Must Have Android Apps and Games?

Turtwig · 10-12-2013 11:03PM

killbillvol2 wrote: »

I just checked. As soon as I clicked on a song on my laptop the music on my phone stopped. Message came up "Music paused. Your account is in use somewhere else".

Works fine for me. Using Galaxy S4 and laptop. Using the 3G for phone and using wifi for google library. Playing two different tunes with over 3 minutes now. Will let it run and see how far it goes.
Edit: Just changed automatically to two random songs, still no issues or messages telling me the account is being used elsewhere.
Edit: Switch both to the same song now. No conflict yet.

evolutionqy7 · 10-12-2013 11:35PM

RangeR wrote: »

Spotify will only play on one device at a time. No good for a family.
Google Music will play, I believe, on all authorised devices [10] simultaneously.

No brainer.

I do prefer spotify in terms of the app, but yes Google play let's you play music simultaneously on more devices. Means my mum, gf and my brother can use it.

killbillvol2 · 10-12-2013 11:53PM

killbillvol2 wrote: »

I just checked. As soon as I clicked on a song on my laptop the music on my phone stopped. Message came up "Music paused. Your account is in use somewhere else".

Jernal wrote: »

Works fine for me. Using Galaxy S4 and laptop. Using the 3G for phone and using wifi for google library. Playing two different tunes with over 3 minutes now. Will let it run and see how far it goes.
Edit: Just changed automatically to two random songs, still no issues or messages telling me the account is being used elsewhere.
Edit: Switch both to the same song now. No conflict yet.

I was referring to Spotify, sorry.

In any case, I've 30 days free with each of them so I'll try Spotify first and then try Google.

jester77 · 11-12-2013 09:43AM

Both have plus/minus, depends on what you want from the service. I currently have both premium services. A few points on both:

Spotify has a better catalogue, a good few of my albums from Spotify are not available in Google.
Spotify can only be played on one device at a time.
Google Music android app is a lot better... and I mean a lot.
Spotifys organisation/cataloguing is horrible, it puts albums into playlists and this gets messy and is a scroll nightmare on the mobile app, and it does not detect duplicate playlists. After a while instead of scrolling to see if you added an album already you will just add it to a new playlist. Google simply allows you to add albums to your library and you can browse them under albums, they also have playlists that are actually playlists.
Google has a better web client than Spotify, but Spotify have a desktop app.
Spotify desktop app allows 3rd party apps, fantastic for discovering new music. You don't get this with Google. Plus the desktop app allows you to control media playback using your keyboards media keys. There are some workarounds for Google but they are not so stable.
Spotify integrates with social apps like Facebook and Last.fm. Google does not, but there are workarounds. Chrome extensions for the desktop and Last.fm app on mobile.
Spotify have good deals with mobile carriers where you can get unlimited streaming of music that does not go against your data plan. Google has no partnerships like this.
Spotify integrates with lots of media devices, like TV and amps. Google has nothing like this, but Chromecast will enable this which in the long run might be a better option.

Evil_g · 11-12-2013 10:18AM

jester77 wrote: »

Both have plus/minus, depends on what you want from the service. I currently have both premium services. A few points on both:
Spotify has a better catalogue, a good few of my albums from Spotify are not available in Google.

Spotify can only be played on one device at a time.

Google Music android app is a lot better... and I mean a lot.

Spotifys organisation/cataloguing is horrible, it puts albums into playlists and this gets messy and is a scroll nightmare on the mobile app, and it does not detect duplicate playlists. After a while instead of scrolling to see if you added an album already you will just add it to a new playlist. Google simply allows you to add albums to your library and you can browse them under albums, they also have playlists that are actually playlists.

Google has a better web client than Spotify, but Spotify have a desktop app.

Spotify desktop app allows 3rd party apps, fantastic for discovering new music. You don't get this with Google. Plus the desktop app allows you to control media playback using your keyboards media keys. There are some workarounds for Google but they are not so stable.

Spotify integrates with social apps like Facebook and Last.fm. Google does not, but there are workarounds. Chrome extensions for the desktop and Last.fm app on mobile.

Spotify have good deals with mobile carriers where you can get unlimited streaming of music that does not go against your data plan. Google has no partnerships like this.

Spotify integrates with lots of media devices, like TV and amps. Google has nothing like this, but Chromecast will enable this which in the long run might be a better option.

That's very helpful. Thanks.

I have a lot of playlists set up on mySpotify Premium account. Is there any easy way to transfer these over to Google Music? Would uploading them to Playlists.com work?

jester77 · 11-12-2013 10:30AM

Evil_g wrote: »

That's very helpful. Thanks.

I have a lot of playlists set up on mySpotify Premium account. Is there any easy way to transfer these over to Google Music? Would uploading them to Playlists.com work?

I had no luck with this, I don't know how playlists.com works. There is an open source app called portify that can do this. It involves getting the source code from github and building it yourself and starting a local server that logs into both spotify and google to transfer over the playlists. I couldn't get it to build on osx, was missing some dependencies. You might have better luck with a windows machine.

11-12-2013 11:33AM

Evil_g wrote: »

...I have a lot of playlists set up on mySpotify Premium account. Is there any easy way to transfer these over to Google Music? Would uploading them to Playlists.com work?

That's the main thing stopping me from checking out other music services like google play. I've been using spotify for a year now, on the premium tenner a month plan, and i have a ton of playlists that are 90% of what i listen to.

As far as i can figure out, there isn't really a reliable and painless way of transferring them. You'd just have to bite the bullet and recreate them manually.

For anyone choosing between the 2, good and bad points for me of spotify are as follows:

Large and growing catalogue, although they are still missing many of the really big established names in music. Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Metallica, Radiohead, AC/DC and more are all not on it, Pink Floyd only got added recently. I have to store albums by those artists locally on my devices, and use up storage space.
Playlist management is a bit lacklustre, it takes a while to navigate around and add things to a playlist, especially on the mobile app which tries to do a bit too much with limited screen real estate. No "drag and drop" to add to playlist on mobile app. Also playlists are not included in search results on mobile, only on desktop. Basically the mobile client is only a "companion" to a desktop interface. Most of the work setting up lists etc is easier and faster on a PC.
No real "favourite albums" or "library" functionality to speak of, just an option to "create playlist from this album" which means you end up with a large list of playlists, some of which are actual playlists, and some of which are just albums you listen to frequently.
No visible "on-the-fly play queue" on the mobile app, which is a pain if you want to jump forward selectively by a few tracks in the queue of songs you've lined up spontaneously.
Only one device can play at a time, as posted. You can log in on several instances of the same account simultaneously, search and manage playlists, etc, but if you hit play while the same account is playing a song elsewhere, the newest instance of hitting play takes priority, and whatever you're playing elsewhere is stopped. Not an issue for me, but makes google play a no brainer for a home or family/multiroom media streaming situation. Am sure spotify will eventually cop on to this and change their conditions to compete with the likes of google.
Spotify has up to 320kbps playback on the premium subscription, although i only ever use 128kbps on mobile, because high quality playback can get choppy depending on 3G connection quality. Runs fine on 128kb on even an average speed 3G network.

RangeR · 11-12-2013 05:08PM

As we're discussing Spotify

snip or article wrote:

Today's Spotify announcements are all about free - but it's not only tablets that are getting some love from the company. CEO Daniel Ek took the stage to announce that there will be a free version for any device that can access the service...

Zeppelin comes to Spotify

LawlessBoy · 11-12-2013 05:48PM

Know you guys are all on about Spotify. But do any of you know an app that would let me do the same thing as iTube on the app store for android? Recently swapped over and its a really making me think about swapping back!

Ste- · 11-12-2013 06:03PM

A quick google brought this up ? Haven't used it so not sure if it's the same ?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tfsapps.playtube2&hl=en

Or maybe this ?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.asbit.pvstar&hl=en

ThisRegard · 11-12-2013 06:41PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Playlist management is a bit lacklustre, it takes a while to navigate around and add things to a playlist, especially on the mobile app which tries to do a bit too much with limited screen real estate. No "drag and drop" to add to playlist on mobile app. Also playlists are not included in search results on mobile, only on desktop. Basically the mobile client is only a "companion" to a desktop interface. Most of the work setting up lists etc is easier and faster on a PC.

No real "favourite albums" or "library" functionality to speak of, just an option to "create playlist from this album" which means you end up with a large list of playlists, some of which are actual playlists, and some of which are just albums you listen to frequently.

No visible "on-the-fly play queue" on the mobile app, which is a pain if you want to jump forward selectively by a few tracks in the queue of songs you've lined up spontaneously.

I'm pretty sure they exist.
For playlists there a little button you can press and there's an Add to playlist option.

I see what you're saying about favourite albums, I initially misread your post as favourite song for which there's the Star function.

There is a button you can press that displays your current play queue so you can skip tracks like you mention.

I don't have my phone at hand to say where they exactly are but I have used them.

11-12-2013 07:28PM

There isn't a drag and drop to add to playlist, it's a 3 or 4 screens/clicks process for each add, which makes managing lots of tracks to playlists a long process.

Also the "playing now" panel just shows you what's playing now. You can skip to the next track, but you have no way to see what that's going to be, or the one after it...

ThisRegard · 11-12-2013 08:53PM

On the now playing screen click on the icon to the left of the previous track button, the one that looks like 3 parallel lines, that's the Play Queue and it shows all upcoming tracks.

To simply add a song to an existing or new playlist press the little triangle shaped button beside the Artist/Song title and select Add To and you'll get a list of all existing playlists or New. It's three presses of your finger from start to finish.

11-12-2013 10:18PM

Hmmm. I know all that but I want to see a track listing/play queue not just what's currently playing, and 3 or 4 presses is too much for me to bother with, especially if you've to do it repeatedly. I think I want a higher standard of interface than you do from spotify. Lol.

By the way, Zeppelin...yay, finally :-)

Alpha Dog 1 · 11-12-2013 11:33PM

ThisRegard wrote: »

On the now playing screen click on the icon to the left of the previous track button, the one that looks like 3 parallel lines, that's the Play Queue and our shows all upcoming tracks.

To simply add a song to an existing or new playlist press the tangle triangle shaped button beside the Artist/Song title and select Add To and you'll get a list of all existing playlists or New. It's three presses of your finger from start to finish.

Yes, was thinking a lot of the stuff being mentioned works a lot better than what was being said on here, haven't used all access in a while but if it's the same as before its still behind Spotify imo.

evolutionqy7 · 11-12-2013 11:36PM

Speaking of Spotify. It's just after launching free shuffle play. Select a genre or play list and play.

Alpha Dog 1 · 11-12-2013 11:49PM

RangeR wrote: »

As we're discussing Spotify

Zeppelin comes to Spotify

Still no stairway to heaven...

ThisRegard · 12-12-2013 12:41AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Hmmm. I know all that but I want to see a track listing/play queue not just what's currently playing, and 3 or 4 presses is too much for me to bother with, especially if you've to do it repeatedly. I think I want a higher standard of interface than you do from spotify. Lol.

By the way, Zeppelin...yay, finally :-)

But it does show you the current play queue, see this image from Google

acalmenvoy · 12-12-2013 01:53AM

App for Android device manager is finally up.

BobbyPropane · 12-12-2013 02:23AM

Alpha Dog 1 wrote: »

Still no stairway to heaven...

It's there for me

ThisRegard · 12-12-2013 10:24AM

I think they're phasing in the Led Zepplin albums and they should be all there by Sunday.

12-12-2013 10:28AM

Alpha Dog 1 wrote: »

Still no stairway to heaven...

Apparently the entire catalogue is being released over the next several days. All i saw when i looked yesterday was 1 & 2, so I'll give it a few days before i get my playlist on.

I hope they've got the "Crop Circles" double CD remixed best of done by Jimmy Page. My fave best of of all time.

ThisRegard wrote: »

But it does show you the current play queue, see this image from Google...

Hmmm, that's not on mine. It looks like i need to either update my app or there's a significant difference between the droid and iOs versions.

Thanks!

ThisRegard · 12-12-2013 10:41AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Hmmm, that's not on mine. It looks like i need to either update my app or there's a significant difference between the droid and iOs versions.

Thanks!

It's a bit strange, I have it on two android devices at the moment. When I was trying to find a pic last night I saw a mention that the feature came in a good while ago.

Little things like this can be real annoying. For days I was thinking the Google Photos app was deleting and not displaying photos until I figured it only chooses a selection to display. It just so happened that I'd only auto back up a few at a time so they were all displayed. Now when I have a good few up there it's not showing them all, I had to look in the original Gallery app to find them.

dulpit · 12-12-2013 11:34AM

Hey lads,

I'm looking for a text messaging app that allows me to send texts to groups that are set up in my google contacts, and it send the messages as individual texts, not as MMS. The stock messaging app and hangouts won't let me add a group, and it seems to convert the messages to MMS when I try to send to more than 1 person.

I'm using Chomp SMS right now, it works, but boy is it ugly..

Seedy Arling · 12-12-2013 11:38AM

Alpha Dog 1 wrote: »

Still no stairway to heaven...

No Stairway? Denied!

12-12-2013 12:03PM

closeline wrote: »

Best app for recording day to day expenses??

My Budget Book is on sale for 99c. Maybe it's a bit too simplistic but decent reviews and fairly popular.

donspeekinglesh · 12-12-2013 12:12PM

dulpit wrote: »

The stock messaging app and hangouts won't let me add a group, and it seems to convert the messages to MMS when I try to send to more than 1 person.

The latest update to Hangouts gives an option to change that back to SMS.

jester77 · 12-12-2013 12:15PM

dulpit wrote: »

Hey lads,

I'm looking for a text messaging app that allows me to send texts to groups that are set up in my google contacts, and it send the messages as individual texts, not as MMS. The stock messaging app and hangouts won't let me add a group, and it seems to convert the messages to MMS when I try to send to more than 1 person.

I'm using Chomp SMS right now, it works, but boy is it ugly..

That was fixed in the latest Hangouts update from a day or 2 ago, if you go into settings there is now an option to send group texts as sms instead of mms.

dulpit · 12-12-2013 01:17PM

jester77 wrote: »

That was fixed in the latest Hangouts update from a day or 2 ago, if you go into settings there is now an option to send group texts as sms instead of mms.

But (IIRC) hangouts won't allow you to select a group of contacts as saved in google contacts, I'd need to enter the names individually. I'm the secretary of my scout group, meaning I need to send multiple texts to a large number of people from time-to-time, so I have them all saved in a group (as I also need to email them).

numorouno · 12-12-2013 01:28PM

"dulpit wrote: »

But (IIRC) hangouts won't allow you to select a group of contacts as saved in google contacts, I'd need to enter the names individually. I'm the secretary of my scout group, meaning I need to send multiple texts to a large number of people from time-to-time, so I have them all saved in a group (as I also need to email them).

The latest update to 4.2 changed the amount you can text to (touchwiz) in the normal messaging app from 10 to 20. Is there any work around to get more people. I've a group text for a club but I've to divide them up in to 3 groups. It'd be handier if it was just one group

Must Have Android Apps and Games?

Comments