Native Media Player 5
Warning: Unity 2022 and below are incompatible with Android SDK 35+. Upgrade to Unity 6.1.3f or newer to ensure proper support.
Starting with Android SDK 35, background audio is no longer possible using the legacy library (Media2) due to new background execution restrictions. As a result, I had to completely rewrite the plugin using Media3, which requires JDK 17 or higher — meaning it's only supported in Unity 6 or later.
Here’s a brief overview of the recent changes in Android SDK and its media libraries.
SDK 33 / NMP 3
☑ ExoPlayer (Media2)
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SDK 34 / NMP 3
✖ ExoPlayer (Media2)
SDK 34 requires background services to be configured with specific flags, but ExoPlayer's background service—managed by PlayerNotificationManager—does not expose methods to set these flags.
SDK 34 / NMP 4
☑ Custom Media Player (Media2)
As a result, I built a custom media player based on the Media2 library that mimics ExoPlayer’s functionality while exposing the required flag setters for background service support.
SDK 35 / NMP 4
✖ Custom Media Player (Media2)
SDK 35 no longer supports MediaBrowserService from the Media2 library, and Google has officially mandated migration to Media3.
SDK 35 / NMP 5
☑ ExoPlayer (Media3)
The good news is that Unity 6 supports Java 17, allowing Media3 integration — but projects must be upgraded to Unity 6 or later.
Welcome to the Native Media Player documentation! This powerful and versatile media player is designed to provide a seamless audio experience across both Android and iOS platforms. Built on three years of Unity audio plugin development, the Native Media Player offers a wide range of features to enhance your application's audio capabilities.
Highlights
Easy to Use: User-friendly interface and straightforward setup.
Cross-Platform API: Supports both Android and iOS, providing a consistent experience across devices.
Proven Technology: Based on three years of experience in Unity audio plugin development.
Drag and Drop Components: Simplifies the integration process with easy-to-use components.
Local and Remote Audio Support: Play audio from local (StreamingAssets, PersistantDataPath) and remote sources.
Background Playback: Continues to play audio when the app goes into the background.
Background Controls: Manage audio playback while the app is in the background.
Automatic Metadata Retrieval: Automatically fetches media metadata from the audio source.
Custom Metadata: Create and manage custom media metadata.
Modular Remote Action Buttons: Fully customizable remote action buttons for playback control.
Modular Event Listeners: Fully customizable event listeners to handle various playback events.
Unity Editor Test Mode: Test your audio setup directly within the Unity Editor.
Playback Features
Basic Controls: Play, Pause, Stop, Next, Previous, Fast-forward, Rewind, Seek-To.
Playback Modes: Repeat, Loop, Shuffle.
User Interface: Volume bar, Seek bar.
Native Event Listeners
Player States: Player Idle, Player Buffering, Player Ready, Player Ended, Player Error.
Metadata Updates: Metadata Changed, IsPlaying Changed, IsLoading Changed.
Platform Support
iOS: Supports 64-bit devices running iOS 11.0 and above.
Android: Supports both 32-bit and 64-bit devices running Android 7.0 and above.
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