% $Id$ % \section{\label{ref:working_with_playlists}Working with Playlists} \subsection{Playlist terminology} Some common terms that are used in Rockbox when referring to playlists: \begin{description} \item[Directory.] A playlist! One of the keys to getting the most out of Rockbox is understanding that Rockbox \emph{always} considers the song that it is playing to be part of a playlist, and in some situations, Rockbox will create a playlist automatically. For example, if you are playing the contents of a directory, Rockbox will automatically create a playlist containing all songs in it. This means that just about anything that is described in this chapter with respect to playlists also applies to directories. \item[Dynamic playlist.] A dynamic playlist is a playlist that is created ``On the fly.'' Any time you insert or queue tracks using the \setting{Current Playlist submenu} (see \reference{ref:currentplaylist_submenu}), you are creating (or adding to) a dynamic playlist. \item[Insert.] In Rockbox, to \setting{Insert} an item into a playlist means putting an item into a playlist and leaving it there, even after it is played. As you will see later in this chapter, Rockbox can \setting{Insert} into a playlist in several places. \item[Queue.] In Rockbox, to \setting{Queue} a song means to put the song into a playlist and then to remove the song from the playlist once it has been played. The only difference between \setting{Insert} and \setting{Queue} is that the \setting{Queue} option removes the song from the playlist once it has been played, and the \setting{Insert} option does not. \end{description} \subsection{Creating playlists} Rockbox can create playlists in four different ways. \subsubsection{By selecting (``playing'') a song from the File Browser} Whenever a song is selected from the \setting{File Browser} with \ActionTreeEnter, Rockbox will automatically create a playlist containing all of the songs in that directory and start playback with the selected song. \note{If you already have created a dynamic playlist, playing a new song will \emph{erase} the current dynamic playlist and create a new one. If you want to add a song to the current playlist rather than erasing the current playlist, see the section below on how to add music to a playlist.} \subsubsection{By using the Clear List \& Play Next function} The \setting{Clear List \& Play Next} function as described in \ref{ref:currentplaylist_submenu} will replace the dynamic playlist with the selected tracks. If a track is currently playing, it is only removed once it’s finished playing. \subsubsection{\label{ref:playlist_catalogue}By using the Playlist catalogue} The \setting{Playlist catalogue} makes it possible to modify and create playlists that are not currently playing. To do this select \setting{Playlist catalogue} in the \setting{Context Menu}. There you will have two choices, \setting{Add to playlist} adds the selected track or directory to an existing playlist and \setting{Add to a new playlist} creates a new playlist containing the selected track or directory. \note{All playlists in the \setting{Playlist catalogue} are stored by default in the \fname{/Playlists} directory in the root of your \daps{} disk and playlists stored in other locations are not included in the catalogue. It is however possible to move existing playlists there (see \reference{ref:Contextmenu}).} \subsubsection{By using the Main Menu} To create a playlist containing some or all of the music on your \dap{}, you can use the \setting{Create Playlist} command in the \setting{Playlist Catalogue Context Menu} (see \reference{ref:playlistcatalogue_contextmenu}). \subsection{Adding music to playlists} \subsubsection{\label{ref:currentplaylist_submenu}Adding music to a dynamic playlist} \screenshot{rockbox_interface/images/ss-playlist-menu}{The Current Playlist Submenu}{} The \setting{Current Playlist Submenu} is a submenu in the \setting{Context Menu} (see \reference{ref:Contextmenu}), it allows you to put tracks into a ``dynamic playlist''. The place in which the newly selected tracks are added to the playlist is determined by these options: \begin{description} \item [Insert.] Add track(s) after the most recently added tracks or, if tracks have not been added yet, immediately after the currently playing track. \item [Insert Next.] Add track(s) immediately after the currently playing track. \item [Insert Last.] Add track(s) to the end of the playlist. \item [Insert Shuffled.] Add track(s) to the playlist at random positions. \item [Insert Last Shuffled.] Add tracks in a random order to the end of the playlist. \end{description} If you want the existing playlist entries to first be removed before selected tracks are inserted, the following two options will achieve that effect. They are also available when playback is stopped, whereas the rest of the options require music to be playing or paused. \begin{description} \item [Clear List \& Play Next.] Replace all entries in the dynamic playlist with selected tracks. If a track is currently playing, it will be removed once it’s finished playing. \item [Clear List \& Play Shuffled.] Similar, except tracks are added in random order. Only available when playback is stopped. \end{description} Another possibility is to add tracks \emph{temporarily} to the dynamic playlist. In Rockbox’s parlance, this is called queuing. Queued tracks are automatically removed from the playlist after they have been played. They are also not saved to the playlist file (see \reference{ref:playlistoptions}). \begin{description} \item [Queue.] Corresponds to \setting{Insert}. \item [Queue Next.] Corresponds to \setting{Insert Next}. \item [Queue Last.] Corresponds to \setting{Insert Last}. \item [Queue Shuffled.] Corresponds to \setting{Insert Shuffled}. \item [Queue Last Shuffled.] Corresponds to \setting{Insert Last Shuffled}. \end{description} \note{You can hide the options to add shuffled tracks or to queue tracks, if you wish. The latter can also be put into its own submenu. Simply go to \setting{Settings} $\rightarrow$ \setting{General Settings} $\rightarrow$ \setting{Playlists} $\rightarrow$ \setting{Current Playlist} and select either \setting{Show Shuffled Adding Options} or \setting{Show Queue Options} to customize the displayed set of options.} The \setting{Current Playlist Submenu} can be used to add either single tracks or entire directories to a playlist. If the \setting{Current Playlist Submenu} is invoked on a single track, it will put only that track into the playlist. On the other hand, if the \setting{Current Playlist Submenu} is invoked on a directory, Rockbox adds all of the tracks in that directory to the playlist. \note{You can control whether or not Rockbox includes the contents of subdirectories when adding an entire directory to a playlist. Set the \setting{Settings $\rightarrow$ General Settings $\rightarrow$ Playlist $\rightarrow$ Recursively Insert Directories} setting to \setting{Yes} if you would like Rockbox to include tracks in subdirectories as well as tracks in the currently-selected directory.} Dynamic playlists are saved so resume will restore them exactly as they were before shutdown. \note{To view, save, reshuffle, or display the play time of the current dynamic playlist use the \setting{Playlist} sub menu in the WPS context menu or in the \setting{Main Menu}.} \subsection{Modifying playlists} \subsubsection{Reshuffling} Reshuffling the current playlist is easily done from the \setting{Playlist} sub menu in the WPS, just select \setting{Reshuffle}. \subsubsection{Moving and removing tracks} To move or remove a track from the current playlist enter the \setting{Playlist Viewer} by selecting \setting{View Current Playlist} in the \setting{Playlist} submenu in the WPS context menu or the \setting{Main Menu}. Once in the \setting{Playlist Viewer} open the context menu on the track you want to move or remove. If you want to move the track, select \setting{Move} in the context menu and then move the blinking cursor to the place where you want the track to be moved and confirm with \ActionStdOk. To remove a track, simply select \setting{Remove} in the context menu. \subsection{Saving playlists} To save the current playlist either enter the \setting{Playlist} submenu in the \setting{WPS Context Menu} (see \reference{sec:contextmenu}) and select \setting{Save Current Playlist} or enter the \setting{Playlist Options} menu in the \setting{Main Menu} and select \setting{Save Current Playlist}. Either method will bring you to the \setting{Virtual Keyboard} (see \reference{sec:virtual_keyboard}), enter a filename for your playlist and accept it and you are done. \subsection{Loading saved playlists} \subsubsection{Through the \setting{File Browser}} Playlist files, like regular music tracks, can be selected through the \setting{File Browser}. When loading a playlist from disk it will replace the current dynamic playlist. If you want to look at a playlist's content without starting playback immediately, access the \setting{Context Menu} (see \reference{ref:Contextmenu}) with \ActionStdContext{} and choose \setting{View}. \subsubsection{Through the \setting{Playlist catalogue}} The \setting{Playlist catalogue} offers a shortcut to all playlists in your \daps{} specified playlist directory. It can be used like the \setting{File Browser} but will display the content of a playlist when one is selected.