Is it possible for an iOS app to intercept the background audio stream that's playing?
I'd like to do some visualization for whatever audio is currently playing whether it's iTunes, Spotify, etc.
You can't get access to this, actually.
It's possible to play music with an app that remains in the background when the app isn't active, but you can't get access to another app's audio stream.
Apparently this is possible now, only if another app subscribes to InterApp Audio or Audiobus.
Consolidated from other SO answers for clarity: