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Topic: Proposal: Trivial Automated Playlist Generation (Read 8551 times) previous topic - next topic
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Proposal: Trivial Automated Playlist Generation

I've had this one in my mind for a long time: Generating playlists by evaluating each item with rules that could apply to previous chosen track.

Example:

Take a seed track (it could be random, or selected from an existing playlist),
Add another random track from the library and validate it to these rules:
(%bpm% BETWEEN $prev_track(%bpm%-2) AND $prev_track(%bpm%+2)) AND
(%key% BETWEEN $prev_track(%key%-1) AND $prev_track(%key%+1))
If a track does not comply with the rules it should be thrown back in the pool of tracks to choose from.

Let's say you've got all your tracks tagged with %key% and %bpm% (that can already be done with Mixed In Key or Rapid Evolution and maybe soon natively with foobar2000!), you could create a harmonic playlist with minimal changes in tempo with just the click of a mouse! Best of all is that this playlist would be completely random everytime!

The %key% part of the syntax needs some work, as this tag usually (if using the camelot system) are formatted like  5B, 9B, 3A etc.

Maybe such thing like this could even be expanded by creating an API to allow components to compare tracks by more advanced algorithms. That could be something similar to MusicIP Mixer that compares music by its acoustic properties or maybe a genre/style map similar to that of Ishkur's guide to EDM that only allows each track to travel one step out of the current style.

It doesn't even have to be limited to the previous track - Maybe you want to specify something special to be played every 10th track - In my case I have plenty of small jokes in my library which are fun to hear once in a while. Maybe such joke is a series of 5, and it could maybe even be made possible with some logic or use of variables to play each part in correct order separated by one piece of music.

This is just a few things I had in mind that would make foobar2000 absolutely suprerior to anything else.

Some of this may already be possible with foo_playlist_tree_mod, but I had a look at it once and couldn't get a hang of it at all. I see this as a possebility of a better and more powerful interface and a userfriendly playlist generator in addition to autoplaylists. Please post suggestions, ideas and other useful stuff - Would you fancy such possebility at all, or is it just of no use?
Can't wait for a HD-AAC encoder :P

 

Proposal: Trivial Automated Playlist Generation

Reply #1
I really like the basic point of your proposal: a playlist generator that creates static playlists.

Indeed the possibilities would be amazing if the rules to create a playlist would be independent of Query Syntax - maybe a easy-to-use wizard?

So far the best (in above sense) playlist generator i saw is the one of Jriver Media Jukebox.

Proposal: Trivial Automated Playlist Generation

Reply #2
I really like the basic point of your proposal: a playlist generator that creates static playlists.

Indeed the possibilities would be amazing if the rules to create a playlist would be independent of Query Syntax - maybe a easy-to-use wizard?

So far the best (in above sense) playlist generator i saw is the one of Jriver Media Jukebox.

With "Search Library" it returns a static playlist.

A graphical representation would be nice yes, but I don't think this kind of 3rd language (if I'm not mistaken?) is hard to learn. Basically most of it is directly "spoken" to it.

Do you have examples of how the JRiver playlist generator works?
Can't wait for a HD-AAC encoder :P

Proposal: Trivial Automated Playlist Generation

Reply #3
ok, it sounds reasonable to me, asking for access info about previous track to be available in autoplaylist/search library scripts (missed that option too many times in titleformatting scripts)
but, not sure if foobar search engine works that way
then does anyone on this forum has a decent knowledge of SCHEME, except original playlist_tree author? that could solve many request also.
away from your idea, i'd also like the info to be available for any track in playlist based on %list_index%

Proposal: Trivial Automated Playlist Generation

Reply #4
ok, it sounds reasonable to me, asking for access info about previous track to be available in autoplaylist/search library scripts (missed that option too many times in titleformatting scripts)
but, not sure if foobar search engine works that way
then does anyone on this forum has a decent knowledge of SCHEME, except original playlist_tree author? that could solve many request also.
away from your idea, i'd also like the info to be available for any track in playlist based on %list_index%

I don't request this to be implemented as a core part of foobar. I believe it can be accomplished as a 3rd party component. I don't want to change the way autoplaylists work today, as they are very useful, but for other purposes than those I have proposed here.

I came up with this idea mainly to have a more advanced, controlled and rule-based playlist generator apart from autoplaylists that will not have issues with deprecated titleformatting abuse. Also I think it could be implemented in a fairly user-friendly UI.
Can't wait for a HD-AAC encoder :P

Proposal: Trivial Automated Playlist Generation

Reply #5
Do you have examples of how the JRiver playlist generator works?

There are some screenshots in one of my topics. Look here. You can take a look into the program yourself: it is freeware

Also I think it could be implemented in a fairly user-friendly UI.

These wizards in Jriver MJ or Helium has prooven their quality: easy to use and powerful.