To get the currently playing media on an Android device using the Java Android API, you typically interact with the MediaSessionManager and MediaController APIs. Here’s a concise guide:

1. Declare Permissions

Ensure your AndroidManifest.xml includes the necessary permission:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MEDIA_CONTENT_CONTROL" />

2. Get the Active Media Sessions

Use MediaSessionManager to retrieve active media sessions:

MediaSessionManager mediaSessionManager =
    (MediaSessionManager) getSystemService(Context.MEDIA_SESSION_SERVICE);
List<MediaController> controllers = mediaSessionManager.getActiveSessions(
    new ComponentName(this, NotificationListener.class)
);

Note: The NotificationListener.class must be a valid component in your app (e.g., a MediaButtonReceiver).

3. Access Playback State

For each MediaController, check the playback state and metadata:

for (MediaController controller : controllers) {
    MediaMetadata metadata = controller.getMetadata();
    PlaybackState state = controller.getPlaybackState();

    if (state != null && state.getState() == PlaybackState.STATE_PLAYING) {
        String title = metadata.getString(MediaMetadata.METADATA_KEY_TITLE);
        String artist = metadata.getString(MediaMetadata.METADATA_KEY_ARTIST);
        // Use the title, artist, etc.
    }
}

4. Handle Runtime Permissions (Android 10+)

For Android 10 (API 29+) and above, you need to request the MEDIA_CONTENT_CONTROL permission at runtime:

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.Q) {
    requestPermissions(new String[]{Manifest.permission.MEDIA_CONTENT_CONTROL}, REQUEST_CODE);
}

5. Alternative: Use MediaBrowser (for Apps with MediaBrowserService)

If you want to interact with a specific app (e.g., Spotify, YouTube Music), use MediaBrowser to connect to its MediaBrowserService and retrieve the current media.

Key Points

• Limitation: Not all apps expose their media sessions publicly.
• Foreground Service: Some apps require a foreground service to control media.
• Testing: Test on real devices, as emulators may not have active media sessions.