Streaming Audio Breaks

[MrCuneiform]

Checklist

• [X] I have used the search function for OPEN issues to see if someone else has already submitted the same bug report.
• [X] I have also used the search function for CLOSED issues to see if the problem is already solved and just waiting to be released.
• [X] I will describe the problem with as much detail as possible.
• [X] If the bug only to occurs with a certain podcast, I will include the URL of that podcast.

App version

5.4.1

Where did you get the app from

Other

Android version

14

Device model

Google Pixel 8 Pro

First occurred

about a fewish days ago

Steps to reproduce

1. Stream a Podcast
2. Wait.

Expected behaviour

It should stream normally

Current behaviour

When streaming a podcast, the audio will eventually break. It does not crash the program and it will continue to stream the podcast until the podcast ends. The next queued podcast will initially play normally, but eventually break and repeat the cycle.

In order to get audio to play I need to force stop the app and clear the cache. This will restore the audio until it eventually breaks again.

This issue seems to also affect AntennaPod, and it is the reason I recently migrated to Podcini, but unlike AntennaPod it doesn't kick up an error when it happens.

Logs

No response

[XilinJia]

Thanks for reporting. Did you notice if it has to do with some specific podcasts?

[MrCuneiform]

From what I noticed it does not matter, it just kind of happens. The things I have noticed is this.

• If I stream podcasts either in a queue or individual there is a chance that audio breaks, but continues to stream.
• In some cases audio can be fixed by rewinding (Mine is the default 10 seconds) .
• In other cases doing this will cause the app to crash. Trying to reopen the app will just cause the app to crash, until you clear the cache. This crashing does not shoot an error
• Podcasts do not have any issues when downloaded.

[XilinJia]

I did some streaming yesterday, for a couple hours, on my S21 Android 14 and another Android 9 devices, and didn't run into any problems.

What exactly do you mean by "break"? Did you stream on mobile data? If so, did you have proper settings in the app for mobile? Otherwise, it beeps to warn you often. Is that what you mean by "break"?

[MrCuneiform]

What exactly do you mean by "break"? Did you stream on mobile data? If so, did you have proper settings in the app for mobile?

It should be, I have streaming enabled under mobile updates, as well as cover images, and synchronization (I also enabled prefer streaming over download under the playback settings). I should also note that I get this issue over wifi as well.

Otherwise, it beeps to warn you often. Is that what you mean by "break"?

No. What I mean by audio breaking is that the audio completely stops, but the podcast continues to stream.

I did some streaming yesterday, for a couple hours, on my S21 Android 14 and another Android 9 devices, and didn't run

Were any of those podcasts you tested hosted by iHeart Radio. In the days since I opened this issue I have realized that this seems to be affecting iHeart radio podcasts.

EDIT: Fixed Formatting

[XilinJia]

I've just streamed 2 episodes for 3 hours in "Money Matters Radio Podcast" by iHeart Radio Tucson. No problem. Which one did you listen to? So it seems more likely podcast-specific. Or, do you have a reliable network (though I'm not sure what issues it could cause to Podcini other than stop playing)?

[MrCuneiform]

I've just streamed 2 episodes for 3 hours in "Money Matters Radio Podcast" by iHeart Radio Tucson. No problem. Which one did you listen to? So it seems more likely podcast-specific.

I tried listening to that podcast, and I had no issues with it. Here is one of the ones I am having an issue with TechStuff, another is Ridiculous History.

Or, do you have a reliable network (though I'm not sure what issues it could cause to Podcini other than stop playing)?

My internet should be fine, and I do have unlimited data so it should* be fine with streaming. I know antennepod has a similar issue that they are trying to figure out aswell. I did notice that Money Matters is listed as iHeart Radio Tucson while the ones I have issue with are listed as iHeartPodcasts so perhaps it could be server side?

[XilinJia]

Got the issue on "Stuff you should know", around 17 minutes. The stacktrace seems this:

                                                                                                      androidx.media3.exoplayer.ExoPlaybackException: Source error
                                                                                                          at androidx.media3.exoplayer.ExoPlayerImplInternal.handleIoException(ExoPlayerImplInternal.java:717)
                                                                                                          at androidx.media3.exoplayer.ExoPlayerImplInternal.handleMessage(ExoPlayerImplInternal.java:689)
                                                                                                          at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
                                                                                                          at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:230)
                                                                                                          at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:319)
                                                                                                          at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:67)
                                                                                                      Caused by: androidx.media3.datasource.HttpDataSource$HttpDataSourceException
                                                                                                          at androidx.media3.datasource.okhttp.OkHttpDataSource.skipFully(OkHttpDataSource.java:515)
                                                                                                          at androidx.media3.datasource.okhttp.OkHttpDataSource.open(OkHttpDataSource.java:381)
                                                                                                          at androidx.media3.datasource.DefaultDataSource.open(DefaultDataSource.java:275)
                                                                                                          at androidx.media3.datasource.StatsDataSource.open(StatsDataSource.java:86)
                                                                                                          at androidx.media3.exoplayer.source.ProgressiveMediaPeriod$ExtractingLoadable.load(ProgressiveMediaPeriod.java:1029)
                                                                                                          at androidx.media3.exoplayer.upstream.Loader$LoadTask.run(Loader.java:421)
                                                                                                          at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1145)
                                                                                                          at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:644)
                                                                                                          at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:1012)```

[XilinJia]

Seems like something resets the playing in some way after streaming for a certain period of time. In the case of "Stuff you should know", it breaks ~17 minutes normally. But in another episode in the same podcast, after started streaming, I fast forward ~15 minutes, then it breaks ~32 minutes. Then, when it was broken,, I moved the progress-bar back a bit, it started playing, then it breaks ~47 minutes.

[XilinJia]

likely fixed in 5.4.2

[MrCuneiform]

After testing it out for about 10ish hours, I am happy to report that I did not have any issues with my podcasts. I shall be closing this issue.