Bug Report: ScreenCaptureKit System Audio Capture Crashes with EXC_BAD_ACCESS
Summary
When using ScreenCaptureKit to capture system audio for extended periods, the application crashes with EXC_BAD_ACCESS in Swift's error handling runtime. The crash occurs in swift_getErrorValue when trying to process an error from the SCStream delegate method didStopWithError. This appears to be a framework-level issue in ScreenCaptureKit or its underlying ReplayKit implementation.
Environment
macOS Sonoma 14.6.1
Swift 5.8
ScreenCaptureKit framework
Detailed Description
Our application captures system audio using ScreenCaptureKit's audio capture capabilities. After successfully capturing for several minutes (typically after 3-4 segments of 60-second recordings), the application crashes with an EXC_BAD_ACCESS error. The crash happens when the Swift runtime attempts to process an error in the SCStreamDelegate.stream(_:didStopWithError:) method.
The crash consistently occurs in swift_getErrorValue when attempting to access the class of what appears to be a null object. This suggests that the error being passed from the system framework to our delegate method is malformed or contains invalid memory.
Steps to Reproduce
Create an SCStream with audio capture enabled
Add audio output to the stream
Start capture and write audio data to disk
Allow the capture to run for several minutes (3-5 minutes typically triggers the issue)
The app will crash with EXC_BAD_ACCESS in swift_getErrorValue
Code Sample
func stream(_ stream: SCStream, didStopWithError error: Error) {
print("Stream stopped with error: \(error)") // Crash occurs before this line executes
}
func stream(_ stream: SCStream, didOutputSampleBuffer sampleBuffer: CMSampleBuffer, of type: SCStreamOutputType) {
guard type == .audio, sampleBuffer.isValid else { return }
// Process audio data...
}
Expected Behavior
The error should be properly propagated to the delegate method, allowing for graceful error handling and recovery.
Actual Behavior
The application crashes with EXC_BAD_ACCESS when the Swift runtime attempts to process the error in swift_getErrorValue.
Crash Log Details
Thread #35, queue = 'com.apple.NSXPCConnection.m-user.com.apple.replayd', stop reason = EXC_BAD_ACCESS (code=1, address=0x0)
frame #0: 0x0000000194c3088c libswiftCore.dylib`swift::_swift_getClass(void const*) + 8
frame #1: 0x0000000194c30104 libswiftCore.dylib`swift_getErrorValue + 40
frame #2: 0x00000001057fba30 shadow`NewScreenCaptureService.stream(stream=0x0000600002de6700, error=Swift.Error @ 0x000000016b7b5e30) at NEW+ScreenCaptureService.swift:365:15
frame #3: 0x00000001057fc050 shadow`@objc NewScreenCaptureService.stream(_:didStopWithError:) at <compiler-generated>:0
frame #4: 0x0000000219ec5ca0 ScreenCaptureKit`-[SCStreamManager stream:didStopWithError:] + 456
frame #5: 0x00000001ca68a5cc ReplayKit`-[RPScreenRecorder stream:didStopWithError:] + 84
frame #6: 0x00000001ca696ff8 ReplayKit`-[RPDaemonProxy stream:didStopWithError:] + 224
Printing description of stream._streamQueue:
error: ObjectiveC.id:4294967281:18: note: 'id' has been explicitly marked unavailable here
public typealias id = AnyObject
^
error: /var/folders/v4/3xg1hmp93gjd8_xlzmryf_wm0000gn/T/expr23-dfa421..cpp:1:65: 'id' is unavailable in Swift: 'id' is not available in Swift; use 'Any'
Swift._DebuggerSupport.stringForPrintObject(Swift.UnsafePointer<id>(bitPattern: 0x104ae08c0)!.pointee)
^~
ObjectiveC.id:2:18: note: 'id' has been explicitly marked unavailable here
public typealias id = AnyObject
^
warning: /var/folders/v4/3xg1hmp93gjd8_xlzmryf_wm0000gn/T/expr23-dfa421..cpp:5:7: initialization of variable '$__lldb_error_result' was never used; consider replacing with assignment to '_' or removing it
var $__lldb_error_result = __lldb_tmp_error
~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_
Before the crash, we observed this error message in the console:
[ERROR] *****SCStream*****RemoteAudioQueueOperationHandlerWithError:1015 Error received from the remote queue -16665
Additional Context
The issue occurs consistently after approximately 3-4 successful audio segment recordings of 60 seconds each
Commenting out custom segment rotation logic does not prevent the crash
The crash involves XPC communication with Apple's ReplayKit daemon
The error appears to be corrupted or malformed when crossing the XPC boundary
Workarounds Attempted
Added proper thread safety for all published properties using DispatchQueue.main.async
Implemented more robust error handling in the delegate methods
None of these approaches prevented the crash since it occurs at the Swift runtime level before our code executes.
Impact
This issue prevents reliable long-duration audio capture using ScreenCaptureKit.
This bug significantly limits the usefulness of ScreenCaptureKit for any application requiring continuous system audio capture for more than a few minutes.
Perhaps this issue might be related to a macOS bug where the system dialog indicates that the screen is being shared, even though nothing is actually being shared. Moreover, when attempting to stop sharing, nothing happens.
Audio
RSS for tagDive into the technical aspects of audio on your device, including codecs, format support, and customization options.
Selecting any option will automatically load the page
Post
Replies
Boosts
Views
Created
The presentation "create audio drivers with DriverKit" from WWDC 2021 demonstrates how to use a dext to implement a virtual audio driver. It also says " If a virtual audio driver or device is all that is needed, the audio server plug-in driver model should continue to be used".
Indeed, in AudioDriverKit/AudioDriverKitTypes.h, there is no IOUserAudioTransportType Virtual, although CoreAudio/AudioHardwareBase.h includes kAudioDeviceTransportTypeVirtual.
For one of our products, we require virtual devices to implement a software loopback "cable". We've implemented this using the "traditional" HAL plugin, and as a proof-of-concept, also using a dext. In the dext, I tried setting the transport type to 'virt', which seems to only have the effect of changing the icon shown in Audio Midi Setup.
HAL plugins require an installer, and the installer has to kill coreaudiod in a post-install script. You have to turn off SIP to debug them. Just like AudioDriverKit drivers, they are out-of-process and run in a process not owned by the hosting app. Our HAL plugin's interface is property based; we had to write a lot of boiler-plate code to implement required properties. Writing an AudioDriverKit driver is in most respects easier - a lot of the scaffolding is implemented in the base driver, which we only alter where required. Debugging and installation is much easier.
The dext works just fine, as far as we can ascertain, just as well as a HAL plugin.
So, my question is - is the advice to use a HAL plugin for a virtual device still correct in 2025? And if so, what's the objection? We'd really prefer to ship the AudioDriverKit virtual audio device.
iPhoneやiPadにおいて、画面上のボタンなどをタップした際に、特定の楽器音を発音させる方法をご存知の方いらっしゃいませんか?
現在音楽学習アプリを作成途中で、画面上の鍵盤や指板のボタン状のframeに、単音又は和音を割当て発音させる事を考えております
SwiftUIのcodeのみで実現できないでしょうか
嘗て、MIDIのlevel1の楽器の発音機能があった様に記憶していますが、現在のOS上では同様の機能を実装してないように思えます
皆様のお知恵をお貸しください
Mobile app - Ellie's Gift
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/ellies-gift/id1617597875
Using AVFoundation to play audio tracks within the app.
Has always been working fine across apple and android, but iphone 14 and newer devices are unable to play audio.
Any idea's or suggestions?
Hello,
We are developing a real-time speech recognition application and are utilizing AVAudioEngine with voice processing enabled on the input node. However, we have observed that enabling this mode interferes with the built-in iOS screen recording feature - specifically, the recorded video does not capture any audio when this mode is active.
Since we want users to be able to record their experience within our app, this issue significantly impacts our functionality. Is there a known workaround or recommended approach to ensure that both voice processing and screen recording can function simultaneously?
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
I've been trying to use AVMIDIControlChangeEvent with a bankSelect message type to change the instrument the sequencer uses on a AVMusicTrack with no luck.
I started with the Apple AVAEMixerSample, converting the initial setup/loading and portions dealing with the sequencer to Swift. I got that working and playing the "bluesyRiff" and then modified it to play individual notes. So my createAndSetupSequencer looked like
func createAndSetupSequencer() {
sequencer = AVAudioSequencer(audioEngine: engine)
// guard let midiFileURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "bluesyRiff", withExtension: "mid") else {
// print (" failed guard trying to get URL for bluesyRiff")
// return
// }
let track = sequencer.createAndAppendTrack()
var currTime = 1.0
for i: UInt32 in 0...8 {
let newNoteEvent = AVMIDINoteEvent(channel: 0, key: 60+i, velocity: 64, duration: 2.0)
track.addEvent(newNoteEvent, at: AVMusicTimeStamp(currTime))
currTime += 2.0
}
The notes played, so then I also replaced the gs_instruments sound bank with GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.442 first by trying
guard let soundBankURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.442", withExtension: "sf2") else {
return}
do {
try sampler.loadSoundBankInstrument(at: soundBankURL, program: 0x001C, bankMSB: 0x79, bankLSB: 0x08)
} catch{....
}
This appears to work, the instrument (8 which is "Funk Guitar") plays. If I change to bankLSB: 0x00 I get the "Palm Muted guitar". So I know that the soundfont has these instruments
Stuff goes off the rails when I try to change the instruments in createAndSetupSequencer. Putting
let programChange = AVMIDIProgramChangeEvent(channel: 0, programNumber: 0x001C)
let bankChange = AVMIDIControlChangeEvent(channel: 0, messageType: AVMIDIControlChangeEvent.MessageType.bankSelect, value: 0x00)
track.addEvent(programChange, at: AVMusicTimeStamp(1.0))
track.addEvent(bankChange, at: AVMusicTimeStamp(1.0))
just before my add note loop doesn't produce any change. Loading bankLSB 8 (Funk) in sampler.loadSoundBankInstrument and trying to change with bankSelect 0 (Palm muted) in createAndSetupSequencer results in instrument 8 (Funk) playing not Palm Muted.
Loading bankLSB 0 (Palm muted) and trying to change with bankSelect 8 (Funk) doesn't work, 0 (Palm muted) plays
I also tried sampler.loadInstrument(at: soundBankURL) and then I always get the first instrument in the sound font file (piano)no matter what values I put in my programChange/bankChange
I've also changed the time in the track.addEvent to be 0, 1.0, 3.0 etc to no success
The sampler.loadSoundBankInstrument specifies two UInt8 parameters, bankMSB and BankLSB while the AVMIDIControlChangeEvent bankSelect value is UInt32 suggesting it might be some combination of bankMSB and BankLSB. But the documentation makes no mention of what this should look like. I tried various combinations of 0x7908, 0X0879 etc to no avail
I will also point out that I am able to successfully execute other control change events
For example adding
if i == 1 {
let portamentoOnEvent = AVMIDIControlChangeEvent(channel: 0, messageType: AVMIDIControlChangeEvent.MessageType.portamento, value: 0xFF)
track.addEvent(portamentoOnEvent, at: AVMusicTimeStamp(currTime))
let portamentoRateEvent = AVMIDIControlChangeEvent(channel: 0, messageType: AVMIDIControlChangeEvent.MessageType.portamentoTime, value: 64)
track.addEvent(portamentoRateEvent, at: AVMusicTimeStamp(currTime))
}
does produce a change in the sound. (As an aside, a definition of what portamento time is, other than "the rate of portamento" would be welcome. is it notes/seconds? freq/minute? beats/hour?)
I was able to get the instrument to change in a different program using MusicPlayer and a series of MusicTrackNewMIDIChannelEvent on a track but these operate on a MusicTrack not the AVMusicTrack which the sequencer uses.
Has anyone been successful in switching instruments through an AVMIDIControlChangeEvent or have any feedback on how to do this?
Is it possible to play WebM audio on iOS? Either with AVPlayer, AVAudioEngine, or some other API?
Safari has supported this for a few releases now, and I'm wondering if I missed something about how to do this. By default these APIs don't seem to work (nor does ExtAudioFileOpen).
Our usecase is making it possible for iOS users to play back audio recorded in our webapp (desktop versions of Chrome & Firefox only support webm as a destination format for MediaRecorder)
The device is connected to Bluetooth A and Bluetooth B, currently the audio is played through Bluetooth A, click the interface button, how to realize the code to switch to Bluetooth B?
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.
We have the necessary background recording entitlements, and for many users... do not run into any issues.
However, there is a subset of users that routinely get recordings ending.. we have narrowed this down and believe it to be the work of the watch dog.
First we removed the entire view hierarchy when app is backgrounded. There is just 'Text("Recording")'
This got the CPU usage in profiler down to 0%. We saw massive improvements to recording success rate.
We walked away assuming that was enough. However we are still seeing the same sort of crashes. All in the background. We're using Observation to drive audio state changes to a Live Activity.
Are those Observations causing the problem? Why doesn't apple provide a better API to background audio? The internet is full of weird issues
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/76010213/why-is-my-react-native-app-sometimes-terminated-in-the-background-while-tracking
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/71656047/why-is-my-react-native-app-terminating-in-the-background-while-recording-ios-r
https://github.com/expo/expo/issues/16807
This is such a terrible user experience. And we have very little visibility into what is happening and why.
No where in apple documentation states that in order for background recording to work, the app can only be 'Text("Recording")'
It does not outline a CPU or memory threshold. It just kills us.
I have an app under development - demo here - https://youtu.be/VbAfUk_eYl0?si=s6EDBx-4G6P_QbZO - which is sort of an audio player for airdropped files - something useful to musicians who dump work in progress to their phone, make notes, revise and update.
I've been testing my handling of audio session interruption notifications, but seems to be a lot of inconsistency in how, when and why iOS delivers them, and I'm wondering if there is some rhyme or reason to it that I'm just not detecting.
For example, I am playing a song in my app. Switch to Apple Music and start playing a song there. My app gets an interruption began notification - this is consistent.
Switch back to my app, and about half the time, I will get an interruption ended notification (coupled often with a blast of the tail of whatever audio buffer was partially played when the interruption started, even though the engine was stopped - and followed by call to my AVAudioPlayerNodeCompletionCallback - is there some way to avoid this?). Half the time I don't get an interruption ended notification; my app can (as expected) end the interruption by activating the AVAudioSession and playing something.
I have not been able to determine any pattern to this behavior, other than that if my app started playing using AVAudioPlayerNode.scheduleSegment rather than scheduleFile I think the notification will be consistently delivered on app activation rather than when I activate the session programmatically.
I would like my app to behave deterministically, and would appreciate any help in deciphering what causes the inconsistent behavior in notifications from iOS.
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.
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Audio
Hi,
Not sure if this is the right forum to ask this question in, but could you please advise if I can use Apple Digital Masters logo (badge) in my iOS app that is playing music from Apple Music service?
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Audio
I'm trying to write 16-bit interleaved 2-channel data captured from a LiveSwitch audio source to a AVAudioFile. The buffer and file formats match but I get a bad parameter error from the API. Does this API not support the specified format or is there some other issue?
Here is the debugger output.
(lldb) po audioFile.url
▿ file:///private/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/1EB14379-0CF2-41B6-B742-4C9A80728DB3/tmp/Heart%20Sounds%201
- _url : file:///private/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/1EB14379-0CF2-41B6-B742-4C9A80728DB3/tmp/Heart%20Sounds%201
- _parseInfo : nil
- _baseParseInfo : nil
(lldb) po error
Error Domain=com.apple.coreaudio.avfaudio Code=-50 "(null)" UserInfo={failed call=ExtAudioFileWrite(_impl->_extAudioFile, buffer.frameLength, buffer.audioBufferList)}
(lldb) po buffer.format
<AVAudioFormat 0x302a12b20: 2 ch, 44100 Hz, Int16, interleaved>
(lldb) po audioFile.fileFormat
<AVAudioFormat 0x302a515e0: 2 ch, 44100 Hz, Int16, interleaved>
(lldb) po buffer.frameLength
882
(lldb) po buffer.audioBufferList
▿ 0x0000000300941e60
- pointerValue : 12894608992
This code handles the details of converting the Live Switch frame into an AVAudioPCMBuffer.
extension FMLiveSwitchAudioFrame {
func convertedToPCMBuffer() -> AVAudioPCMBuffer {
Self.convertToAVAudioPCMBuffer(from: self)!
}
static func convertToAVAudioPCMBuffer(from frame: FMLiveSwitchAudioFrame) -> AVAudioPCMBuffer? {
// Retrieve the audio buffer and format details from the FMLiveSwitchAudioFrame
guard
let buffer = frame.buffer(),
let format = buffer.format() as? FMLiveSwitchAudioFormat else { return nil }
// Extract PCM format details from FMLiveSwitchAudioFormat
let sampleRate = Double(format.clockRate())
let channelCount = AVAudioChannelCount(format.channelCount())
// Determine bytes per sample based on bit depth
let bitsPerSample = 16
let bytesPerSample = bitsPerSample / 8
let bytesPerFrame = bytesPerSample * Int(channelCount)
let frameLength = AVAudioFrameCount(Int(buffer.dataBuffer().length()) / bytesPerFrame)
// Create an AVAudioFormat from the FMLiveSwitchAudioFormat
guard let avAudioFormat = AVAudioFormat(commonFormat: .pcmFormatInt16, sampleRate: sampleRate, channels: channelCount, interleaved: true) else {
return nil
}
// Create an AudioBufferList to wrap the existing buffer
let audioBufferList = UnsafeMutablePointer<AudioBufferList>.allocate(capacity: 1)
audioBufferList.pointee.mNumberBuffers = 1
audioBufferList.pointee.mBuffers.mNumberChannels = channelCount
audioBufferList.pointee.mBuffers.mDataByteSize = UInt32(buffer.dataBuffer().length())
audioBufferList.pointee.mBuffers.mData = buffer.dataBuffer().data().mutableBytes // Directly use LiveSwitch buffer
// Transfer ownership of the buffer to AVAudioPCMBuffer
let pcmBuffer = AVAudioPCMBuffer(pcmFormat: avAudioFormat, bufferListNoCopy: audioBufferList) /* { buffer in
// Ensure the buffer is freed when AVAudioPCMBuffer is deallocated
buffer.deallocate() // Only call this if LiveSwitch allows manual deallocation
} */
pcmBuffer?.frameLength = frameLength
return pcmBuffer
}
}
This is the handler that is invoked with every frame in order to convert it for use with AVAudioFile and optionally update a scrolling signal display on the screen.
private func onRaisedFrame(obj: Any!) -> Void {
// Bail out early if no one is interested in the data.
guard isMonitoring else { return }
// Convert LS frame to AVAudioPCMBuffer (no-copy)
let frame = obj as! FMLiveSwitchAudioFrame
let buffer = frame.convertedToPCMBuffer()
// Hand subscribers a reference to the buffer for rendering to display.
bufferPublisher?.send(buffer)
// If we have and output file, store the data there, as well.
guard let audioFile = self.audioFile else { return }
do {
try audioFile.write(from: buffer) // FIXME: This call is throwing error -50
} catch {
FMLiveSwitchLog.error(withMessage: "Failed to write buffer to audio file at \(audioFile.url): \(error)")
self.audioFile = nil
}
}
This is how the audio file is being setup.
static var recordingFormat: AVAudioFormat = {
AVAudioFormat(commonFormat: .pcmFormatInt16, sampleRate: 44_100, channels: 2, interleaved: true)!
}()
let audioFile = try AVAudioFile(forWriting: outputURL, settings: Self.recordingFormat.settings)
hi,
i need to read wether the transport is playing or stopped but my current method that works for vst does not work for au.
is there a lpx resource available for developers anywhere?
if (auto* playHead = processor->getPlayHead())
{
juce::AudioPlayHead::CurrentPositionInfo posInfo;
if (playHead->getCurrentPosition(posInfo))
{
bool isCurrentlyPlaying = posInfo.isPlaying;
if (isCurrentlyPlaying != wasTransportPlaying)
{
if (isCurrentlyPlaying)
{
wasTransportPlaying = isCurrentlyPlaying;
startAllTimers();
}
else
{
wasTransportPlaying = isCurrentlyPlaying;
stopAllTimers();
}
}
}
}
thanks :)
I am trying to stream audio from local filesystem.
For that, I am trying to use an AVAssetResourceLoaderDelegate for an AVURLAsset. However, Content-Length is not known at the start. To overcome this, I tried several methods:
Set content length as nil, in the AVAssetResourceLoadingContentInformationRequest
Set content length to -1, in the ContentInformationRequest
Both of these cause the AVPlayerItem to fail with an error.
I also tried setting Content-Length as INT_MAX, and setting a renewalDate = Date(timeIntervalSinceNow: 5). However, that seems to be buggy. Even after updating the Content-Length to the correct value (e.g. X bytes) and finishing that loading request, the resource loader keeps getting requests with requestedOffset = X with dataRequest.requestsAllDataToEndOfResource = true. These requests keep coming indefinitely, and as a result it seems that the next item in the queue does not get played. Also, .AVPlayerItemDidPlayToEndTime notification does not get called.
I wanted to check if this is an expected behavior or is there a bug in this implementation. Also, what is the recommended way to stream audio of unknown initial length from local file system?
Thanks!
Let's consider the following code.
I've created an actor that loads a list of .mp3 files from a Bundle and then makes it available for audio reproduction.
Unfortunately, I'm experiencing a memory leak.
At the play method.
player.play()
From Instruments I get
_malloc_type_malloc_outlined libsystem_malloc.dylib
start_wqthread libsystem_pthread.dylib
private actor AudioActor {
enum Failure: Error {
case soundsNotLoaded([AudioPlayerClient.Sound: Error])
}
enum Player {
case music(AVAudioPlayer)
}
var players: [Sound: Player] = [:]
let bundles: [Bundle]
init(bundles: UncheckedSendable<[Bundle]>) {
self.bundles = bundles.wrappedValue
}
func load(sounds: [Sound]) throws {
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(true, options: [])
var errors: [Sound: Error] = [:]
for sound in sounds {
guard let url = bundle.url(forResource: sound.name, withExtension: "mp3")
else { continue }
do {
self.players[sound] = try .music(AVAudioPlayer(contentsOf: url))
} catch {
errors[sound] = error
}
}
guard errors.isEmpty
else { throw Failure.soundsNotLoaded(errors) }
}
func play(sound: Sound, loops: Int?) throws {
guard let player = self.players[sound]
else { return }
switch player {
case let .music(player):
player.numberOfLoops = loops ?? -1
player.play()
}
}
func stop(sound: Sound) throws {
guard let player = self.players[sound]
else { throw Failure.soundsNotLoaded([:]) }
switch player {
case let .music(player):
player.stop()
}
}
}
Feature Request: Long-Lived Access to Personal Apple Music Data
Use Case Summary
I'm developing a personal portfolio website (using Nuxt) and want to display information from my own Apple Music library - showcasing personal playlists, recently played tracks, or a read-only "now playing" widget. This is purely for personal use on my website and doesn't require other users to log in.
With Spotify's API, implementing this was straightforward thanks to automatic token refresh. I want a similarly seamless integration with Apple Music.
Challenge with MusicKit and Music User Tokens
Apple Music API requirements
Apple's Music API requires a valid Music User Token (MUT) for requests involving personal library data. Beyond the Apple Developer Token, you must obtain a user-specific token via MusicKit authentication to access your own library playlists, play history, or current playback status.
Token expiration and manual renewal
Music User Tokens expire after approximately 6 months without any mechanism to automatically refresh or renew them - unlike typical OAuth flows that provide refresh tokens. Apple's guidance suggests the device (e.g., iPhone) is responsible for obtaining new user tokens when old ones expire. This works for interactive apps on Apple devices but fails in server-side or long-lived web contexts like a personal website widget.
Impact on personal projects
Displaying Apple Music data on a public-facing site becomes difficult. I would need to periodically re-authenticate through the MusicKit JS flow every few months just to keep a widget alive. Embedding credentials in a public site is insecure, and manual token refreshing is cumbersome and easy to forget.
Comparison to Spotify's Token Model
Spotify's API offers a developer-friendly authentication model. Their OAuth flow provides a Refresh Token that applications can use to obtain new access tokens automatically without requiring user re-authorization. This means a personal app can maintain continuous access to a user's Spotify data for extended periods until access is revoked.
When building a similar feature with Spotify, this automatic token renewal was crucial. I could safely store the refresh token on my server and have my app periodically update the access token. Many developers have created public-facing widgets showing currently playing tracks on blogs or GitHub profiles using this model. Unfortunately, Apple Music's API lacks an equivalent capability, putting it at a disadvantage for personal projects.
Proposed Solutions
I request Apple's consideration for one of these enhancements:
Provide a mechanism to refresh or extend a Music User Token programmatically for server-side applications. This could be an OAuth-style refresh token issued alongside the MUT, or a dedicated endpoint to exchange an expired MUT for a new one. This would enable renewal without a full user re-auth/login each time.
Allow developers to access their own Apple Music library data with just the long-lived Developer Token. Apple could permit GET requests to personal library endpoints using the Developer Token alone, or a special token tied to the developer's Apple ID. This access would be read-only - no ability to modify the library, purely for retrieving data. It could be an opt-in feature in the Apple Developer account settings.
Either solution would significantly improve the developer experience for Apple Music API in personal projects.
Security and Privacy Considerations
This request is not about accessing others' data or creating privacy loopholes - it's about empowering an Apple Music subscriber to access their own information more conveniently. The proposed options respect privacy principles:
The data accessed is only what the user already has access to - their own playlists, library items, or playback status.
An automatic token refresh can be designed securely (revocable tokens bound to a single account with no increase in permissions).
Read-only developer token access could be restricted to non-sensitive data and require explicit opt-in.
Conclusion
I request an improvement to Apple Music's developer experience through either (1) an automatic Music User Token refresh mechanism, or (2) a provision for read-only personal library access using a Developer Token. This would bring Apple Music integration capabilities closer to parity with services like Spotify for personal projects.
I ask Apple's Developer Relations and the Apple Music API team to consider this feature request. If there are existing best practices or workarounds with current APIs, I would appreciate guidance.
I invite feedback from Apple or other developers. Are there known patterns for maintaining an Apple Music user token for server-side applications, or any plans to support non-interactive use cases? Any advice is welcome.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to integrating Apple Music into my personal site as smoothly as with other services, and believe many developers would benefit from this added flexibility.
Sources:
User Authentication for MusicKit - Requirements for Music User Tokens
StackOverflow: Do Apple Music User Tokens expire? - Confirmation of 6-month expiration
MetaBrainz GSoC Blog - Documentation of MusicKit authentication limitations
Apple Developer Forums - Information on token renewal behavior
Spotify for Developers - Documentation on refresh token mechanism
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Audio
Tags:
Apple Music API
MusicKit
MusicKit JS
Apple Music Feed
I'm developing the VisionOS app. I want to know how to play spatial audio in addition to RealityKit? If it's iOS or macOS, how to play spatial audio in addition to RealityKit?
Hi,
I am looking for a good way to play sounds at a high frequency.
At the moment I am using the AVAudioEngine, and create a couple AVAudioPlayerNode and for each sound I need to play I create a AVAudioPCMBuffer.
When the app needs to play a sound, I get the correct AVAudioPCMBuffer for the sound and use the first available AVAudioPlayerNode and feed it to the buffer.
The timing for a metronome app has to be very precise because if it's of by about 16ms the user can hear that it is not playing had the right interval. For low speeds this is working without any problems, but at high speeds it is getting worse.
Maybe anyone has an idea on how I can improve my method.
Its a Plugin for Flutter.
import AVFoundation
class FastSoundPlayer {
private var audioPlayers: [SoundPlayer?] = []
private var sounds: [String: Sound] = [:]
private var engine = AVAudioEngine()
let session = AVAudioSession.sharedInstance()
init() {
do {
try session.setCategory(AVAudioSession.Category.playback, mode: AVAudioSession.Mode.default, options: [AVAudioSession.CategoryOptions.mixWithOthers])
try session.setActive(true)
createSoundPlayers(count: 20)
try engine.start()
} catch {
print("Error starting audio engine: \(error.localizedDescription)")
}
}
// Selector method to handle applicationDidBecomeActiveNotification
func applicationDidBecomeActive() {
// Reinitialize AVAudioEngine and reattach all nodes
do {
engine.reset()
objc_sync_enter(audioPlayers)
audioPlayers.removeAll()
createSoundPlayers(count: 20)
objc_sync_exit(audioPlayers)
try engine.start()
} catch {
print("Error starting audio engine: \(error.localizedDescription)")
}
}
func createSoundPlayers(count: Int) {
for _ in 0..<count {
let player = SoundPlayer()
engine.attach(player.player)
engine.connect(player.player, to: engine.mainMixerNode, format: nil)
audioPlayers.append(player)
}
}
func load(sound: Data, name: String) {
let sound = Sound(soundData: sound)
sounds[name] = sound
}
func play(name: String) {
if !engine.isRunning {
applicationDidBecomeActive()
}
guard let sound = sounds[name] else {
print("Sound not found")
return
}
if let player = getAvailablePlayer() {
player.play(sound: sound)
}
}
func getAvailablePlayer() -> SoundPlayer? {
for player in audioPlayers {
if !player!.isPlaying {
return player
}
}
return nil
}
}
class SoundPlayer {
let player = AVAudioPlayerNode()
var isPlaying = false
init() {
player.volume = 1.0
}
func play(sound: Sound) {
player.scheduleBuffer(sound.sound!, at: nil, options: .interrupts, completionCallbackType: .dataPlayedBack) { _ in
self.complete()
}
if (player.engine != nil && player.engine!.isRunning) {
player.play()
isPlaying = true
}
}
func complete() {
isPlaying = false
}
}
class Sound {
var sound: AVAudioPCMBuffer?
init(soundData: Data) {
do {
let temporaryURL = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent("tempSound.wav")
try soundData.write(to: temporaryURL)
// Create AVAudioFile from the temporary file URL
let audioFile = try AVAudioFile(forReading: temporaryURL)
// Define the format for the PCM buffer (44100Hz, stereo)
let format = AVAudioFormat(commonFormat: .pcmFormatInt16, sampleRate: 44100, channels: 2, interleaved: false)
// Create AVAudioPCMBuffer
guard let pcmBuffer = AVAudioPCMBuffer(pcmFormat: format!, frameCapacity: AVAudioFrameCount(audioFile.length)) else {
// Failed to create PCM buffer
self.sound = nil
return
}
// Read audio file into PCM buffer
try audioFile.read(into: pcmBuffer)
// Assign the created AVAudioPCMBuffer to the sound property
self.sound = pcmBuffer
} catch {
print("Error loading sound file: \(error.localizedDescription)")
self.sound = nil
}
}
}
Thanks!