ExoPlayer stutters / stops after screen turns off or in background

bodymindpower · March 4, 2020, 12:23pm

I have built a simple app to play (looping) a sound (loop.ogg, 22 sec) from the assets. But if some devices (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S8, Note8, Android 9) go to background (pressing the Home button) or I turn the screen of (standby, sleep mode), the sound begins to stutter after about 50-60 sec and later it stops.
ExoPlayer_test.aia (466.8 KB)
This does not happen on my Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (Android 9), OnePlus 6 (Android 10).

We already discussed a similar issue (bug) in the forum, but without any result. Exoplayer about 10 or 15 minutes the application closes when the screen turns off

If this issue (bug) cannot be solved, the ExoPlayer is practically useless.

Can you please answer this question @Kodular :
Is there still a (real) chance / perspective for ExoPlayer in the near future regarding this problem?

If not, that would be the time for the @ExtensionDevelopers to consider whether to create an extension for playing and gapless looping sounds / audio files (without these issues in standby / background).

Almost every music / sound app that works with background music / sounds needs this ability.

Note:
The TaifunPlayer extension is working in standby / background and has the ability for seamless looping, but unfortunately gapless looping doesn’t work on some specific Chinese devices (e.g. Xiaomi Note5, OnePlus 6) any more.

Fabio · March 4, 2020, 12:58pm

DeepHost has a music player extension that I purchased last year. I had stopped working with it because the UI background can’t be changed since it’s fixed in white colour and I wanted to make a dark mode application. However, I can say that it loads online music as fast as ExoPlayer.

Later I will be doing some tests with it.

bodymindpower · March 4, 2020, 1:08pm

Yes, thanks, I know, but as far as I can see there is no looping feature.

bodymindpower · October 14, 2020, 4:45pm

I’ve found a solution to this issue:

You need a Foreground service to keep the WiFi / Network connection alive and don’t fall into Doze mode.

Try this APK and test it with and without Foreground service:

don’t charge the device while testing
start the app, click play and press the power button to put the device in the background (idle mode, screen off).

without Foreground service the sound will stutter / stop after ~ 1-10 min
with Foreground service the sound (looped) will play forever …

Check playing

from assets and
from URL (streaming).

See also here:

→ Doze mode

Doze mode How To Save Your Android Service From Doze Mode
“Doze mode is exactly like its name suggests. If the user leaves the device unplugged for a period of time and the screen is off, then the device will enter into Doze Mode. In Doze mode, the system attempts to conserve battery by restricting apps from accessing the network and intensive CPU utilization services. It also prevents the app from accessing the networks and defer their jobs, syncs, and alarms."

DevYB · October 14, 2020, 5:09pm

Really good job @bodymindpower!!

I just tested and it really works:
From URL.
Without Foreground service: 4:30
With Foreground service: I don’t know because it still playing (I think it won’t stop).

How did you integrate Foreground service?

bodymindpower · October 14, 2020, 5:15pm

As I said it will play forever (because it is looped):

Note:
The TaifunBatteryOptimization.Request definitely doesn’t solve the Doze problem as is often claimed. See e.g. here:

I’ve tested this extensively on dozen of devices.

DevYB · October 14, 2020, 5:21pm

May we know how we can integrate it?
I guess by extension…

bodymindpower · October 14, 2020, 5:27pm

Yes, you need an extension. And unfortunately you have to edit the Manifest manually after compiling and make an additional entry there. I’ll keep working on it as soon as I have more time.

rdass977 · October 16, 2020, 7:19pm

Would you please provide the solution, what’s changes we will have to make …
A video tutorial is appreciated.
Thanks

mjssakuruppampady · October 28, 2020, 8:40am

Looking forward for your findings

Dokolo · December 8, 2020, 12:59pm

Hello bodymindpower, did you found time to make the extension in order to use Foreground service?

By the way i like the looped sound, it make me sleep…

Harry_Morrisseau · December 28, 2020, 9:37pm

So I am going to edit the manifest file in Android Studio or is there a easier quicker way?

Angelo_Angius · December 28, 2020, 11:09pm

APK Editor Studio

https://qwertycube.com/apk-editor-studio/

himalayanxtiger · December 30, 2020, 3:18pm

You can use al2alive extension by ullis reboter ,
https://ullisroboterseite.de/android-AI2-KeepAlive-en.html

Service manifest by manifest generator by atom developer
com.atomdeveloper.ManifestCode.aix (6.0 KB)

And its perfectly works in kodular too ,
test aia : MusicPlayer.aia (4.5 MB)

Harry_Morrisseau · December 30, 2020, 6:53pm

Not for a live stream just looping to a static sound .mp3

himalayanxtiger · December 31, 2020, 8:12am

Works on stream too
MusicPlayer.apk (5.9 MB)

bodymindpower · December 31, 2020, 8:31am

Yes, exactly.

himalayanxtiger · December 31, 2020, 9:14am

That is generated by myself
https://atomdeveloper.com/manifestgenerator.html

bodymindpower · December 31, 2020, 9:18am

Yes, sorry

bodymindpower · December 31, 2020, 9:26am

And obviously this does not have to be declared in the Manifest, since it is true by default:

service android:enabled="true"