Version: (using KDE Devel) Installed from: Compiled sources OS: Linux Coming from JuK, creating a playlist in Amarok is very confusing and non-intuitive. Logically, I would think that I could open the Playlists tab, right-click on the whitespace in the Playlist box, and select "Add new Playlist". Or have such an option as a menu item or toolbar button. Then I could drag and drop tracks from my collection in the right side over into my new playlist. Right now, there doesn't seem to be an easy way to create a new playlist. I pretty much have to select one of the "smart playlists" to load it into the track list on the right side, then right click on "current playlist" and select save, rename the playlist, and then start going through the new playlist and removing most of the tracks that I didn't want in there in the first place. Not all playlists are created simply by artist, track, or album criteria. For example, I want to create a playlist of tracks with great bass solos in them. I can't simply search for an artist and make all tracks by that artist part of the playlist. I need to be able to hand-pick each track from my entire collection, and add each one to the playlist individually. I would very much like to see a more intuitive UI to create a new empty playlist, then add individual tracks from my collection as I see fit. I'm not trying to compare the two projects, but the way JuK handles playlist creation is a good working example of what I'm trying to describe.
I don't get what you mean. You can create a new (empty) playlist by clicking the "Clear" button in the toolbar.
Well, at least now I know how you are supposed to do it now! Still, I don't think the interface is very intuitive. When I want to create a new playlist, I automatically start looking for a "New Playlist" button. I wouldn't have thought to look for a button called "Clear" when I want a new playlist. You see, I'm used always having my entire collection listed in the main view on the right. This is what I use (and I would think most people use) to filter and find the specific songs with the search bar. I don't think you should have to clear that out just to create a new blank playlist on the left pane. Maybe this would be a better way to explain it. Current way to create playlist in Amarok: 1. Press the "Clear" button to clear out the view of your collection in the main view. 2. Right-click the playlist marked "Current Playlist" and click "Save". 3. Give new Playlist a name. 4. Double click the "All Collection" Smart playlist and wait about 10-15 minutes while Amarok reloads your collection into the main view again. 5. Use the filter search bar at the top to find the songs you want, and then drag them over to your new blank playlist on the left. Proposed way to create new playlist in Amarok: 1. Press the "New Playlist" button. 2. Give the new playlist a name. 3. Use the filter search bar to find the songs you want, and then drag them over to your new blank playlist on the left. Which of the above methods do you see as being more efficient and intuitive?
I don't see a "New playlist" button at the place it intuitively should be: In the playlist window. Also, point 4) at your first suggestion: "4. Double click the "All Collection" Smart playlist and wait about 10-15 minutes while Amarok reloads your collection into the main view again." is just not acceptable. Even if adding all collection "only" takes about a minute or 2 at my machine it is still way to long time and more-complicated-than-needed way of doing it. I agree with the poster: Often I aim to create a new playlist from scratch, but based on my current playlist. Not by a clone of the current playlist but from scratch. That is: 1) I listen to my current playlist, 2) decides to create a new playlist, 2) Should be able to just do a "create empty playlist", 3) drag items to the newly created playlist. Simple, intuitive and requires few clicks.
Any Amarok developers looking for incentive for this feature? If any of you are into Anime, I have 3 DVD's of "Berserk" that will ship to whoever makes this work.
The problem here is JuK and amaroK work in different ways, I don't see how we can help JuK uses adjust to amaroK easily really. Suggestions are welcome though. amaroK is not really a playlist application like JuK. The problem you are having is you want to use amaroK like you use JuK, when really amaroK is not meant to be used like that, and that's why it is hard and non-intuitive. But maybe you have some more thoughts?
In response to Max Howell: Max, I certainly don't want to tell you guys how to do what you do best. And I don't want it to come off like I want to turn Amarok into JuK. Both players, in my opinion, have a long list of strengths and weaknesses. My opinions and criticisms are meant to be as respectful and appreciative as possible. While I like all the added features and the sheer volume of active work put into Amarok, I just keep running into the same practical problems. You say that I'm having a hard time with Amarok because I'm not using it right. How am I supposed to use it? I often like to put Amarok on random play, going through my entire music collection. I suspect this is quite common, and that many others do the same. But before I can do that, I have to load my entire collection as a "playlist" if it hasn't been done already. Double-clicking on "All Collection" button to load my entire playlist, takes quite a long time. I have to sit and wait while my hard drive goes crazy loading everything into a giant playlist. How else am I supposed to do this, or is Amarok not meant to provide this functionality? When I DO want to create smaller playlists, I tend to make playlists where each track has something in common, but usually cannot be distinguished by tag info, such as "Jazz Ballads". I suspect this is also very common and that I'm not the only person that creates playlists like this. This means, that to create a playlist of "Jazz Ballads" I can't simply filter for all tunes that are "Jazz Ballads" because that kind of tag info is not stored. I have to go through my entire collection to hand-pick each tune (maybe I could filter by "Jazz" to narrow my search, but what if I simply wanted "ballads"?). How am I supposed to go about this if I am doing it wrong? Reading through the help manuals and instructions, I simply don't see an straight-forward way to do this. Also, you say Amarok is not a playlist based application. Amarok obviously does give me the functionality to create and manage playlists though. How am I supposed to create and manage playlists then? If Amarok is not meant for me to create and manage playlists, then why does it give me the functionality? I guess what I'm asking is, if I'm using the application wrong, how do I use it the right way? How do I accomplish the above goals? Here is a scenario: I currently have my entire collection loaded as the current playlist. I usually leave it this way because I like random play, and because using the filter bar at the top is the simplest and most intuitive way to find what I'm looking for based on tag info. Now, keeping in mind that I have my entire collection loaded, I decide I want to create a playlist of "Victor Wooten Bass Tunes". That is, any tune with Victor Wooten playing bass. The trick is, he appears on dozens of different albums under different artists names, and across several genres. Tell me, how am I supposed to create a playlist of "Victor Wooten Bass Tunes" with Amarok?
After becoming more familiar with the filtering capabilities of the "Smart Playlist" feature, I don't see a need for this anymore. Max is right that things are simply done differently with Amarok, it just took some more experimenting to figure it out. As always, thank you for considering my suggestion, and keep up the great work you guys are doing on the best digital music app in the world.
This goes along with the creation of the playlist mentioned a couple of posts up. This is what I would consider the most optimal way to create playlists: 1. Use the filter of context browser to make your playlist in the playlist view. 2. Ctrl+A (or highlight only the files you want) and drop them to the whitespace in the playlist window. 3. Amarok will recognize that since you are dragging onto the whitespace, you do not want to add to a playlist, but make a new one. A dialog box pops up and asks for the name for the playlist. 4. Amarok saves the playlist in ~/.kde/share/apps/amarok/playlists directory because just like in iTunes or any other media player, the user doesn't care where the playlist is saved as long as it can be accessed from amarok. If they really wanted, they could drag the playlist from amarok to a konqueror window and have a copy. This way, you don't even have to make a new playlist first, and of course you can add to it later.
I just want a "Playlist from Folder" button in Amarok. That, and the crappy default views and unintuitiveness of the UI as compared to Juk, is all that is keeping me from using it full-time. Love the wiki and Lyrics integration.
Our humanity grants us choice. So use JuK. Just for the record, Lanzio's suggestion has been implemented.