Upcoming moOde 7 series

[Tim Curtis]

@the_bertrum I think we are getting close. The "Add/play" selection for Instant play is a bug. it should have just displayed "Play" so we end up with below, and yes all of the Queue commands could be added to the Instant play list.

No action
Play
Clear/Play

Here's the breakdown of the current Queue commands in 7:

1. Add - Add to end of Queue
2. Play - Add to end of Queue and begin Play
3. Add next - Add after currently playing or last played item in Queue
4. Play next - Add after currently playing or last played item in Queue and begin Play
5. Clear/Play - Clear the Queue then Add to the Queue and begin Play

The main diffs from Bubble are:

1. We have a dedicated "Play next" command which allows user to play the new selection immediately without having to first stop the currently playing item or wait for it to finish.
2. We don't have the "Enqueue all from here" for Album tracks but it would prolly be useful. It would result in two more Queue commands on the Tracks menu. Something like "Add rest", "Play rest" but it could get more crowded with "Add rest next" and "Play rest next".

[Tim Curtis]

Results of some players:

Google Youtube music:

• Play - add after current playing song and play it
  
• Play Next   - add after current playing song and play after current it completed
  
• Add to playlist - add it at the end of the playlist
  

Google Play Music:

• Play - not clear, it is always the first and some times erases the current playlist
  
• Play Next   - add after current playing song and play after current it completed
  
• Add to playlist - add it at the end of the playlist
  

Bubble UPNP:

• play - play the song and erase current playlist
  
• play next   - add after current playing song and play after current it completed
  
• Enqueue     - add it at the end of the playlist
  

Synology DS Audio

• Play - play the song and erase current playlist
  
• Add next to current - add after current playing song and play after current it completed
  
• Add to queue - add it at the end of the playlist
  

Personally I prefer:

• Play - add after current playing song and play it
  
• Play Next   - add after current playing song and play after current it completed
  
• Add to playlist - add it at the end of the playlist
  

Feels the most natural to me, without risk of accidental deletion of the playlist.

I agree "Play next - add after current playing song and play after current it completed" is intuitive. There is a need for a "Play now" though that adds after current playing or last played song and starts play immediately.

More thought needed

[TookaFace]

It could be an option for Play, have the choice between the current behavior and new behavior (add after current title and play), instead of having an another entry in the menu

[Tim Curtis]

I think we want to maintain the current Queue commands since we are all used to them.
Add - add to end of Queue
Play - add to end of Queue then start play
Clear/Play - Clear Queue first then Play

The two new Queue commands are:
Add next - add after currently playing or last played item
Play next - add after currently playing or last played item then start play

Maybe just documenting them in Quick help for the 7 release would be the best solution since its becoming hard to come up with short names that are perfectly intuitive.

I was also wondering to myself what ever happened to the Clear/Add and Clear commands? They must have gotten thrifted at some point in the distant past due to lack of use or maybe an "executive decision".

[TookaFace]

Clear/add is still here in folder view

[Tim Curtis]

Interesting, it's not in the 7 context menu for Folder view but it should be. I'll have to investigate.

[the_bertrum]

@the_bertrum I think we are getting close. The "Add/play" selection for Instant play is a bug. it should have just displayed "Play" so we end up with below, and yes all of the Queue commands could be added to the Instant play list.

No action
Play
Clear/Play

Here's the breakdown of the current Queue commands in 7:

1. Add - Add to end of Queue
2. Play - Add to end of Queue and begin Play
3. Add next - Add after currently playing or last played item in Queue
4. Play next - Add after currently playing or last played item in Queue and begin Play
5. Clear/Play - Clear the Queue then Add to the Queue and begin Play

The main diffs from Bubble are:

1. We have a dedicated "Play next" command which allows user to play the new selection immediately without having to first stop the currently playing item or wait for it to finish.
2. We don't have the "Enqueue all from here" for Album tracks but it would prolly be useful. It would result in two more Queue commands on the Tracks menu. Something like "Add rest", "Play rest" but it could get more crowded with "Add rest next" and "Play rest next".

Very much beginning to look like a fine selection of commands.  Extending the current nomenclature in this way also seems to be the most sensible option.
If all the options get added as choices to instant play, could the Add command aslo have the option to start playback if nothing is playing?  This way Add can be used to start playback of the selected item when the player is idle, or add to the end of the queue when it isn't idle (and it means instant play does always result in music coming from the speakers).

[the_bertrum]

Results of some players:

Google Youtube music:

• Play - add after current playing song and play it
  
• Play Next   - add after current playing song and play after current it completed
  
• Add to playlist - add it at the end of the playlist
  

Google Play Music:

• Play - not clear, it is always the first and some times erases the current playlist
  
• Play Next   - add after current playing song and play after current it completed
  
• Add to playlist - add it at the end of the playlist
  

Bubble UPNP:

• play - play the song and erase current playlist
  
• play next   - add after current playing song and play after current it completed
  
• Enqueue     - add it at the end of the playlist
  

Synology DS Audio

• Play - play the song and erase current playlist
  
• Add next to current - add after current playing song and play after current it completed
  
• Add to queue - add it at the end of the playlist
  

Personally I prefer:

• Play - add after current playing song and play it
  
• Play Next   - add after current playing song and play after current it completed
  
• Add to playlist - add it at the end of the playlist
  

Feels the most natural to me, without risk of accidental deletion of the playlist.

Good to se we are already way ahead of most players.  (but we knew that already)

[Tim Curtis]

@the_bertrum I think we are getting close. The "Add/play" selection for Instant play is a bug. it should have just displayed "Play" so we end up with below, and yes all of the Queue commands could be added to the Instant play list.

No action
Play
Clear/Play

Here's the breakdown of the current Queue commands in 7:

1. Add - Add to end of Queue
2. Play - Add to end of Queue and begin Play
3. Add next - Add after currently playing or last played item in Queue
4. Play next - Add after currently playing or last played item in Queue and begin Play
5. Clear/Play - Clear the Queue then Add to the Queue and begin Play

The main diffs from Bubble are:

1. We have a dedicated "Play next" command which allows user to play the new selection immediately without having to first stop the currently playing item or wait for it to finish.
2. We don't have the "Enqueue all from here" for Album tracks but it would prolly be useful. It would result in two more Queue commands on the Tracks menu. Something like "Add rest", "Play rest" but it could get more crowded with "Add rest next" and "Play rest next".

Very much beginning to look like a fine selection of commands.  Extending the current nomenclature in this way also seems to be the most sensible option.
If all the options get added as choices to instant play, could the Add command aslo have the option to start playback if nothing is playing?  This way Add can be used to start playback of the selected item when the player is idle, or add to the end of the queue when it isn't idle (and it means instant play does always result in music coming from the speakers).

Instant play was originally designed to well, instantly play something. The current choices are below.

No action
Add/Play (note this should have been labeled "Play")
Clear/Play

The 7 version might look like below.

No action
Play
Play next
Clear/Play

[Tim Curtis]

This version of Instant Play looks like it would work :-)

No action
Add
Play
Add next
Play next
Clear/Play