Ability to play audio without adding MediaElement to the UI

[jamesmontemagno]

In the .NET Podcast app I have to insert a MediaElement into the UI, even though I really just want a global audio player. It shouldn't need a UI to play audio.

I am wondering if this is a new exposed class perhaps that isn't a UI element?

[pictos]

@jamesmontemagno just wondering, if you use the MediaManager directly, are you able to play an audio without the UI? This Manager creates and manage the player for each platform

[jamesmontemagno]

I was not able to :( I tried it in the podcast app and nothing played back. However, when I added it into the UI it seemed to work... i'll try again though, but worth a try as this I think will be a common ask.

[bijington]

This might feel like a non solution at least in terms of the toolkit but there is this handy package that requires no UI for audio playback https://github.com/jfversluis/Plugin.Maui.Audio. I think we might need to check on streaming support though as I don't recall where we got to with that

[jamesmontemagno]

@bijington yup, I had talked to @jfversluis about this and I am not sure it has streaming support currently.

I sort of feel like audio & video are different... event though they have similar functionality, but audio has deeper integrations into the OS

[Kapusch]

I actually had the same requirement and finally got to add the MediaElement to the View to make it work.
As suggested above by Shaun, the plugin from Gerald supports it, but I feel like the MediaElement is really much more stable, at least on iOS.

[bijington]

I actually had the same requirement and finally got to add the MediaElement to the View to make it work.

As suggested above by Shaun, the plugin from Gerald supports it, but I feel like the MediaElement is really much more stable, at least on iOS.

Out of interest what do you feel is unstable about Plugin.Maui.Audio?

[CliffAgius]

Closed as per the Community Stand-up discussion here: https://youtu.be/N9wMcBP4jtg?t=2889