MP3 player randomize by album

FabricMan · 05-23-2019, 06:47 PM

I've been looking at several MP3 players for my Ubuntu install, and I can't find what used to be my favorite feature from iTunes (before it got bloated and unusable): randomizing (shuffling) entire albums from my MP3 library. I'm looking for the ability to start the program, hit play, and it would randomly pick an entire album and begin playback.

Can anyone recommend an MP3 player for fans of album-oriented rock?

hydrurga · 05-23-2019, 10:24 PM

I've just checked my music player, Quod Libet, and it has that feature. Just install the "Random Album Playback" plugin (File->Plugins), choose Browse->Filters->Random Album, and then control m. chooses a new album at random and starts playing it. While that filter is on, a new random album is auto chosen at the end of the current one.

WideOpenSkies · 05-24-2019, 10:26 AM

How comfortable are you with the command line? You could look at cmus. It's not hard to learn, and I believe there is album shuffling.

teckk · 05-26-2019, 07:50 AM

Playing files from a directory of media files in random order.

Code:

files=(*)
num=${#files[@]}

for i in *; do
    ran=$((1 + RANDOM % $num))
    echo "mplayer "${files[$ran]}""
    sleep 1
done

Turbocapitalist · 05-26-2019, 07:53 AM

Clementine offers several shuffle modes. One of those modes is to shuffle the albums.

I have also heard that there is a fork called Strawberry which might have more features like that.