Could you link to the relevant class?

src/org/videolan/vlc/audio/AudioService.java

link to method (I think): https://github.com/mstorsjo/vlc-android/blob/master/vlc-andr...

Curiously, it looks like Google's AOSP music app requests READ_PHONE_STATE but unless I'm missing something they don't use it - relying entirely on focus loss instead. Granted, I'm not sure anything actually uses this code now...

https://github.com/android/platform_packages_apps_music

http://androidxref.com/5.0.0_r2/xref/packages/apps/Music/