Removing the Clipped Edges of Album Art on the Lock Screen

When the screen is off and the device is in a pocket, playback information displayed on the lock screen and Control Center must remain consistent with the app's internal state. Any discrepancy between the two degrades product reliability, regardless of whether core playback functions correctly.

The audio session and track loading pipeline were updated to share the same state reference as the lock screen remote control. Play, pause, and next-track commands arriving from outside the app are now handled identically to those initiated within the app, and the currently playing content is sourced from a single point of truth. On the presentation side, gradient blending was applied to the album artwork displayed on the lock screen so that the top and bottom edges transition naturally, eliminating the appearance of a clipped thumbnail.

For users who listen with the screen off for extended periods, the consistency of lock screen controls directly affects how they perceive overall product quality. This work focused on ensuring that control path remains reliable.