Plays music directly in the app. The music you feature in this block can be pulled from several sources (like SoundCloud or a Media-RSS feed) or linked to the AppMachine CMS via URL. The audio files the music player accepts are either AAC-LC audio (up to 48 kHz) or mp3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 up to 48 kHz). This includes the following extensions: mp3, m4a, m4b, m4p, m4v, m4r, 3gp, mp4 and aac.
The user can listen to the music even after exiting the app. It is also possible to use the "Music" block for podcasts.
Please Note: Not all media codecs are guaranteed to be available on all Android platform versions. For best results on Android, we recommend using AAC-LC audio. Please check the Android Developer website for more information.
Contents
Adding the Music building block
- Click on Add block.
- Select the Music block and click Next.
- Choose the data source for your music:
- AppMachine CMS: place your music directly in the AppMachine CMS. After building the block, add the music in the List Settings of the block. See below for more information on the List Settings.
- SoundCloud: enter the SoundCloud account name.
- Media RSS: enter the Media RSS link.
- Click Next.
- Fill in the name of the block.
- Click on the icon if you want to change the image used in the menu.
- When you’re done, click Finish.
Configuring the Music building block
Depending on which data source you've selected the "Music" building block editor is composed of either two or three editing screens; "Settings", "List" and "Designer." "List" is only available to those that are uploading to the AppMachine CMS.
The settings in the "Settings" editing screen determine how your block will function, "List" allows you maintain the content of the block, and the settings in the "Designer" screen determine its aesthetics.
Settings
There are several aspects of your "Music" block that can be changed in this screen; the name of the block, the icon (or image) that will be used in the app menu, and the top image for the "Music" screen. You can also choose whether you'd like the users to be able to share the events via twitter, Facebook, or email.
Click on the icon if you want to change the image used in the menu.
- Edit provides a wide range of image editing options for you to manipulate your icon image.
- Replace allows you to choose from a wide range of AppMachine icons or upload your own.
- Remove removes the icon so that only text is used (in this case "Music") is presented in your app's menu.
Should the need arise to keep the users of your published app from using this portion of the app, then you can always make use of the "Activated" sliding selector in the top right of the settings section.
Slide the selector to "OFF" to keep users from seeing the "Music" block. Now you can continue developing your app without worrying about users coming upon areas that you haven't finished developing as of yet. Once you are satisfied with your progress, slide the selector back to "ON" to publish this portion of your app.
Client ID
All published SoundCloud blocks are using one shared SoundCloud account to stream the content the users. There is however a limited daily amount of ‘calls’ that can be done.
You can connect your SoundCloud account by using the Client ID field, to have your own set of daily streaming calls available for your own SoundCloud block.
List
This is where you add the the questions and answers to your list. Click here to read more about working with "List" settings.
Design
The "Design" section allows your to make highly detailed changes to your building block. "Design" gives the developer a remarkable amount of freedom to adjust everything exactly as he or she would like it. If you'd like to know more about how "Designer" works, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I have music playing in the background when someone opens the app?
It is not possible to have music playing in the background of the app when the app is opened.
- Is it possible for a user to listen to audio tracks while the device is offline/ in flight mode?
Listening to music requires an internet connection. Tracks are not kept on the device's storage.