I want the audio session to always use the built-in microphone. However, when using the setPreferredInput() method like in this example
private func enableBuiltInMic() {
// Get the shared audio session.
let session = AVAudioSession.sharedInstance()
// Find the built-in microphone input.
guard let availableInputs = session.availableInputs,
let builtInMicInput = availableInputs.first(where: { $0.portType == .builtInMic }) else {
print("The device must have a built-in microphone.")
return
}
// Make the built-in microphone input the preferred input.
do {
try session.setPreferredInput(builtInMicInput)
} catch {
print("Unable to set the built-in mic as the preferred input.")
}
}
and calling that function once in the initializer,
the audio session still switches to the external microphone once one is plugged in.
The session's preferredInput is nil again at that point, even if the built-in microphone is still listed in availableInputs.
So,
why is the preferredInput suddenly reset?
when would be the appropriate time to set the preferredInput again?
Observing the session’s availableInputs did not work and setting the preferredInput again in the routeChangeNotification handler seems a bad choice as it’s already a bit too late then.
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Hello,
I am building an iOS-only, commercial app that uses AVSpeechSynthesizer with system voices, strictly using the APIs provided by Apple. Before distributing the app, I want to ensure that my current implementation does not conflict with the iOS Software License Agreement (SLA) and is aligned with Apple’s intended usage.
For a better playback experience (more accurate estimation of utterance duration and smoother skip forward/backward during playback), I currently synthesize speech using:
AVSpeechSynthesizer.write(_:toBufferCallback:)
Converting the received AVAudioPCMBuffer buffers into audio data
Storing the audio inside the app sandbox
Playing it back using AVAudioPlayer / AVAudioEngine
The cached audio is:
Generated fully on-device using system voices
Stored only inside the app’s private container
Used only for internal playback controls (timeline, seek, skip ±5 seconds)
Never shared, exported, uploaded, or exposed outside the app
The alternative approaches would be:
Keeping the generated audio entirely in memory (RAM) for playback purposes, without writing it to the file system at any point
Or using AVSpeechSynthesizer.speak(_:) and playing speech strictly in real time which has a poorer user experience compared to my approach
I have reviewed the current iOS Software License Agreement:
https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/iOS18_iPadOS18.pdf
In particular, section (f) mentions restrictions around System Characters, Live Captions, and Personal Voice, including the following excerpt:
“…use … only for your personal, non-commercial use…
No other creation or use of the System Characters, Live Captions, or Personal Voice is permitted by this License, including but not limited to the use, reproduction, display, performance, recording, publishing or redistribution in a … commercial context.”
I do not see a specific reference in the SLA to system text-to-speech voices used via AVSpeechSynthesizer, and I want to be certain that temporarily caching synthesized speech for internal, non-exported playback is acceptable in a commercial app.
My question is:
Is caching AVSpeechSynthesizer system-voice output inside the app sandbox for internal playback acceptable, or is Apple’s recommended approach to rely only on real-time playback (speak(_:)) or strictly in-memory buffering without file storage?
If this question falls outside DTS technical scope and is instead a policy or licensing matter, I would appreciate guidance on the authoritative Apple documentation or the correct Apple team/contact.
Thank you.
I have a PCM audio buffer (AVAudioPCMFormatInt16). When I try to play it using AVPlayerNode / AVAudioEngine an exception is thrown:
"[[busArray objectAtIndexedSubscript:(NSUInteger)element] setFormat:format error:&nsErr]: returned false, error Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-10868
(related thread https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/700497?answerId=780530022#780530022)
If I convert the buffer to AVAudioPCMFormatFloat32 playback works.
My questions are:
Does AVAudioEngine / AVPlayerNode require AVAudioPCMBuffer to be in the Float32 format? Is there a way I can configure it to accept another format instead for my application?
If 1 is YES is this documented anywhere?
If 1 is YES is this required format subject to change at any point?
Thanks!
I was looking to watch the "AVAudioEngine in Practice" session video from WWDC 2014 but I can't find it anywhere (https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/747008).
I have a question regarding the behavior of AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().outputVolume.
Observed behavior:
When the app is in the foreground, I read audioSession.outputVolume (for example, 0.1).
The app is then moved to the background.
While the app is in the background, the user changes the system volume using the hardware buttons (for example, to 0.5).
When the app returns to the foreground, audioSession.outputVolume still reports the previous value (0.1).
From my testing, outputVolume only seems to update when the system volume is changed while the app is in the foreground. Volume changes made while the app is in the background are not reflected when the app returns to the foreground.
Questions:
According to Apple’s documentation for AVAudioSession.outputVolume:
“The systemwide output volume set by the user.”
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/avfaudio/avaudiosession/outputvolume
However, based on our testing on iOS 18.6.2 and iOS 18.1, the observed behavior seems to differ from this description.
Questions:
The documentation states that outputVolume represents the system-wide volume set by the user. In our testing, the value does not reflect volume changes made while the app is in the background and only updates when the app is in the foreground.Is this the expected behavior of AVAudioSession.outputVolume?
Is there any other recommended way in Swift to retrieve the current system volume that reflects user changes made both while the app is in the foreground and while it is in the background?
Any clarification on the intended behavior or recommended handling would be greatly appreciated.
In Instruments, I'm seeing "Zero Time Stamp" events in the "Audio Server" lane.
What does that mean?
Hello, I'm working on a MusicKit based SwiftUI app. I've integrated AirPlay using the AVRoutePickerView like so:
struct UIKitAirPlayPickerView: UIViewRepresentable {
func makeUIView(context: Context) -> AVRoutePickerView {
let routePickerView = AVRoutePickerView()
routePickerView.prioritizesVideoDevices = false
return routePickerView
}
func updateUIView(_ uiView: AVRoutePickerView, context: Context) {}
}
The AirPlay menu appears as expected, and selecting an AirPlay device functions as expected. I'm currently sending audio from my app to a HomePod. However, the state of the AVRoutePickerView does not reflect the playback state. There is no cover art and it says "Not Playing". When my device is locked, my lock screen shows the album art, metadata and AirPlay routing as expected.
My app uses the ApplicationMusicPlayer however I encounter the same behavior using the SystemMusicPlayer.
Any guidance on how to troubleshoot this? Is there any other way to integrate the system AirPlay picker into my app, or is this my only option?
Thank you for reading.
Hello,
The search functionality of the coreaudio-api mailing list archive has been broken for a very long time. Several of the lower-level audio APIs have only been discussed on this mailing list, making it critical for those of us maintaining old audio code.
Steps to reproduce:
Open https://lists.apple.com/archives/list/coreaudio-api@lists.apple.com/ in your web browser.
Enter a search term in the "Search this list" field in the top-right corner of the page.
The search will eventually time out with "502 Bad Gateway"
Can somebody please forward this information to the current maintainer? I've tried to contact developer support but they weren't sure what to do.
Thanks!
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Audio
After update,WeChat voice chatting no sounds, please help
Hi,
I try to record audio on the iPhone with the AVAudioRecorder and Xcode 26.0.1.
Maybe the problem is that I can not record audio with the simulator. But there's a menu for audio.
In the plist I added 'Privacy - Microphone Usage Description' and I ask for permission before recording.
if await AVAudioApplication.requestRecordPermission() {
print("permission granted")
recordPermission = true
} else {
print("permission denied")
}
Permission is granted.
let settings: [String : Any] = [
AVFormatIDKey: kAudioFormatMPEG4AAC,
AVSampleRateKey: 12000,
AVNumberOfChannelsKey: 1,
AVEncoderAudioQualityKey: AVAudioQuality.high.rawValue
]
recorder = try AVAudioRecorder(url: filename, settings: settings)
let prepared = recorder.prepareToRecord()
print("prepared started: \(prepared)")
let started = recorder.record()
print("recording started: \(started)")
started is always false and I tried many settings.
Error messages
AddInstanceForFactory: No factory registered for id <CFUUID 0x600000211480> F8BB1C28-BAE8-11D6-9C31-00039315CD46
AudioConverter.cpp:1052 Failed to create a new in process converter -> from 0 ch, 12000 Hz, .... (0x00000000) 0 bits/channel, 0 bytes/packet, 0 frames/packet, 0 bytes/frame to 1 ch, 12000 Hz, aac (0x00000000) 0 bits/channel, 0 bytes/packet, 1024 frames/packet, 0 bytes/frame, with status -50
AudioQueueObject.cpp:1892 BuildConverter: AudioConverterNew returned -50
from: 0 ch, 12000 Hz, .... (0x00000000) 0 bits/channel, 0 bytes/packet, 0 frames/packet, 0 bytes/frame
to: 1 ch, 12000 Hz, aac (0x00000000) 0 bits/channel, 0 bytes/packet, 1024 frames/packet, 0 bytes/frame
prepared started: true
AudioQueueObject.cpp:7581 ConvertInput: aq@0x10381be00: AudioConverterFillComplexBuffer returned -50, packetCount 5
recording started: false
All examples I find are the same, but apparently there must be something different.
I’m working with the Push-to-Talk (PTT) framework and observing a consistent delay when starting audio capture.
Scenario:
A PTT call is already active
The AVAudioSession is fully configured
I request beginTransmission on the PTT channel
I start my Audio Unit for recording (AudioOutputUnitStart)
Observed behavior:
AudioOutputUnitStart takes ~500 ms
This happens whether I start the Audio Unit:
after didBeginTransmission, or
after AVAudioSession didActivate
Comparison:
Using the same Audio Unit, same format, and same configuration
Without the PTT framework, AudioOutputUnitStart takes ~200 ms
Additional notes:
I am not modifying or reconfiguring AVAudioSession when requesting beginTransmission
The audio session is already set up when the PTT call starts
There are no interruptions or route changes at the time of starting the Audio Unit
Impact:
This extra latency is significant for Push-to-Talk use cases where fast transmit
start is critical.
{
"aps": { "content-available": 1 },
"audio_file_name": "ding.caf",
"audio_url": "https://example.com/audio.mp3"
}
When the app is in the background or killed, it receives a remote APNs push. The data format is roughly as shown above. How can I play the MP3 audio file at the specified "audio_url"? The user does not need to interact with the device when receiving the APNs. How can I play the audio file immediately after receiving it?
Hi everyone,
I’m working on an iOS MusicKit app that overlays a metronome on top of Apple Music playback. To line the clicks up perfectly I’d like access to low-level audio analysis data—ideally a waveform / spectrogram or beat grid—while the track is playing.
I’ve noticed that several approved DJ apps (e.g. djay, Serato, rekordbox) can already: • Display detailed scrolling waveforms of Apple Music songs • Scratch, loop or time-stretch those tracks in real time
That implies they receive decoded PCM frames or at least high-resolution analysis data from Apple Music under a special entitlement.
My questions: 1. Does MusicKit (or any public framework) expose real-time audio buffers, FFT bins, or beat markers for streaming Apple Music content? 2. If not, is there an Apple program or entitlement that developers can apply for—similar to the “DJ with Apple Music” initiative—to gain that deeper access? 3. Where can I find official documentation or a point of contact for this kind of request?
I’ve searched the docs and forums but only see standard MusicKit playback APIs, which don’t appear to expose raw audio for DRM-protected songs. Any guidance, links or insider tips on the proper application process would be hugely appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
I'm using the new SpeechAnalyzer framework to detect certain commands and want to improve accuracy by giving context. Seems like AnalysisContext is the solution for this, but couldn't find any usage example. So I want to make sure that I'm doing it right or not.
let context = AnalysisContext()
context.contextualStrings = [
AnalysisContext.ContextualStringsTag("commands"): [
"set speed level",
"set jump level",
"increase speed",
"decrease speed",
...
],
AnalysisContext.ContextualStringsTag("vocabulary"): [
"speed", "jump", ...
]
]
try await analyzer.setContext(context)
With this implementation, it still gives outputs like "Set some speed level", "It's speed level", etc.
Also, is it possible to make it expect number after those commands, in order to eliminate results like "set some speed level to" (instead of two).
I have both apple devices, AirPods Pro 3 is up to date and Ultra 3 is on watch os 26.1 latest public beta.
Each morning when I would go on my mindfulness app and start a meditation or listen to Apple Music on my watch and AirPods Pro 3, it will play for a few seconds then disconnects. My bluetooth settings on my watch says my AirPods is connected to my watch. I also have removed the tick about connecting automatically to iPhone on the AirPods setting in my iPhone.
To fix this I invariably turn off my Apple Watch Ultra 3 and turn it on again. Then the connection becomes stable. I am not sure why I have to do this each morning. It is frustrating. I am not sure why this fix does not last long? Is there something wrong with my AirPods?
Has anyone encountered this before?
Hi all,
I've developed an audio DSP application in C++ using AudioToolbox and CoreAudio on MacOS 14.4.1 with Xcode 15.
I use an AudioQueue for input and another for output. This works great.
I'm now adding real-time audio analysis eg spectral analysis. I want this to run independently of my audio processing so it can not interfere with audio playback. Taps on AudioQueues seem to be a good way of doing this...
Since the analytics won't modify the audio data, I am using a Siphon Tap by setting the AudioQueueProcessingTapFlags to
kAudioQueueProcessingTap_PreEffects | kAudioQueueProcessingTap_Siphon;
This works fine on my output queue. However, on my input queue the Tap callback is called once and then a EXC_BAD_ACCESS occurs - screen shot below.
NB: I believe that a callback should only call AudioQueueProcessingTapGetSourceAudio when not using a Siphon, so I don't call it.
Relevant code:
AudioQueueProcessingTapCallback tap_callback) {
// Makes an audio tap for a queue
void * tap_data_ptr = NULL;
AudioQueueProcessingTapFlags tap_flags =
kAudioQueueProcessingTap_PostEffects
| kAudioQueueProcessingTap_Siphon;
uint32_t max_frames = 0;
AudioStreamBasicDescription asbd;
AudioQueueProcessingTapRef tap_ref;
OSStatus status = AudioQueueProcessingTapNew(queue_ref,
tap_callback,
tap_data_ptr,
tap_flags,
&max_frames,
&asbd,
&tap_ref);
if (status != noErr) printf("Error while making Tap\n");
else printf("Successfully made tap\n");
}
void tapper(void * tap_data,
AudioQueueProcessingTapRef tap_ref,
uint32_t number_of_frames_in,
AudioTimeStamp * ts_ptr,
AudioQueueProcessingTapFlags * tap_flags_ptr,
uint32_t * number_of_frames_out_ptr,
AudioBufferList * buf_list) {
// Callback function for audio queue tap
printf("Tap callback");
}```
Image of exception stack provided by Xcode:

What have I missed?
Appreciate any help you learned folks may be able to provide.
Best,
Geoff.
I work on an iOS app that records video and audio. We've been getting reports for a while from users who are experiencing their video recordings being cut off. After investigating, I found that many users are receiving the AVAudioSessionMediaServicesWereResetNotification (.mediaServicesWereResetNotification) notification while recording. It's associated with the AVFoundationErrorDomain[-11819] error, which seems to indicate that the system audio daemon crashed. We have a handler registered to end the recording, show the user a prompt, and restart our AV sessions. However, from our logs this looks to be happening to hundreds of users every day and it's not an ideal user experience, so I would like to figure out why this is happening and if it's due to something that we're doing wrong.
The debug menu option to trigger the audio session reset is not of much use, because it can't be triggered unless you leave the app and go to system settings. So our app can't be recording video when the debug reset is triggered. So far I haven't found a way to reproduced the issue locally, but I can see that it's happening to users from logs.
I've found some posts online from developers experiencing similar issues, but none of them seem to directly address our issue. The system error doesn't include a userInfo dictionary, and as far as I can tell it's a system daemon crash so any logs would need to be captured from the OS.
Is there any way that I could get more information about what may be causing this error that I may have missed?
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Audio
New to iOS development and I've been trying to make heads or tails of the documentation. I know there is a difference between the data fields returned from songs from the user library and from the category, but whenever I search on the apple site I can't find a list of each. For example, Im trying to get the releaseDate of a song in my library, but it seems I'll have to cross-query either the catalog entry for the using song.catalogID or the song.irsc but when I try to use them I can't find a cross reference between the two. I'm totally turned around.
Also trying to determine if a song in my library has been favorited or not? isFavorited (or something similar) doesn't seem to be a thing. Using this code and trying to find a way to display a solid star if the song has been favorited or an empty one if it's not. Seems like a basic request but I can't find anything on how to do it. I've searched docs, googled, tried.
Does apple want us to query the user's Favorited Songs playlist or something? How do I know which playlist that is?
I know isFavorited isn't a thing, just using it here so you can see what my intension is:
HStack(spacing: 10) {
Image(systemName: song.isFavorited ? "star.fill" : "star")
.foregroundColor(song.isFavorited ? .yellow : .gray)
Image(systemName: "magnifyingglass")
}
After upgrading to watchOS 26, users report that when playing music on Apple Watch, if a fitness reminder is received, the music automatically pauses and users need to manually tap the play button to resume music playback. This phenomenon occurs with multiple music and podcast apps.
This issue did not exist before the upgrade. We would like to know if this is an Apple bug or if there are any special development configurations needed?"
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?
Good day, ladies and gents.
I have an application that reads audio from the microphone. I'd like it to also be able to read from the Mac's audio output stream. (A bonus would be if it could detect when the Mac is playing music.)
I'd eventually be able to figure it out reading docs, but if someone can give a hint, I'd be very grateful, and would owe you the libation of your choice.
Here's the code used to set up the AudioUnit:
-(NSString*) configureAU
{
AudioComponent component = NULL;
AudioComponentDescription description;
OSStatus err = noErr;
UInt32 param;
AURenderCallbackStruct callback;
if( audioUnit ) { AudioComponentInstanceDispose( audioUnit ); audioUnit = NULL; } // was CloseComponent
// Open the AudioOutputUnit
description.componentType = kAudioUnitType_Output;
description.componentSubType = kAudioUnitSubType_HALOutput;
description.componentManufacturer = kAudioUnitManufacturer_Apple;
description.componentFlags = 0;
description.componentFlagsMask = 0;
if( component = AudioComponentFindNext( NULL, &description ) )
{
err = AudioComponentInstanceNew( component, &audioUnit );
if( err != noErr ) { audioUnit = NULL; return [ NSString stringWithFormat: @"Couldn't open AudioUnit component (ID=%d)", err] ; }
}
// Configure the AudioOutputUnit:
// You must enable the Audio Unit (AUHAL) for input and output for the same device.
// When using AudioUnitSetProperty the 4th parameter in the method refers to an AudioUnitElement.
// When using an AudioOutputUnit for input the element will be '1' and the output element will be '0'.
param = 1; // Enable input on the AUHAL
err = AudioUnitSetProperty( audioUnit, kAudioOutputUnitProperty_EnableIO, kAudioUnitScope_Input, 1, ¶m, sizeof(UInt32) ); chkerr("Couldn't set first EnableIO prop (enable inpjt) (ID=%d)");
param = 0; // Disable output on the AUHAL
err = AudioUnitSetProperty( audioUnit, kAudioOutputUnitProperty_EnableIO, kAudioUnitScope_Output, 0, ¶m, sizeof(UInt32) ); chkerr("Couldn't set second EnableIO property on the audio unit (disable ootpjt) (ID=%d)");
param = sizeof(AudioDeviceID); // Select the default input device
AudioObjectPropertyAddress OutputAddr = { kAudioHardwarePropertyDefaultInputDevice, kAudioObjectPropertyScopeGlobal, kAudioObjectPropertyElementMaster };
err = AudioObjectGetPropertyData( kAudioObjectSystemObject, &OutputAddr, 0, NULL, ¶m, &inputDeviceID );
chkerr("Couldn't get default input device (ID=%d)");
// Set the current device to the default input unit
err = AudioUnitSetProperty( audioUnit, kAudioOutputUnitProperty_CurrentDevice, kAudioUnitScope_Global, 0, &inputDeviceID, sizeof(AudioDeviceID) );
chkerr("Failed to hook up input device to our AudioUnit (ID=%d)");
callback.inputProc = AudioInputProc; // Setup render callback, to be called when the AUHAL has input data
callback.inputProcRefCon = self;
err = AudioUnitSetProperty( audioUnit, kAudioOutputUnitProperty_SetInputCallback, kAudioUnitScope_Global, 0, &callback, sizeof(AURenderCallbackStruct) );
chkerr("Could not install render callback on our AudioUnit (ID=%d)");
param = sizeof(AudioStreamBasicDescription); // get hardware device format
err = AudioUnitGetProperty( audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat, kAudioUnitScope_Input, 1, &deviceFormat, ¶m );
chkerr("Could not install render callback on our AudioUnit (ID=%d)");
audioChannels = MAX( deviceFormat.mChannelsPerFrame, 2 ); // Twiddle the format to our liking
actualOutputFormat.mChannelsPerFrame = audioChannels;
actualOutputFormat.mSampleRate = deviceFormat.mSampleRate;
actualOutputFormat.mFormatID = kAudioFormatLinearPCM;
actualOutputFormat.mFormatFlags = kAudioFormatFlagIsFloat | kAudioFormatFlagIsPacked | kAudioFormatFlagIsNonInterleaved;
if( actualOutputFormat.mFormatID == kAudioFormatLinearPCM && audioChannels == 1 )
actualOutputFormat.mFormatFlags &= ~kLinearPCMFormatFlagIsNonInterleaved;
#if __BIG_ENDIAN__
actualOutputFormat.mFormatFlags |= kAudioFormatFlagIsBigEndian;
#endif
actualOutputFormat.mBitsPerChannel = sizeof(Float32) * 8;
actualOutputFormat.mBytesPerFrame = actualOutputFormat.mBitsPerChannel / 8;
actualOutputFormat.mFramesPerPacket = 1;
actualOutputFormat.mBytesPerPacket = actualOutputFormat.mBytesPerFrame;
// Set the AudioOutputUnit output data format
err = AudioUnitSetProperty( audioUnit, kAudioUnitProperty_StreamFormat, kAudioUnitScope_Output, 1, &actualOutputFormat, sizeof(AudioStreamBasicDescription));
chkerr("Could not change the stream format of the output device (ID=%d)");
param = sizeof(UInt32); // Get the number of frames in the IO buffer(s)
err = AudioUnitGetProperty( audioUnit, kAudioDevicePropertyBufferFrameSize, kAudioUnitScope_Global, 0, &audioSamples, ¶m );
chkerr("Could not determine audio sample size (ID=%d)");
err = AudioUnitInitialize( audioUnit ); // Initialize the AU
chkerr("Could not initialize the AudioUnit (ID=%d)");
// Allocate our audio buffers
audioBuffer = [self allocateAudioBufferListWithNumChannels: actualOutputFormat.mChannelsPerFrame size: audioSamples * actualOutputFormat.mBytesPerFrame];
if( audioBuffer == NULL ) { [ self cleanUp ]; return [NSString stringWithFormat: @"Could not allocate buffers for recording (ID=%d)", err]; }
return nil;
}
(...again, it would be nice to know if audio output is active and thereby choose the clean output stream over the noisy mic, but that would be a different chunk of code, and my main question may just be a quick edit to this chunk.)
Thanks for your attention! ==Dave
[p.s. if i get more than one useful answer, can i "Accept" more than one, to spread the credit around?]
{pps: of course, the code lines up prettier in a monospaced font!}