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# playback

The category for playing recorded music or other sounds that are central to the successful use of your app.

```
static let playback: AVAudioSession.Category
```

## Discussion

When using this category, your app audio continues with the Silent switch set to silent or when the screen locks. (The switch is called the *Ring/Silent switch* on iPhone.) To continue playing audio when your app transitions to the background (for example, when the screen locks), add the `audio` value to the [UIBackgroundModes](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/General/Reference/InfoPlistKeyReference/Articles/iPhoneOSKeys.html#//apple_ref/doc/plist/info/UIBackgroundModes) key in your information property list file.

By default, using this category implies that your app’s audio is nonmixable—activating your session will interrupt any other audio sessions which are also nonmixable. To allow mixing for this category, use the [`mixWithOthers`](/documentation/AVFAudio/AVAudioSession/CategoryOptions-swift.struct/mixWithOthers) option.

---

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