Audio session conflicts when mixing LiveKit mic/camera with YouTube background music (React Native SDK v2.9.x)

[gregoryalary]

I’m building a React Native app (Android/iOS) and running into audio session conflicts when trying to combine WebRTC voice/video with YouTube background music playback.

Use case

• Join a LiveKit room with camera + microphone enabled
• Play YouTube iframe/webview for synchronized background music
• Users can toggle music and microphone audio on/off independently
• Both audio sources should play simultaneously on both Android and iOS devices

Current issues

• Random audio interruptions and crashes
• YouTube music pauses unpredictably when LiveKit connects
• Microphone audio cuts out intermittently
• Inconsistent behavior between Android and iOS

What I’ve tried

• Android: AudioType.MediaAudioType() with manageAudioFocus: false
• iOS: useIOSAudioManagement with mixWithOthers option
• Various AudioSession.configureAudio() combinations

Questions

• Is this use case (WebRTC voice + background music playback) officially supported?
• Should audio mixing be handled at the WebRTC level, or at the app-level audio session?
• Are there any examples/docs for concurrent audio scenarios?
• Is server-side mixing the recommended approach here?

Environment

• Platform: React Native SDK v2.9.x
• Devices: Testing on physical Android + iOS devices

Thanks for any guidance! 🙏