Notice the interface similarity between iTunes, Banshee, Rhythmbox, Songbird, Spotify, and the list goes on. You have a bunch of playlists listed on the side. You have tracks listed on the right. Want to add a song to a playlist? Just drag and drop. Super easy to manage playlists. On the other hand, Amarok is ridiculously cumbersome. One wonders why the developers have chosen such a different and terrible interface. Yes, it really is quite terrible, especially (but not only) with managing playlists.

Now I'm not suggesting an entire interface overhaul. But here's a nice compromise: Have (at least) two view modes--one like iTunes and another like the current Amarok layout. Or at least do something to make playlist management easy. That means easily previewing tracks and adding them to playlists. A right-click menu option in the playlist would work. (Right click a track in the playlist and an expandable menu "Add track(s) to playlist--><listing of playlists" becomes available.

I can't be the only one with similar concerns.

molecule-eye wrote:I can't be the only one with similar concerns.

Agreed, the current interface for the creation and maintenance of play lists is incredibly awkward.

molecule-eye wrote:A right-click menu option in the playlist would work. (Right click a track in the playlist and an expandable menu "Add track(s) to playlist--><listing of playlists" becomes available.

It's actually quite easy. In this description I will assume you have the music sources panel on the left, the contect view in the middle, and the currently active playlist on the right. This is using Amarok 2.3.1.

Select playlists->saved playlists in the music sources panel. Make sure the playlist you're interested in is visible or within easy reach scrolling-wise. Drag-and-drop the tracks from the now-playing playlist (on the right) to the correct saved playlist on the left. Done.

Is that so much different than other music-managers?

Yes, it is quite different. First, I have to

1. browse in the sources panel to all the songs I think I might add to my playlist
2. add all these potential playlist songs to the current playlist
3. make sure the desired saved playlist is visible in the sources list
4. review the songs I might want to add in the current playlist
5. drag and drop those songs to the playlist.

But as you can see, this process is much more of a hassle than with standard interfaces where instead I just

1. navigate to a potential playlist song and review it
2. add it to the playlist on the left.

(Even breaking up the first step into two doesn't make much of a difference.)

I mean, is it really difficult to see how much of a difference there is? (The question is rhetorical since apparently it is for some people.)

To be honest, I think it to some degree at least is what you're used to. I'm used to Amarok and its quirks (1,4 version as well as 2.x version), and gotten used to how it works.

Of the apps you've listed, I've only used iTunes and Spotify extensively and I find them really awkward to use. At least the Windows versions, the Mac ones may be different. If I had started out with iTunes (for example) I might think as you do. When I used Windows, I tended to use only WinAmp...

Still, that's just me. If others find it otherwise, who am I to argue? It's a matter of what one finds convenient after all and that's likely to vary considerably.

I would, though, suggest that a topic such as this one would be better off in the brainstorm section so people can vote how important it is for them.