Hi all, thanks for your great work. I would like to request a few features found in other media players, which I believe would enhance RhythmBox immensely. Cheers.
Summary of requests:
* A neat, elegant way to browse my music collection by genre then by album
* An option to include album art in the listings
* A ‘Random’ selection of albums
* An option to stop the playlist deleting items after they play
* Ability to remember the layout as it was when it last closed, specifically the width of columns in the playlist and podcast browser
Probable Result:
A quantum leap in the usefulness & desirability of RB, probably blowing all other players into the dust, cementing it’s place at the pinnacle of audio media players.
Motivation, Background & Comparisons:
I recently installed Cinnamon Mint and am now using RB as my player. I like that it’s slick, fast & light on resources. The interface isn’t cluttered with chrome & whistles which suits me fine. I’m here for the meal, not the decor.
Overall, I find it’s great for online radio stations and for podcasts. Maybe it’s me, but for music it’s pretty awful.
Here’s why: The problem is the amount of music I have. It’s huge. I have it all organised into genres, which helps immensely. If I can select by genre. Of course, it’s all in albums, which is my preferred way to listen: just chuck another 5-6 albums onto the playlist.
By contrast, the best interface to my music was the Kodi web interface (The web interface, not the main one ). I had it installed on a Pi connected to my NAS where the music was stored. I then browsed it from my desktop via Firefox. Anyway, the browser page had a section for Recently Played Albums & another for Random Albums. The Random section was a daily delight, helping me rediscover what was buried in the archives. Also the listings showed the covers, of which I’m a big fan. If I could figure out how to have that interface to my music again I would not be writing this.
One interface that came close was the KDE Amarok, in that you could choose how your music was listed. Mine was obviously by Genre > Album > Track. The browser listings are collapsible - just what I want: Browse your genre, then browse your albums. Sadly, the interface comes with a muddy blue background that makes it all look alien vomit, & album covers are anathema to The Wolf. Still.
Anyway, that’s my 2c worth. Cheers.