% $Id$ % \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{Playlist submenu} (see \reference{ref:playlist_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 Insert and Queue functions} If playback is stopped, the \setting{Insert} and \setting{Queue} functions can be used as described in \ref{ref:playlist_submenu} to create a new playlist instead of adding to an existing one. This will \emph{erase} any dynamic playlist. \subsubsection{\label{ref:playlist_catalog}By using the Playlist catalog} The \setting{Playlist catalog} makes it possible to modify and create playlists that are not currently playing. To do this select \setting{Playlist catalog} 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 catalog} 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 catalog. It is however possible to move existing playlists there (see \reference{ref:Contextmenu}).} \subsubsection{By using the Main Menu} To create a playlist containing all music on your \dap{}, you can use the \setting{Create Playlist} command in the \setting{Playlists} menu found in the \setting{Main Menu}. The created playlist will be named \fname{root.m3u8} and saved in the root of your \daps{} disk. \subsection{Adding music to playlists} \subsubsection{\label{ref:playlist_submenu}Adding music to a dynamic playlist} \screenshot{rockbox_interface/images/ss-playlist-menu}{The Playlist Submenu}{} The \setting{Playlist Submenu} is a submenu in the \setting{Context Menu} (see \reference{ref:Contextmenu}), it allows you to put tracks into a ``dynamic playlist''. If there is no music currently playing, Rockbox will create a new dynamic playlist and put the selected track(s) into it. If there is music currently playing, Rockbox will put the selected track(s) into the current playlist. The place in which the newly selected tracks are added to the playlist is determined by the following options: \begin{description} \item [Insert.] Add track(s) immediately after any tracks added via the most recent \setting{Insert} operation. If no tracks have yet been added via an \setting{Insert}, new tracks will be added immediately after the current playing track. If playback is stopped a new dynamic playlist will get created with the selected tracks. \item [Insert Next.] Add track(s) immediately after current playing track, no matter what else has been inserted. \item [Insert Last.] Add track(s) to end of playlist. \item [Insert Shuffled.] Add track(s) to the playlist in a random order. \item [Insert Last Shuffled.] Add tracks in a random order to the end of the playlist. \item [Queue.] Queue is the same as Insert except queued tracks are deleted immediately from the playlist after they have been played. Also, queued tracks are not saved to the playlist file (see \reference{ref:playlistoptions}). \item [Queue Next.] Queue track(s) immediately after current playing track. \item [Queue Last.] Queue track(s) at end of playlist. \item [Queue Shuffled.] Queue track(s) in a random order. \item [Queue Last Shuffled.] Queue tracks in a random order at the end of the playlist. \item [Play Next.] Replaces all but the current playing track with track(s). Current playing track is queued. \end{description} The \setting{Playlist Submenu} can be used to add either single tracks or entire directories to a playlist. If the \setting{Playlist Submenu} is invoked on a single track, it will put only that track into the playlist. On the other hand, if the \setting{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 playlists. 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 or reshuffle 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. \subsubsection{Through the \setting{Playlist catalog}} The \setting{Playlist catalog} offers a shortcut to all playlists in your \daps{} specified playlist directory. It can be used like the \setting{File Browser}. \subsection{Helpful Hints} \subsubsection{Including subdirectories in playlists} You can control whether or not Rockbox includes the contents of subdirectories when adding an entire directory to a playlists. Set the \setting{Main Menu $\rightarrow$ Settings $\rightarrow$ General Settings $\rightarrow$ Playlists $\rightarrow$ Recursively Insert Directories} setting to \setting{On} if you would like to include tracks in subdirectories as well as tracks in the currently selected directory.