Longplay, an indie music app designed to enhance the album-listening experience, has just unveiled a substantial update that builds upon the original version launched in 2020. Developed by Adrian Schoenig, the app offers a unique and visually appealing way to discover music, with a focus on organizing and playing albums. The latest release, version 2.0, not only enhances the listening experience but also introduces support for CarPlay.
Enhanced Listening Experience
Longplay works seamlessly with your Apple Music collection, iTunes purchases, or manually synced albums. Once your music is synced, the app presents a wall of your favorite albums, allowing you to easily begin playing them with a single tap. Unlike before, where the app would stop at the end of an album, version 2.0 allows you to continue listening. Adrian Schoenig explains that his aim was to provide a seamless flow, either by playing an appropriate subsequent album or one from a designated queue.
Key Takeaway
The updated Longplay app, version 2.0, offers an improved and uninterrupted album-listening experience by allowing users to seamlessly continue playing music after an album finishes.
Furthermore, version 2.0 introduces the ability to queue up albums for continuous playback or choose the “Album Shuffle” option, which automatically plays a random album based on the app’s sort order or a selected collection. Users are also given a wide range of sorting options, including artist, album, listening time, date added, and more, allowing for personalized organization of their music library.
Organizing albums into collections is another key feature offered by the updated Longplay app. Users can create collections based on factors such as mood, language, or any other criteria that hold importance to them.
Longplay utilizes its own in-app Now Playing view instead of the system player. This view includes a unique shuffle feature, where users can hold down a button to shuffle through their albums, accompanied by visual and haptic feedback. Should users miss an album during the shuffle, they can easily go back manually by dragging left, as explained by the developer.
In addition, Longplay now offers features such as playback count synchronization via iCloud and the ability to connect with Last.fm or ListenBrainz accounts. Moreover, the app is compatible with CarPlay, allowing users to access their favorite albums while on the road.
Existing users of Longplay will receive this upgrade free of charge, despite the significant enhancements it offers. The app continues to require an initial upfront payment, but the price has been adjusted to $6 from the previous $2.99 set in 2020.
Adrian Schoenig has expressed plans to develop future features, including macOS support, compatibility with Apple TV, and a life-size album wall designed for Apple’s new Vision Pro.
