Feature request: Mark audio files as "listened"/"completed"

[WolfgangDpunkt]

I want to use Audioserve for listening to podcast episodes offline (simply audio files in a directory, previously downloaded with another tool). Unlike audiobooks, podcast episodes are usually intended to be listened to only once; they are more in the nature of news, not literature.

For this reason, Audioserve would definitely need the function not only to save the playback status, but also to mark files as completely "played"/"finished" (if necessary, with adjustable remaining time, after which an episode is considered to be completely played). Firstly, so that you know which episodes of a podcast you haven't heard yet, and secondly, so that you can remove the old, already known episodes.

A visual marker in the web interface (✓) or a note in the title would be very helpful. The possibility of deleting the already completely played episodes directly from the application would be outstanding. Of course, a deletion function entails many risks, so a renaming function is also sufficient, i.e. played episodes should optionally receive the file name extension e.g. "_finished". In this way, you can easily delete listened episodes manually or automatically.

Of course, these are all advanced functions and should therefore be deactivated by default so as not to confuse users. A technical implementation similar to the "Sharing playback positions" feature should be feasible, right?

Since I have already tried out and searched a lot, I know that this function is hardly available in the self-hosting sector, so I would be all the more grateful if the super useful Audioserve could get this feature.

For background information, see this current discussion on Reddit.

[izderadicka]

Thanks for idea. I myself do not use podcast much, but I know there are couple of excelent podcast clients. Audioserve was intended mainly to a) play from directory structure b) transcode audio to more efficient codec e.g. opus.

I guess this works for podcast, but I was thinking about directory content as stable and linear - so once you add it you listen to it from beginning to end and that's it.

This concept drove implementation of position tracking. Just remembers last listened file in each folder and position in it. If it's last file in folder and position is less or equal 10 secs to end folder is marked as finished. In recent client it's marked by checked mark. So that's current functionality.

Marking files as read could be done on server it could extend current functionality of marking folder as finished. That probably would not be too difficult. But it'll require also bit advanced logic on client as folder meta is already loaded so it'll also need to mark files finished as it is playing them.

Concerning deleting files I'm not sure. Readonly access to collections directories I see as big advantage which I would not like to give up.
Maybe so separate tool which will do cleanup. But unfortunately sledge - current key value store doesn't support access from multiple processes. So it could be just for offline maintenence

[OrangeDrangon]

It would be nice to be able to mark directories read at a minimum. I do not always listen to the last seconds of a file or the last file in a directory but the book is for over.

[Chizi123]

I'd also like this as it would be useful to be able to mark books as completed.
I'm traveling at the moment with a spotty internet connection so am listening to my books offline, but would like to be able to record which I have finished already.

[izderadicka]

@Chizi123 Books/Folders are marked as completed when last file is listened till x seconds (recently made configurable) from end of last file.
However this requires internet connection (listening positions are update via websocket connection, by default every 10 secs).

For positions update in offline mode that will require bit different approach (marking files finished will still require connection).
Rather making client position reporting more robust and sending last positions, when connection is reestablished.

[Chizi123]

That would be good, however I have very poor internet where I am, so am copying files with rsync and listening to them locally in another app. This is because my connection is not stable enough to download through audioserve.
Despite this, I would like to have some way of manually syncing my progress through books, even if it is a completed status, to audioserve when I recover connection.

[izderadicka]

@Chizi123 - now workaround is to go to folder and then to last file and jump to almost end and listen few secs, not ideal indeed.

For future new function "Mark folder as listened" would be proper solution.

[ekasprzak]

I'm also looking for something exactly like the author has described.
Don't need any advanced podcasts/books features (like matching etc), just have a folder structure where I put various audio files, but yes - there are not audiobooks.

And saving a position of every audio file independently in the folder would be awesome and that's something crucial what I'm looking for.

From the conversation above I understand this will probably not happen in audioserve, does anyone know any alternative that would do such a thing (something simple, not like audiobookshelf etc - just have audio files in the folder and remember position for every file)?

[izderadicka]

@ekasprzak - just to confirm - tracking position for individual files is not priority here - it'll require significant rework and whole logic (of tracking progress) is build on assumption that folder is a "unit", which you listen from beginning to end - file by file, sequentially. Files are just chapters / tracks in the folder (which I understand is not universal, but this was design decision).

On the other hand marking folder as finished/listened is something I see as useful and possible to implement, needed it myself several time and will look into probably in future.

[izderadicka]

I added to master branch possibility to mark folder as finished - it's now in hamburger menu - however if one will continue to listen on that folder it'll be again marked as unfinished.