Version: 1.94 (using 4.1.3 (KDE 4.1.3), Kubuntu packages) Compiler: cc OS: Linux (i686) release 2.6.27-7-generic In Amarok 1.4 there was a nice feature in the context view. Under the current running track and album, there was a list of artists making similar music to the currently running. This should be included again in Amarok 2.0.
Missing that feature a lot, too.
In Amarok 2.0.2 there is an option "Retrieve similar artists" in the last.fm plugin options. But I don't know if this is working. I can't see similar artists anywhere.
This is true, you can do this with the Last.fm plugin. You can add a custom stream based on a specific "Artist", "Tag", or "User". Works fine in 2.1-beta1.
Similar artist fetching isn't implemented in 2.x yet... the checkbox should be removed until it is (not for 2.1)
So in which version of Amarok we can expect this feature to be back?
@Dan: Well you are right does the exact same feature is not implemented, but a similar feature exists, and the question is if this is not a sufficient replacement. I'd say: Yeah, it's good enough :) So let's just remove that checkbox and be done with it. Btw: Where is it? I can prolly do that.
Well, it's not similar enough. Fetchign similar artist info allows us to make dynamic playlists that use local files (rather than streaming the infos from lastfm). Playing "Similar artist" streams uses more bandwith, and doesn't integrate as well with dynamic playlist stuff.
I completely agree with Dan - specially for those who haven't sufficient bandwidth for streaming (yep - these folks still exist..)
this will be a feature in 2.2 (maybe one of the 2.1.x series, but probably not). You can see what currently exists here: http://amarok.kde.org/blog/archives/1014-out-of-the-ashes-emerges-the-familiar-cloaked-anew.html so it will be implemented as another Bias for dynamic playlists. i've been using it a lot here over the last week or so, and it works really well, if i do say so myself ;)
But it is a very other Thing to have a playlist with similar artists than to see it in a list in the Middle pane. I thought this will definitely come back. I do want to see the similar artists so that i have an overview and can have a look at their Music. If I use the "play similar artists" from last.fm I cant be sure to get songs of each of the ones who are similar. I was glad to see the possibility to display the names of all the similar artists again.
i'm sorry, i don't understand what you are saying. are you trying to say you want to be able to see the list of similar artists from last.fm in the context view? or that you would like to be able to play similar artists in the playlist?
I only miss the List in the Context View. So that you can read the names of all the similar artists with one look.
I really like the new functionality in 2.2-GIT. I can start playing a track and let Amarok find recommended music from my local collection, based on Echo Nest or Last.fm logic. This is what I use to let Amarok play for a whole day, and most of the time the playlist is very good. This function is really well hidden from the casual user though. I think it would be more user friendly to make it easier to turn on dynamic playlist that uses custom bias from Echo Nest or Last.fm. At the moment it takes a lot of clicking to do that. This is a fabulous feature that makes Amarok unique before other players integrate this too ;) However I am still missing the old 1.4 style "recommended artists" view, even if - and especially - if the tracks do not exist in my local collection.
We have a brainstorming entry for this now. http://forum.kde.org/brainstorm.php#idea83897
So, since there is now a context view applet in Amarok 2.3.1 which provides that exact functionallity, we should close that Bug, I think, shouldn't we?
(In reply to comment #15) > So, since there is now a context view applet in Amarok 2.3.1 which provides > that exact functionallity, we should close that Bug, I think, shouldn't we? Indeed, thanks for the reminder.
In Amarok 1.4 the similar artists also included links to the music in your collection by those artists, iirc. So you could drag & drop this similar music directly into the play list. Is that also in Amarok 2.3.1? From what I can see on http://amarok.kde.org/files/amarok-2.3.1.jpeg, the answer seems to be "no"?
When you click the pair of binoculars, you will see the songs from that artist which are in your collection. Just drag it from there to the playlist and that's it
@ Jochen Bauer: Unfortunately it's not as good as it was in 1.4. In 1.4 you had list of similar songs by different artists from your collection in one list. With this new applet you have to go to collection browser for every artist and then you are presented with all his songs to pick from... Maybe artists nodes in this new applet can be made expandable, like albums applet, and on expand they can list some number of random songs...
@Serhiy It's quite long since I used 1.4 the last time. I just remember the "similar artist" list, not a "similar songs list". So let's a developer decide if to reopen the bug if there are still those missing features you mentioned. For me it's good as it is now.