Playlist wont continue in background mode - swift

Question

I am having trouble playing a playlist in background mode while the device is locked. It plays the current audio when locked but I am having trouble with it going to the next audio file in background mode.
I am using a collectionView and a custom cell where I am allowing the user to tap and play the audio in that cell. I made it autoplay, so when the audio is done, it scrolls to the next cell automatically and plays that one and so on. All of that works, its just when the device is locked and in background mode that the playing of the next audio cell stops and just wont continue. I do have 3 second dispatch delays in between the load of the next audio file.
Any help or insight is greatly appreciated.
View Controller
import UIKit
import AVFoundation
class MainVC: UIViewController, UICollectionViewDelegate, UICollectionViewDataSource, UICollectionViewDelegateFlowLayout, CustomCellDelegate {
var streams: [[String:Any]] = []
#IBOutlet weak var cv: UICollectionView!
func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, cellForItemAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UICollectionViewCell {
if let cell = cv.dequeueReusableCell(withReuseIdentifier: "cell", for: indexPath) as? CollectionViewCell {
cell.delegate = self
cell.nameLbl.text = streams[indexPath.item]["shortname"] as? String
return cell
} else {
return CollectionViewCell()
}
}
func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, didSelectItemAt indexPath: IndexPath) {
if thereIsCellTapped != true {
let item = cv.cellForItem(at: indexPath) as! CollectionViewCell
self.loadingCell()
let when = DispatchTime.now() + 3 // change 2 to desired number of seconds
DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: when) {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
UIView.animate(
withDuration: 0.5,
delay: 0,
usingSpringWithDamping: 1,
initialSpringVelocity: 1,
options: [],
animations: {
item.superview?.bringSubview(toFront: item)
self.view.layoutIfNeeded()
},
}), completion: { (finished: Bool) in
let theStream = self.streams[indexPath.item]["audioUrl"] as? String
item.audioStreamSelected(audioUrl: audioUrl!)
})
)
}
}
}
}
func closeView(_ cell: CollectionViewCell) {
let visibleItems: NSArray = indexPath as NSArray
let currentItem: IndexPath = visibleItems.object(at: 0) as! IndexPath
let nextItem: IndexPath = IndexPath(item: currentItem.item + 1, section: 0)
if nextItem.row == streams.count{
self.cv?.scrollToItem(
at: IndexPath(row: 0, section: 0),
at: .right,
animated: true
)
} else {
self.cv.scrollToItem(at: nextItem, at: .left, animated: true)
let when = DispatchTime.now() + 3
DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: when) {
self.collectionView(self.cv, didSelectItemAt: nextItem as IndexPath)
}
}
}
}
Custom Cell
import UIKit
import AVFoundation
import MediaPlayer
protocol CustomCellDelegate {
func closeView(_ cell:CollectionViewCell)
}
class CollectionViewCell: UICollectionViewCell {
var player = AVPlayer()
var playerItem:AVPlayerItem?
let mpic = MPRemoteCommandCenter.shared()
var delegate: CustomCellDelegate?
var _timeObserver:Any?
#IBOutlet weak var nameLbl: UILabel!
#IBAction func closeBtn(_ sender: Any) {
if let delegate = self.delegate {
delegate.closeView(self)
}
}
override func awakeFromNib() {
super.awakeFromNib()
NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self,selector: #selector(playerItemDidReachEnd(_:)),name:NSNotification.Name.AVPlayerItemDidPlayToEndTime,
object: player.currentItem)
UIApplication.shared.beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents()
do {
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayback)
print("AVAudioSession Category Playback OK")
do {
try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(true)
print("AVAudioSession is Active")
} catch let error as NSError {
print(error.localizedDescription)
}
} catch let error as NSError {
print(error.localizedDescription)
}
}
func setupNowPlayingInfoCenter() {
UIApplication.shared.beginReceivingRemoteControlEvents()
mpic.skipBackwardCommand.isEnabled = false
mpic.seekBackwardCommand.isEnabled = false
mpic.playCommand.addTarget {event in
self.player.play()
self.setupNowPlayingInfoCenter()
return .success
}
mpic.pauseCommand.addTarget {event in
self.player.pause()
return .success
}
mpic.nextTrackCommand.addTarget {event in
return .success
}
mpic.previousTrackCommand.addTarget {event in
return .success
}
}
func playerItemDidReachEnd(_ notification: Notification) {
if let _: AVPlayerItem = notification.object as? AVPlayerItem {
player.replaceCurrentItem(with: nil)
if let delegate = self.delegate {
delegate.closeView(self)
}
player.pause()
player.seek(to: kCMTimeZero)
if (_timeObserver != nil) {
player.removeTimeObserver(_timeObserver!)
_timeObserver = nil
}
}
}
func audioStreamSelected(audioUrl: String){
if let streamer = URL(string: audioUrl){
let playerItem:AVPlayerItem = AVPlayerItem(url: streamer)
self.player = AVPlayer(playerItem: playerItem)
player.replaceCurrentItem(with: playerItem)
player.actionAtItemEnd = .pause
if (_timeObserver == nil) {
_timeObserver = player.addPeriodicTimeObserver(forInterval: interval, queue: DispatchQueue.main) {
[weak self] time in
if self?.player.currentItem?.status == AVPlayerItemStatus.readyToPlay {
}
}
}
}
}
}