Adaptive background playback behavior

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

playing a media item in a media viewer executing on a processor of a computing device, the media item comprising an audio component and a video component;

detecting an event that causes the playing of the video component of the media item to be suspended;

predicting user playback preferences for the media item using a category of the media item and one or more user actions associated with the detected event; and

determining, based on the predicted user playback preferences, whether to continue playing the audio component of the media item.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein predicting user playback preferences comprises:

sending the user actions associated with the detected event over a network to a server; and

receiving instructions from the server regarding the playing of the audio component.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to continue playing the audio component of the media item further comprises applying a behavioral model to at least one of the user actions, the event, or the category of the media item, the behavioral model being received from a server.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the behavioral model is defined by a server using user interactions with the media viewer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to continue playing the audio component of the media item further comprises applying a set of rules to at least one of the user actions, the event, or the category of the media item.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event is at least one of:

a request to turn off a display of the computing device;

an activation of a physical button on the computing device;

an activation of a virtual button on the computing device;

a request to send the media viewer to a background mode of the computing device;

a request to bring a second application into a foreground of the computing device; or

a navigation command in the media viewer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user actions comprise a user-initiated change in a hardware status of the computing device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the hardware status is a connectedness to an external speaker.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

playing a media item in a media viewer executing the processing device, the media item comprising an audio component and a video component;

detecting an event that causes the playing of the video component of the media item to be suspended;

predicting user playback preferences for the media item using a category of the media item and one or more user actions associated with the detected event; and

determining, based on the predicted user playback preferences, whether to continue playing the audio component of the media.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein predicting user playback preferences comprises:

sending the user actions associated with the detected event over a network to a server; and

receiving instructions from the server regarding the playing of the audio component.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein determining whether to continue playing the audio component of the media item further comprises applying a behavioral model to at least one of the user actions, the event, or the category of the media item.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the behavioral model is defined by a server using user interactions with the media viewer.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein determining whether to continue playing the audio component of the media item further comprises applying a set of rules to at least one of the user actions, the event, or the category the media item.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the event is at least one of:

a request to turn off a display of the computing device;

an activation of a physical button on the computing device;

an activation of a virtual button on the computing device;

a request to send the media viewer to a background mode of the computing device;

a request to bring a second application into a foreground of the computing device; or

a navigation command in the media viewer.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the user actions comprise a user-initiated change in a hardware status of the computing device.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a server device, information on user behavior associated with a media item being played on a client device and an indication of an event causing the playing of a video component of the media item to stop, wherein the user behavior has triggered the event;

in response to receiving the information and the indication of the event, predicting a background playback preference of a user of the client device for the media item using a category of the media item, the information and the indication of the event; and

providing, to the client device, instructions on whether to continue playing an audio component of the media item in accordance with the predicted background playback preference of the user.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the user behavior comprises a changing of a setting by the user while media item is playing on the client device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the changing the setting occurs more than once when the media item is played more than once on the client device, and wherein predicting the background playback preference comprises recognizing the changing of the setting as being associated with the media item.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the background playback preference comprises continuing a playing of an audio component of the media item in an occurrence of the event.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the indication of the event indicates that the event comprises at least one of:

a request to turn off a display of the computing device;

an activation of a physical button on the computing device;

an activation of a virtual button on the computing device;

a request to send the media viewer to a background mode of the computing device;

a request to bring a second application into a foreground of the computing device; or

a navigation command in the media viewer.