6 Suggestions

[pbuchsbaum]

Poweramp is the best mobile app for playing music but have some quirks and improvements needs:

 

1) For me song list is a very confusing feature in Poweramp because leaves one in a blind world. You just see the current list! I was testing and suddenly I've discovered that there went many lists using up and down gestures. I guess that most people do not manage many lists, because they have playlists, genres, etc. Ok, it pleases some advanced users that need to commute between many lists in parties. 

 

So I think that it should have an option to show a list of lists. When you see the current list, touch an option in the bottom (together with "Library" and "Folders") with label "Lists". It should show the number of lists in the top and a table with the first song of each list. So one can scroll and change the current list easily. One can also delete any list using gesture touch and drag to left. One can change list order draggin up or down.. An option in "…." Menu could erase all lists.

 

2) Up and down gesture should change the volume. That is a much common situation than change the current list. Some song moves you and you want to listen louder! If you want change the list, the <<< and >>> icons are enough!

 

3) It should have a gesture to pause and resume a song (touch and hold, or double touch) It's a very common need inside a car, when people start to talk.

 

4) Should be an option in settings to show the song name and artist in big letters (maybe you can choose in the settings the properties that you can see in big letters. Classic lovers maybe prefer composer name). It shows replacing album art. It pleases some older people that can't see the very small letters in all music players. It's a very common need in shuffle mode, when the user want to know what song is playing and not want to see the album art.

 

5) Touch and Hold on a song, genre, search result etc. should open three different options, not just the "triangle play" ( >). The default action could be changed in the setting, with a normal touch.

 

    a- Play the selected songs and delete the old list. The symbol could be a "x" plus a triangle play

    b- Play the selected songs inside the current list. If is in shuffle mode, no problem. It not, it plays that selected songs at
        first and then the other list. The symbol could be a triangle play

    c- Play the selected songs in a new list. The symbol could be a "+" plus a triangle play
 

6) It would be very cool if there is another option in suggestion 5, Exclude the selected songs that are in current list. Suppose that one is listening a list with hundreds of songs, suddenly he don't want listen Elton John anymore. So he select Elton John artist, touch and hold and select a option "-" that excludes all Elton John songs that are in you current list.

[andrewilley]

Some interesting ideas there. In part (1) are you using the word 'list' in terms of a playlist by the way? Because otherwise Poweramp uses 'List' as a generic term to refer to the current grouping mode - e.g. play by Album, Artist, Folder, Genre, Playlist, etc. There are always other lists available, and when you are looking at the current one in the Library screen just press the up-arrow at the top of the screen to go up a level and see the others.

(2) would be a nice option, I've asked for that myself in fact. However it would need to be optional, as a lot of people use it as a quick gesture way to change albums, etc.

(4) would be nice too, I'd like to see the song title info larger when driving for example.

(5) Don't really understand this, touch and hold on a title within the library (album, artist, song title, etc) already brings up multiple queuing & playlist options, not just a Play icon.

Andre

[pbuchsbaum]

Some interesting ideas there. In part (1) are you using the word 'list' in terms of a playlist by the way? Because otherwise Poweramp uses 'List' as a generic term to refer to the current grouping mode - e.g. play by Album, Artist, Folder, Genre, Playlist, etc. There are always other lists available, and when you are looking at the current one in the Library screen just press the up-arrow at the top of the screen to go up a level and see the others.

(2) would be a nice option, I've asked for that myself in fact. However it would need to be optional, as a lot of people use it as a quick gesture way to change albums, etc.

(4) would be nice too, I'd like to see the song title info larger when driving for example.

(5) Don't really understand this, touch and hold on a title within the library (album, artist, song title, etc) already brings up multiple queuing & playlist options, not just a Play icon.

Andre

Thanks for your feedback.

Sorry for some misunderstandings because I have installed Poweramp just 2 days ago. So I am novice in Poweramp, although seasoned in other music players. Finally I have understood the queue concept.

1) I've got it. It's not clear for me before. After your answer I have noticed that when you slide up or down you move for next / previous folder, genre, album or artist. So you are right. My suggestion doesn't make it sense. However the only situation that I think that feature useful is in album listening

2) Yes, I agree that this can be an optional setting. It's not for all tastes.

3) You don't comment about the pause gesture option. Imagine that you are in the car with you wife and she start to talk something important. It's nice if one could pause quickly and after resumes with the same gesture. It can be an optional settings too.

4) No music Player that I know does it!

5, 6) When you touch in a genre, for instance, it shows options: queue, play, random, add to playlist and exclude (that does nothing in according to my settings). Add to playlist creates a new playlst or one can append in another playlist.

Now I've got the queue real concept so my suggestion is different.

I notice that play (triangle) replace the "Now Playing" for the new selected songs. The "queue" option add the selected genre, song, artist as next temporary "now playing" songs and then it resumes in the last "Now Playing" songs.

So I suggest add just two new options in the list of actions when one touches and holds an item.

a- Add the current selected list/songs in the current "Now Playing" songs, but at random order. Specially fits if I am listening to my songs in random order. It's different from the queue concept. I want listen that songs in "Now Playing" songs but not necessarily now.

b- Exclude the current selected list/songs in the last "Now Playing songs. For instance, now I don't want to listen to Elton John songs anymore. Poweramp extract Elton John songs that are in my "Now Playing" songs. Another day I can listen to Elton John again but not now!

Additional suggestions:

7) Search: There should be a "x" icon in album, artist, etc. sections of search result. If the user touches the "x" it closes the corresponding section and it collapse in one line, if one press "+" icon it opens again. So is fast, for instance, to go to the songs part in a search result.

8) Search: Touch and hold the "magnifying glass" could select the fields of search (artist, song, album, etc.). It can be confusing search for a song and returns a song just because the album name includes the word. It would be nice if the user could select your search fields preference in settings.

MediaMonkey does it in your Windows program and it's very nice!

9) Bug: Click in the player bar (above pause, previous and next icon) not always return to the "Now Playing" songs. I've made a search and return 6 songs and I play that list. When I click in player bar it shows "all songs" not just the songs that are in "Now Playing" list.

10) Click in the current song in "Now Playing songs" should not replay the current song, just return for the player. I know that touch in the bottom left does it, but it's confusing. A good alternative it would show little previous, pause and next icons in the current song in the "Now Playing" list.