Version:           1.4.8 (using KDE KDE 3.5.8)
Installed from:    Ubuntu Packages

Please extend Smart Playlists with a version which is limited in total file size for exporting to portable media players. This will allow a user to export music to these devices which are limited in storage capacity with more control.

In stead of exporting to such a device up to its maximum capacity is not an elegant approach, also because each time the same songs will be exported first. This request concerns a limited but more random loading. Have a look at the proposed smart playlists extension below to grasp the benefits of this feature request. The upper part is the current situation, the lower part is the proposed part for this feature request.

Smart Playlists
+- Collection
|  +- Newest Tracks
|  +- Never Played
|  +- Most Played
|  +- Last Played
|  +- Genres
|  +- Favorite Tracks
|  +- Ever Played
|  +- All Collection
|  +- 50 Random Tracks
|
+- Limited (16MB / 1536MB)
   +- Newest Tracks
   +- Never Played
   +- Most Played
   +- Last Played
   +- Genres
   +- Favorite Tracks
   +- Favorite Per Genres
   +- Ever Played
   +- Random Tracks

The numbers in brackets represent the maximum file size of each song in this playlist and the maximum file size off the entire smart playlist that will load. Both these values ar to be managed in the Settings / Configure Amarok. Choosing maximum file size of 16MB will prevent that the 3-hours live sets from DJ whatever are in the list (and exported to you portable media device). The latter number is choosen to be 1.5 GB because my mobile telephone has 2 GB storage capacity and I would like to reserve 0.5 GB for photographs etc. But each user can customise this to their own specific needs.

Below are comments on each of the proposed playlists.

Limited - Newest Tracks: each file < 16MB and in total < 1536MB
Limited - Never Played: each file < 16MB and in total < 1536MB
Limited - Most Played: each file < 16MB and in total < 1536MB
Limited - Last Played: each file < 16MB and in total < 1536MB
Limited - Random Per Genre: each file < 16MB and in total < 1536MB
Limited - Favorite Per Genre: (also random) each file < 16MB and in total < 1536MB
Limited - Favorite Tracks: each file < 16MB and in total < 1536MB
Limited - Ever Played: ever played, each file < 16MB and in total < 1536MB
Limited - Random Tracks: random tracks, each file < 16MB and in total < 1536MB

Alternative approach would be to have an extra menu item in the popup menu when right clicking a smart playlist. This extra item would be called "Limited (16MB / 1536MB)" and perform a "Load" but with the described limitations. When choosing for this alternative approach, please implement "Favorite Per Genre" as an extra smart playlist.

Implementing this feature will provide greater satisfaction when listening to one's portable media player which has been filled by Amarok with an optimal selection of your collection.


PS   This feature request might be better suited under Dynamic Playlists, that is up to the developers to decide.