Stopping an SKAction

Question

I have a sprite kit game with different scenes: the main menu ("MainMenuScene") and the game scene ("MyScene"). While the user is playing the game, I have an endless playing background music. But when the player wants to stop the game and return to main menu, the background music keeps playing. What should I do to make it stop? I have tried [self removeAllActions] but it didn't work.

MyScene:

    @implementation MyScene
{
    SKAction *_backgroundMusic;
}

-(id)initWithSize:(CGSize)size {
    if (self = [super initWithSize:size]) {

        self.backgroundColor = [SKColor colorWithRed:0.15 green:0.5 blue:0.3 alpha:1.0];
    }
    //Here I make the endless background music 
_backgroundMusic = [SKAction playSoundFileNamed:@"Background 2.m4a" waitForCompletion:YES];
    SKAction * backgroundMusicRepeat = [SKAction repeatActionForever:_backgroundMusic];
    [self runAction:backgroundMusicRepeat];
    return self;
}

- (void)selectNodeForTouch:(CGPoint)touchLocation
{
    SKSpriteNode *touchedNode = (SKSpriteNode *)[self nodeAtPoint:touchLocation];
    if ([_MainMenuButton isEqual:touchedNode]) {
        SKScene *mainMenuScene = [[MainMenuScene alloc]initWithSize:self.size];
        [self.view presentScene:mainMenuScene];
//Here is where the music should stop, when the player presses the 'return to main menu' button
    } 
}

Answer 1

I would not recommend using SKAction to play background music. Instead use AVAudioPlayer.

To use the AVAudioPlayer:

1. Add the AVFoundation to your project.

2. #import <AVFoundation/AVFoundation.h> into your .m file.

3. Add AVAudioPlayer *_backgroundMusicPlayer; in @implementation

Use this code snippet to run your audio:

- (void)playBackgroundMusic:(NSString *)filename
{
    NSError *error;
    NSURL *backgroundMusicURL = [[NSBundle mainBundle] URLForResource:filename withExtension:nil];
    _backgroundMusicPlayer = [[AVAudioPlayer alloc] initWithContentsOfURL:backgroundMusicURL error:&error];
    _backgroundMusicPlayer.numberOfLoops = -1;
    _backgroundMusicPlayer.volume = 0.8;
    _backgroundMusicPlayer.delegate = self;
    [_backgroundMusicPlayer prepareToPlay];
    [_backgroundMusicPlayer play];
}

Also read up on the AVAudioPlayer Class Reference so you know what all the properties do such as setting volume, number of loops, etc...

Answer 2

try this to play the music:

  [self runAction:backgroundMusicRepeat withKey:@"bgmusic"];

and this to stop:

  [self removeActionForKey:@"bgmusic"];

update

SKAction * backgroundMusicRepeat = [SKAction playSoundFileNamed:@"Background 2.m4a" waitForCompletion:YES];
backgroundMusicRepeat = [SKAction repeatActionForever:backgroundMusicRepeat];

 [self runAction:backgroundMusicRepeat];

I have run those code in my own project and seems work. but not your way, it only stop when I quit the view, I don't even need removeActionForKey . [self removeActionForKey:@"bgmusic"]; won't work in the scene.

So if you want stop sound while switch between diferent scenes of same view, I suggest you using AVAudioPlayer.

I also found some other questions in stackoverflow has the same problem as you, like this: how to pause the sound when use SpriteKit and this: Spritekit stopping sound they both go for the AVAudioPlayer.

as one of the comment in those links said: you should use the playSoundFileNamed method for playing sound effects... something short 1 or 2 seconds, like explosion sound --don't use it for background sound.