Get Current Song Information with Xamarin.Android

Hey with this thread, we can learn to get a music players song information and download a thumbnail from iTunes Apple =).

First add a Xamarin.Android project

Now in the Project add the follow components

• Json.Net
• Android Support Library v4

After this add a Main.axml layout with only one button.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent">
    <Button
        android:id="@+id/myButton"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Start Service" />
</LinearLayout>

Now this is the MainActivity.cs Code its very easy we add two clases one as a BroadcastReceiver and the other one as a Service

using System;
using Android.App;
using Android.Content;
using Android.Runtime;
using Android.Views;
using Android.Widget;
using Android.OS;
using Android.Support.V4.App;
using Android.Media;
using System.Text;
using System.Net;
using System.IO;
using Android.Graphics;
using Android.Content.Res;

namespace MusicPlayerInfo
{
 [Activity (Label = "MusicPlayerInfo", MainLauncher = true)]
 public class MainActivity : Activity
 {
  //NotificationCompat builder
  static NotificationCompat.Builder builder;
  //Notification Manager
  static NotificationManager notificationManager;
  protected override void OnCreate (Bundle bundle)
  {
   base.OnCreate (bundle);

   // Set our view from the "main" layout resource
   SetContentView (Resource.Layout.Main);

   // Get our button from the layout resource,
   // and attach an event to it
   Button button = FindViewById<Button> (Resource.Id.myButton);

   //button click Event
   button.Click += delegate {
    //star a new Mservice to cach music info
    StartService(new Intent(this, typeof(Mservice)));
    //Show tast message
    Toast.MakeText(this,"Music Service Started¡¡¡¡",ToastLength.Short).Show();
   };
   //Inicialize Notification builder
   builder = new NotificationCompat.Builder (this)
    .SetContentTitle (this.Title)
    .SetSmallIcon(Resource.Drawable.ic_launcher)
    .SetContentText (this.Title);
   //Set persistent notification 
   builder.SetOngoing (true);
   //Get notification manager service
   notificationManager = (NotificationManager)GetSystemService(Context.NotificationService);
  }

  //mCustomR this class reicibe the action activity from music players.
  public class mCustomR:BroadcastReceiver
  {
   /// <param name="context"<The Context in which the receiver is running.</param>
   /// <param name="intent">The Intent being received.</param>
   /// <summary>
   /// This method is called when the BroadcastReceiver is receiving an Intent
   ///  broadcast.
   /// </summary>
   public override void OnReceive (Context context, Intent intent)
   {
    //get action from intent
    string action = intent.Action;
    //get command from action
    string cmd = intent.GetStringExtra("command");
    //write info
    Console.WriteLine("mIntentReceiver.onReceive " + action + " / " + cmd);
    //get artist from intent
    String artist = intent.GetStringExtra("artist");
    //get album from intent
    String album = intent.GetStringExtra("album");
    //get track from intent
    String track = intent.GetStringExtra("track");
    //write all info
    Console.WriteLine(artist+":"+album+":"+track);

    //set content title to notification builder
    builder.SetContentTitle (artist);
    //set contennt text to notification builder
    builder.SetContentText (track+"-"+album);
    //set big style to builder
    builder.SetStyle (new NotificationCompat.BigTextStyle ().BigText (track + "-" + album));
    try
    {
     //search album thumbnail from itunes api
     var json = new System.Net.WebClient().DownloadString("http://itunes.apple.com/search?term=" + Uri.EscapeDataString(track+" "+album+" "+artist) + "&country=mx&limit=1&entity=song");
     //parse json downloaded to json object
     Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject o = Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Parse(json);
     //get json "results" child
     var n = o["results"];
     //get firts "artworkUrl100" property
     string val = (string)n[0]["artworkUrl100"];
     //check if exist thumbnail
     if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(val))
     {
      //if thumbnail doesnt exists set default image to largeicon
      builder.SetLargeIcon(BitmapFactory.DecodeResource(null,Resource.Drawable.ic_launcher));
     }
     else
     {
      //change 100x100 size of thumbnail to 600x600 image
      StringBuilder builde = new StringBuilder(val);
      builde.Replace("100x100", "600x600");
      //webclient to download image
      WebClient c = new WebClient();
      //downloadimage to bytearray
      byte[] data = c.DownloadData(builde.ToString());
      //convert byte[] downloaded to bitmap and set large icon to builder
      builder.SetLargeIcon(Bitmap.CreateScaledBitmap(BitmapFactory.DecodeByteArray(data,0,data.Length),150,150,false));
     }
    }
    catch(Exception e)
    {
     //set default image to largeicon
     builder.SetLargeIcon(BitmapFactory.DecodeResource(null,Resource.Drawable.ic_launcher));
    }
    //update/create a notification
    notificationManager.Notify(0, builder.Build());
   }
  }

  //class type service to work in background
  [Service]
  public class Mservice: Service
  {
   //Receiver class
   private mCustomR mReceiver = new mCustomR ();
   /// <summary>
   /// Raises the bind event.
   /// </summary>
   /// <param name="intent">Intent.</param>
   public override IBinder OnBind (Intent intent)
   {
    return null;
   }
   /// <summary>
   /// Called by the system when the service is first created.
   /// </summary>
   public override void OnCreate ()
   {
    base.OnCreate ();
    //IntentnFilter all actities to receive information
    IntentFilter iF = new IntentFilter();
    iF.AddAction("com.android.music.metachanged");
    iF.AddAction("com.android.music.playstatechanged");
    iF.AddAction("com.android.music.playbackcomplete");
    iF.AddAction("com.android.music.queuechanged");
    iF.AddAction("com.htc.music.metachanged");
    iF.AddAction("fm.last.android.metachanged");
    iF.AddAction("com.sec.android.app.music.metachanged");
    iF.AddAction("com.nullsoft.winamp.metachanged");
    iF.AddAction("com.amazon.mp3.metachanged");     
    iF.AddAction("com.miui.player.metachanged");        
    iF.AddAction("com.real.IMP.metachanged");
    iF.AddAction("com.sonyericsson.music.metachanged");
    iF.AddAction("com.rdio.android.metachanged");
    iF.AddAction("com.samsung.sec.android.MusicPlayer.metachanged");
    iF.AddAction("com.andrew.apollo.metachanged");
    //register receiver with intentnfilter
    RegisterReceiver(mReceiver, iF);
   }
   public override void OnDestroy ()
   {
    base.OnDestroy ();
   }
  }
 }
}

Now check the results.

Full Code GitHub: https://github.com/AlejandroRuiz/Mono/tree/master/MusicPlayerInfo

Awesome you can add this simple function to your apps, now just take a time to drink a beer.