A Modest Audioscrobbler Proposal

Posted by Dave

I've noticed some discussion over on the LastFM forum about wanting a Rhapsody playback API so a plugin can be built.  Jim posted a solution that I have yet to try out, which uses SQL to pull data from the Rhapsody desktop client's data cache.  Jim's idea seems like it will work for the client, but what about a solution that leverages the Rhapsody listening history feeds we're offering in private beta?  These feeds contain all listening history from both Rhapsody.com and Rhapsody 3.0+ clients, by track, album, and artist.  An Audioscrobbler plugin could simply hit the feed, and forward the track info on to Audioscrobbler.  In fact, it could be set up as a web service that doesn't even require an install. 

What do you think?

Check out my recent tracks feed and see if the information is sufficient.

Comments

[Josh]

Hmm... the only issue I see with that solution is that it doesn't follow a couple items in their plugin protocol:

"If a user seeks (i.e. manually changes position) within a song before the song is due to be submitted, do not submit that song."
How do you check for that?

"If a user is playing a stream instead of a regular file, do not submit that stream/song."
How does Rhapsody define "stream" versus "regular file"?

There might be a few other issues in sticking within their protocol, but those are the ones that stick out to me. Read the protocol here:
http://www.audioscrobbler.net/wiki/Protocol1.1

[Solid]

Fyi:

You're all a bunch of communists!
The hell!

[Ted]

I'd love to have my Rhapsody listenings tracked at LastFM. They definately have the best tracking/discovering music system I've seen. Rhapsody has everything I want, music wise, but is lacking in tracking and rating services. If it was possible to connect the two, it would be perfect.

IMHO

[Jim Hunziker]

Hey - I'm the Jim you mention at last.fm. I didn't manage to protect against a user seeking within the file, but I took the definition of a stream to be something like Rhapsody's radio feeds. I believe the intent of this requirement (I'm not much of a strict constructionist when it comes to software requirements, heh heh) is to avoid submitting songs that the user didn't deliberately select. In the case of streamed songs from one's own music library, the songs were deliberately selected.

By the way, if someone wants my source code, just shoot me an email.

[منتديات]

changes position) within a song before the song is due to be submitted, do not submit that song."
http://www.alqaly.com/vb
instead of a regular file, do not submit that stream/song."
http://www.alqaly.com