diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayer.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayer.java
index a055a695ff..cc1f196eab 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayer.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayer.java
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ public interface ExoPlayer extends Player {
     /* package */ long detachSurfaceTimeoutMs;
     /* package */ boolean pauseAtEndOfMediaItems;
     /* package */ boolean usePlatformDiagnostics;
-    @Nullable /* package */ Looper playbackLooper;
+    @Nullable /* package */ PlaybackLooperProvider playbackLooperProvider;
     /* package */ boolean buildCalled;
     /* package */ boolean suppressPlaybackOnUnsuitableOutput;
     /* package */ String playerName;
@@ -1299,7 +1299,23 @@ public interface ExoPlayer extends Player {
     @UnstableApi
     public Builder setPlaybackLooper(Looper playbackLooper) {
       checkState(!buildCalled);
-      this.playbackLooper = playbackLooper;
+      this.playbackLooperProvider = new PlaybackLooperProvider(playbackLooper);
+      return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the {@link PlaybackLooperProvider} that will be used for playback.
+     *
+     * @param playbackLooperProvider A {@link PlaybackLooperProvider}.
+     * @return This builder.
+     * @throws IllegalStateException If {@link #build()} has already been called.
+     */
+    @CanIgnoreReturnValue
+    @UnstableApi
+    @RestrictTo(LIBRARY_GROUP)
+    public Builder setPlaybackLooperProvider(PlaybackLooperProvider playbackLooperProvider) {
+      checkState(!buildCalled);
+      this.playbackLooperProvider = playbackLooperProvider;
       return this;
     }
 
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImpl.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImpl.java
index 02967b7b59..e76fa35f29 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImpl.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImpl.java
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
               clock,
               playbackInfoUpdateListener,
               playerId,
-              builder.playbackLooper,
+              builder.playbackLooperProvider,
               preloadConfiguration);
 
       volume = 1;
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImplInternal.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImplInternal.java
index 14854a9284..f8e0031d8e 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImplInternal.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImplInternal.java
@@ -27,10 +27,8 @@ import static java.lang.Math.max;
 import static java.lang.Math.min;
 
 import android.os.Handler;
-import android.os.HandlerThread;
 import android.os.Looper;
 import android.os.Message;
-import android.os.Process;
 import android.util.Pair;
 import androidx.annotation.CheckResult;
 import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
@@ -192,7 +190,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
   private final LoadControl loadControl;
   private final BandwidthMeter bandwidthMeter;
   private final HandlerWrapper handler;
-  @Nullable private final HandlerThread internalPlaybackThread;
+  private final PlaybackLooperProvider playbackLooperProvider;
   private final Looper playbackLooper;
   private final Timeline.Window window;
   private final Timeline.Period period;
@@ -257,7 +255,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
       Clock clock,
       PlaybackInfoUpdateListener playbackInfoUpdateListener,
       PlayerId playerId,
-      @Nullable Looper playbackLooper,
+      @Nullable PlaybackLooperProvider playbackLooperProvider,
       PreloadConfiguration preloadConfiguration) {
     this.playbackInfoUpdateListener = playbackInfoUpdateListener;
     this.renderers = renderers;
@@ -318,17 +316,9 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
         new MediaSourceList(
             /* listener= */ this, analyticsCollector, applicationLooperHandler, playerId);
 
-    if (playbackLooper != null) {
-      internalPlaybackThread = null;
-      this.playbackLooper = playbackLooper;
-    } else {
-      // Note: The documentation for Process.THREAD_PRIORITY_AUDIO that states "Applications can
-      // not normally change to this priority" is incorrect.
-      internalPlaybackThread =
-          new HandlerThread("ExoPlayer:Playback", Process.THREAD_PRIORITY_AUDIO);
-      internalPlaybackThread.start();
-      this.playbackLooper = internalPlaybackThread.getLooper();
-    }
+    this.playbackLooperProvider =
+        (playbackLooperProvider == null) ? new PlaybackLooperProvider() : playbackLooperProvider;
+    this.playbackLooper = this.playbackLooperProvider.obtainLooper();
     handler = clock.createHandler(this.playbackLooper, this);
   }
 
@@ -1564,9 +1554,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
       loadControl.onReleased(playerId);
       setState(Player.STATE_IDLE);
     } finally {
-      if (internalPlaybackThread != null) {
-        internalPlaybackThread.quit();
-      }
+      playbackLooperProvider.releaseLooper();
       synchronized (this) {
         released = true;
         notifyAll();
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/PlaybackLooperProvider.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/PlaybackLooperProvider.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f0051231ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/PlaybackLooperProvider.java
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2024 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package androidx.media3.exoplayer;
+
+import static androidx.annotation.RestrictTo.Scope.LIBRARY_GROUP;
+import static androidx.media3.common.util.Assertions.checkState;
+
+import android.os.HandlerThread;
+import android.os.Looper;
+import android.os.Process;
+import androidx.annotation.GuardedBy;
+import androidx.annotation.RestrictTo;
+import androidx.media3.common.util.UnstableApi;
+import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.Nullable;
+
+/**
+ * Provides a {@link Looper} for multiple {@link ExoPlayer} instances with reference counting in
+ * order to properly manage the lifecycle of the thread that the {@link Looper} is associated with.
+ */
+@RestrictTo(LIBRARY_GROUP)
+@UnstableApi
+public final class PlaybackLooperProvider {
+
+  private final Object lock;
+
+  @GuardedBy("lock")
+  private @Nullable Looper playbackLooper;
+
+  @GuardedBy("lock")
+  private @Nullable HandlerThread internalPlaybackThread;
+
+  @GuardedBy("lock")
+  private int referenceCount;
+
+  /**
+   * Creates an instance.
+   *
+   * <p>The {@link PlaybackLooperProvider} instance will create a {@link HandlerThread} internally
+   * and manage its lifecycle.
+   */
+  public PlaybackLooperProvider() {
+    this(/* looper= */ null);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Creates an instance.
+   *
+   * @param looper The {@linkplain Looper playback looper}. If non-null, the caller is responsible
+   *     for managing the lifecycle of the thread that the {@code looper} is associated with.
+   *     Otherwise, the {@link PlaybackLooperProvider} instance will create a {@linkplain
+   *     HandlerThread playback thread} internally and manage its lifecycle.
+   */
+  public PlaybackLooperProvider(@Nullable Looper looper) {
+    lock = new Object();
+    playbackLooper = looper;
+    internalPlaybackThread = null;
+    referenceCount = 0;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Obtains the {@linkplain Looper playback looper} by increasing the reference count.
+   *
+   * @return The playback looper. It will either be the {@code looper} injected via the constructor,
+   *     or the {@linkplain HandlerThread#getLooper() looper} associated with the internal {@link
+   *     HandlerThread playback thread}.
+   */
+  public Looper obtainLooper() {
+    synchronized (lock) {
+      if (playbackLooper == null) {
+        checkState(referenceCount == 0 && internalPlaybackThread == null);
+        // Note: The documentation for Process.THREAD_PRIORITY_AUDIO that states "Applications can
+        // not normally change to this priority" is incorrect.
+        internalPlaybackThread =
+            new HandlerThread("ExoPlayer:Playback", Process.THREAD_PRIORITY_AUDIO);
+        internalPlaybackThread.start();
+        playbackLooper = internalPlaybackThread.getLooper();
+      }
+      referenceCount++;
+      return playbackLooper;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Releases the {@linkplain Looper playback looper} by decreasing the reference count.
+   *
+   * <p>If the playback looper was not provided by the caller, the {@link PlaybackLooperProvider}
+   * instance will automatically stop the internal {@link HandlerThread playback thread}.
+   */
+  public void releaseLooper() {
+    synchronized (lock) {
+      checkState(referenceCount > 0);
+      referenceCount--;
+      if (referenceCount == 0 && internalPlaybackThread != null) {
+        internalPlaybackThread.quit();
+        internalPlaybackThread = null;
+        playbackLooper = null;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}