Linking to Spotify and other streaming music sources

[Dagger]

Bandhelper recognizes web URL addresses as clickable links. The Notes field in Songs (or Lyric field) is a great place to store a link to the song for practice and rehearsal purposes.

1. Open the Song Editor.
2. Scroll down to notes.
3. Switch to Spotify and find your song.
4. Click the "..." menu button and select "Share" then "Copy Link"
5. Switch back to BH and paste it in the Note field (or lyrics). Back out to save.

In the "Perform" view (or your prefered song view), edit the form and add the "Notes" field to your song view. Resize it like its a button and place it along the edge of the screen. Save.

Now you can click the Notes "button" Its not really a button, but is a tiny text field that is clickable with your URL you just stored. Spotify will launch and play the song with a single click.

With the default BH settings, it will play until you return to BH which won't allow background audio. You can change this in settings. If you want to see the lyrics while listening then allow background audio.

After you load in all your music links, you can listen quickly to any song during practice. Remember to copy the form to other users ao it will work on their devices as well.

This also works with music stored on FTP servers and Youtube, Amazon Music, Facebook Private Groups (all I've tested so far)...anything that can be linked by URL web addressing. Getting the URL right is the trick. Spotify makes it easy. Also, don't forget to select "Always use this app" when prompted to launch Spotify or other app from a URL in BH. (Android only)

[arlo]

Great idea, thanks for posting. FYI, if you switch to YouTube and then back to BandHelper, the YouTube playback will stop; that's an intentional limitation of the YouTube app. But if you subscribe to the new, paid YouTube Red service, I think that limitation is lifted.

[arlo]

When you paste a Spotify URL, does it start with http and does Safari open briefly when you click it, and does that only work with an Internet connection? If you add spotify:// to the start of the URL, does that bypass Safari and eliminate the need for an Internet connection?

[Mark]

I would love to be able to do this without the need for Spotify to be online.  I'd like to have BandHelper automatically (or at least quickly) play our break music (or at least the first break song) from Spotify at the end of each set.  The iPad is always connected via wifi but never to the internet.  Does anyone know of a way to do this?

If it can't play downloaded Spotify songs, is it possible to play songs in the iTunes/Music library on the iPad?  I know it's possible to add MP3s as recordings to BH, but it would be nice to access music directly from the library without having to convert them.  Is that an option?

Thanks.

[arlo]

I would love to be able to do this without the need for Spotify to be online.  I'd like to have BandHelper automatically (or at least quickly) play our break music (or at least the first break song) from Spotify at the end of each set.  The iPad is always connected via wifi but never to the internet.  Does anyone know of a way to do this?

I don't think any streaming music service allows this, because of the way the music licensing agreements are structured.

If it can't play downloaded Spotify songs, is it possible to play songs in the iTunes/Music library on the iPad?  I know it's possible to add MP3s as recordings to BH, but it would be nice to access music directly from the library without having to convert them.  Is that an option?

No, BandHelper can't access your iTunes Music Library. I would just switch from BandHelper to the Music app at the end of your set and play the music from there. You could also go to Settings > Apps in BandHelper and add the Music app (put "music" into the scheme field) and then add the Apps button to your layout and use that to jump to the Music app. You could also swipe up from the bottom of your iPad screen to show the Control Center and play your iTunes music from there.

[Mark]

Thanks, Arlo.

Mark

[maximvanwijk]

Hi,

I'm just getting to know Bandhelper and like to include links to spotify songs as described by OP. But when I include any http link in the notes or lyrics field, they cannot be clicked on in the android app. Is this because I'm still in the trial version?

Thanks for letting me know.

[arlo]

This should work in the Notes field, not the Lyrics field. It doesn't matter if you are still in the trial period.

[maximvanwijk]

Thanks fro the swift reply Arlo, Any special html tags needed maybe? I'll try again with another link.

[arlo]

No tags needed, just add the link. If it doesn't work as expected, please submit a help ticket:

https://helpdesk.arlomedia.com/arlomedia/add.html

[JonHodgson]

This is a neat trick.

It would be nice to be able to do it in a custom field though, and be able to make accessing it a single click on the setlist enty (perhaps this is already possible, still finding my feet here)

And is there any way to get spotify to start playing the song in the background (on my ipad), rather than it switching to spotify then I have to switch back to bandhelper?

Thanks

[arlo]

It would be nice to be able to do it in a custom field though, and be able to make accessing it a single click on the setlist enty (perhaps this is already possible, still finding my feet here)

Clickable links in custom fields is on my wish list and I'll add a vote for you.

And is there any way to get spotify to start playing the song in the background (on my ipad), rather than it switching to spotify then I have to switch back to bandhelper?

No, the only way to play content in Spotify or other apps is to switch to those apps.

[CharlyP]

You can use a custom field if you use the correct HTML syntax

Code Select Expand

<a href=...>Link-Name</a>

But I would like it very (!) much if I could create a custom field which automatically adds the necessary HTML code around the URL.

So I would be able to put the respective URLs within the shared setlists.

CU
Charly

[arlo]

You can use a custom field if you use the correct HTML syntax

Code Select Expand

<a href=...>Link-Name</a>

I didn't try it, but I don't think that will work. The app should display the angled brackets as literal characters, not render them as HTML.

[CharlyP]

I can assure it works if you share the setlist as HTML instead of PDF.
Within BH you'll see this as characters but if you share it, it'll a normal link.