MusicBee 3.2 - General Direction

[Steven]

I've already started v3.2 and looking for comments on the general direction for its development. Please try to avoid any specific requests - this is more about the overall direction.

For myself, I actually dont feel that strongly there is anything particularly wrong with where things are at. But some things spring to mind:

- Setting Simplification (still!). Although i agree with the general point that there are a lot of settings, i feel any major rework will be a no win situation. But i do acknowledge iterative improvements can be made
- I am still open to suggestions about improvements that could be made to the usability/ layout/ navigation/ skinning functionality
- I have already made a solid start on supporting cloud (onedrive/ googledrive/ dropbox) synchronisation but put it on hold due to lack of interest
- Improvements to player functionality (ASIO native DSD support)

[Bee-liever]

The few items you have previously posted as being done for 3.2 have already addressed any immediate ideas that spring to my mind.
On the skinning side, one that has come up a few times before is having a backdrop image for the entire MB window with panels overlaid (like compact player).
Another one would be updating the small spectrum visualisations on the player bar.  Finding something that small (for backwards compatibility) is probably a problem.  Maybe replacing it with a beat indicator (similar to ye olde Winamp one)?
I have thought about some skinning engine that would allow a free-form bitmap rendering of the mini-player, but I think making it look like futuristic instrument panels, rocket ships, piano keyboards, etc is a little passé these days  

[phred]

For myself, I actually dont feel that strongly there is anything particularly wrong with where things are at.

This

But some things spring to mind:
- Setting Simplification (still!). Although i agree with the general point that there are a lot of settings, i feel any major rework will be a no win situation. But i do acknowledge iterative improvements can be made

A possible solution - I just started using AquaMail on my Android and there are a lot of options. It reminds me of MB in the quantity of things that are configurable. Once the user goes into settings, there is a search function which allows the user to look for various settings. So in an MB scenario, I could search for 'playlists' and I would be shown (or taken to) Preferences > Library > playlists. Of course the user would have to know/use the correct terminology to find what they're looking for.

[wobbly]

l would like to see love given  to the left sidebar  
filters to have  icon/pictures  
ability to make  "filters folders" with icon/pictures
rename filters  from with in filters  setting box

[hiccup]

But some things spring to mind:

- Setting Simplification (still!). Although i agree with the general point that there are a lot of settings, i feel any major rework will be a no win situation. But i do acknowledge iterative improvements can be made

I'm sorry, a bit difficult not to get a little specific:

One aspect of making it easier for new users to thread the waters, and getting acquainted with the user interface could be if there was some 'reset to default settings' option.
Possibly per settings page/group. That might make it more inviting to try stuff out, having the confidence you can easily go back to default when things take a wrong turn.

And somewhat related, making it possible to create snapshots of all the settings and the user interface.
That has similar benefits as above, but probably also a welcome feature for many more experienced users.
I would certainly use it regularly for moments when I went a bit astray from my ideal configuration.
(I'm still experimenting far too much)

- I have already made a solid start on supporting cloud (onedrive/ googledrive/ dropbox) synchronisation but put it on hold due to lack of interest

This is something I am missing the insight in to understand what large benefits it would have. (for many users)
I am imagining such could be useful when you have your complete music library stored in the cloud?
But for many MB users that would require a lot of storage space in the cloud, and also a fast and solid internet connection.
Especially the rather low upload speeds that most users will have would probably be a hindering factor here?
Is there a use for this I am overlooking?

[Freddy Barker]

- I have already made a solid start on supporting cloud (onedrive/ googledrive/ dropbox) synchronisation but put it on hold due to lack of interest

I was wondering what goodies were in the pipeline for v3.2  

I have 200gb free with BT Cloud, but would be a nightmare getting a connection (API??), and probably the same with Google and OneDrive.
The better option that you can treat almost as if as it were a local drive would be Dropbox.  This is where all my MB files, Playlists etc. are backed up using FreeFileSync, but I see no great advantage to having to pay for extra space to store music files as well....
What was your strategy regarding cloud support Steven?

As for SETTINGS - there are rather a lot in each SECTION, maybe more sections, with less in each window and a little more of a verbose explanation as to what each option does, with a hyperlink to a Wiki or larger pop-up label ??
I envisage any major change to settings to be a recipe for gripes from tweakers with regard to moved/relocated options...
Good luck!

Best Regards  

[Freddy Barker]

PREFERENCES RE-SHUFFLE - To prevent newbies getting stressed?

For example:

Rather than PLAYER, which contains AUDIO PLAYER, VIDEO PLAYER and SOUND EFFECTS, each item could have it own function listed, then with the extra blank space on each FORM, an explanation, a brief How To, and a RESET to DEFAULT button for when you've messed up after fiddling..

Assumedly - not a HUGE amount of code to be changed to take effect.
Credit to hiccup for DEFAULT option.
Best Regards 

[phred]

One aspect of making it easier for new users to thread the waters, and getting acquainted with the user interface could be if there was some 'reset to default settings' option.

And somewhat related, making it possible to create snapshots of all the settings and the user interface.
That has similar benefits as above, but probably also a welcome feature for many more experienced users.

+1 to both of these

[awh11]

As a new user to MusicBee, I too don't have any immediate items of note with the software. Maybe over a greater span of time I will have some, but the platform is very solid and I haven't found myself going "it's just missing THIS" but rather "wow, I can DO this?" Very happy with it.

+1 to restore to default settings however, at least on a section or itemized basis. There were a few times I found myself checking the Wiki for default setting values.
I think accessibility in general is never a bad idea, but in part what drew me to MusicBee was it's ability to be so customizable. As long as accessibility doesn't compromise the ability to be flexible, the I'm all for it.

Like I said I'm new though, so I'm just going to sit and see where things go, I'm confident it will be great, and maybe when the next iteration of MB comes around I'll have more experience under my belt.  

[alec.tron]

My current top 3, one somewhat unspecific, 2 very specific...
Sorry, but MusicBee is so well done & matured, it's hard to not go into the details


- unify skin / layout / 'set displayed fields' / highlight settings to have 1 central place in the GUI for all visual pieces as well as have save-able/exchange-able files for them



- introduce user definable group- / cascade-able tag relations, similar to what we have in genres, but which is only 1 level deep as is, here's a long running request fo ranother level:
https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=8987.45
I would love to go further with this and have the depth for this user-definable (and interchangeable/save-able to file, so mappings can be shared as well), for genre/subgenre/subsubgenre/etc as well as multi groupings where users deem useful, i.e. instruments-group/instrument-type (i.e. viola is part of strings, for sound generating properties, as well as wood for material properties...), as well as country groupings, i.e. Senegal being grouped under Africa etc.
https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=21629.msg126937#msg126937


- unify column/tracks view behaviour (to allow drop down boxes in tracks view where users want/need them, not just in the currently hard coded few like Mood), see:
https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=22799.msg133600#msg133600


Re Simplify settings, as that was in the top 3 last time around for me - I see the amount of work/rewriting & planning/design work this would take... and I've gotten used to where things are now... so it got pushed out of the top3 things I would like to see tackled for the next version.

Churs.
c.

[wobbly]

better support for boxsets 

[psychoadept]

Increased Metabrainz integration.  Listenbrainz is now in beta, there's already an API (and it is supported by Simple Last.fm Scrobbler on Android).  Native support for Musicbrainz IDs (in addition to obvious fields like artist, release, recording, could be applied to conductors and composers, works, etc).  Might be possible to use Musicbrainz data to provide info on band members and other artist - artist relationships in Music Explorer or something like that?.  Not sure where things are at with Critiquebrainz, but maybe also worth looking into.  And can we bring back cover art from CAA?

[hiccup]

Increased Metabrainz integration.

+1

[hiccup]

Another thing that comes to mind:
It would be nice to have an integrated option to display, and navigate through all the album art, including booklets that might be present for the playing/selected album.
Not just a simple image viewer, but some 'e-reader like' feature.
But that's not a small thing to wish for. It would also have to be able to read pdf's, since often booklets containing lots of information are in that format.

[sveakul]

Hi Steven,

Not sure if this is broad enough to qualify for your subject, but I would like to see 3.2 include an increased support for radio station functionality in the form of being able to save streams in their original format and broken into tracks.  I know in the past you have expressed concern about staying within the rules of Icecast and others as far as not  "offering users ways to save streams", but as I understand it their statement applies only to content providers actually hosting streams on their servers--but perhaps my interpretation is wrong.  The BASS developer's XMPlay contains such functionality, for instance.  Thanks for your consideration.