaPlaybackIsPreparedToPlayDidChangeNotification`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMediaPlaybackIsPreparedToPlayDidChangeNotification)

Indicates that the prepared to play status of the media player has changed.

## Relationships

### Conforming Types

[`MPMoviePlayerController`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMoviePlayerController)

[`MPMusicPlayerApplicationController`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMusicPlayerApplicationController)

[`MPMusicPlayerController`](/documentation/MediaPlayer/MPMusicPlayerController)

---

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