AVAudioPlayer: Second player stops background sound

Question

In my application I start an AVAudioPlayer as soon as the app starts to play a background sound that is looped indefinitely. This background sound should play the whole time the app is open.

When I open the app, the background sound starts correctly, but when I create another player and start another sound (for example when I touch the display) the second sounds starts playing and the background sound stops for some reason.

// This should start the background sound. _audioPlayer is declared in the header file.
_audioPlayer = [[AudioPlayer alloc] init];
[_audioPlayer soundPlay:@"/rainforestambience.wav" withLoops:-1];

// Starts another sound later.
AudioPlayer *monkeyPlayer = [[AudioPlayer alloc] init];
[monkeyPlayer soundPlay:@"/jungle1.wav" withLoops:1];

// Play function in my AudioPlayer class.
AVAudioPlayer *player;
- (void) soundPlay:(NSString *)filePath withLoops: (int)loops
{
    NSString* resourcePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath];
    resourcePath = [resourcePath stringByAppendingString:filePath];
    NSLog(@"Path to play: %@", resourcePath);
    NSError* err;

    player = [[AVAudioPlayer alloc] initWithContentsOfURL:
          [NSURL fileURLWithPath:resourcePath] error:&err];

    player.numberOfLoops = loops;
    [player prepareToPlay];

    if(err) {
        NSLog(@"Failed with reason: %@", [err localizedDescription]);
    } else {
        [player play];
    }
}

Edit: fixed it by changing one line in my AudioPlayer class.

Instead of having

AVAudioPlayer *player;

in the AudioPlayer.m File, I moved the Variable into the header file in the declaration space. Now it works perfectly and as intended. :)

your code looks OK, but check your variables again. common mistake is that one uses same player instance to play the other file, which makes the first one stop. — krafter
But isn't my first player the global _audioPlayer variable and the second the monkeyPlayer? Aren't those two separate players, or can they link to the same instance of AudioPlayer? — Mauin
Yes, you have two different players. I'm just saying people often make that mistake with these players. — krafter

Apple_iOS0304 Apple_iOS0304 · Accepted Answer · 2012-09-21T07:32:11

I guess you should invoke another player in a different thread by doing performSelectorOnMainThread.

Two instances of AVAudioPlayer may pose such issues to you.

AVAudioPlayer: Second player stops background sound

2 Answers