Banshee can import music from a file, folder, CD, or an alternate music source (such as a digital audio player).

Figure 23.2. Import Music Library¶

To play a song, simply select the song in the library and click the play button in the upper left corner. Use the other buttons to pause a song or play the next or previous song. Use the loudspeaker button on the right to adjust the volume. You can also use the items on the Playback menu to repeat or shuffle songs.

Banshee has an integrated CD player. When you insert a music CD, your CD title appears in the left panel. Select the title and click the play button to play your full CD.

23.1.2.2. Music Recommendations¶

Banshee automatically recommends music that you might like, based on the currently playing song. It finds artists and popular songs that people with similar musical tastes enjoy.

Figure 23.3. Banshee Music Recommendations¶

If you do not want to receive recommendations, click View, then deselect Context Pane.

To rip music from a CD and add it to your library:

You can use Banshee to listen to Internet radio stations and streaming audio. Add your own stations.

23.1.4.1. Listening to an Internet Radio Station¶

To listen to Internet radio stations, select Radio in the source list on the left, then double-click the station you want to listen to.

Figure 23.4. Internet Radio Stations in Banshee¶

Banshee lets you subscribe, download, and listen to your favorite Podcasts.

23.1.5.2. Listening to a Podcast¶

To listen to a podcast, select Podcasts in the source list, then double-click the podcast you want to listen to.

Figure 23.5. Podcasts in Banshee¶

Right-click Podcasts in the source list to update all podcasts, you are subscribed to, manage podcast playlists, or set podcast related preferences.

To manage a single podcast you are subscribed to, right-click its name in the main window, and select one of the offered actions such as episode handling, visiting the podcast homepage, unsubscribing and deleting, and checking or setting properties.

Use the options on the Edit menu to remove or delete songs and rename or delete playlists. You can sort a playlist by clicking the title of the column. Click the column again to reverse the sort. You can also right-click Music, then click Sort Playlists.

You can edit the name of the artist, album, and title, as well as the track number and track count. Simply select a song, then click Edit+Edit Track Information (E), or in the main window right-click the song and select Edit Track Information. You can also rate your music, which gives you the ability to play only songs with a certain rating. To rate a song, select the number of stars you want to assign in the Rating field.

Figure 23.6. Track Editor¶

If you want to set all fields in a group to the same value, select multiple songs in a playlist and click Edit+Edit Track Information. Make the changes you want, then click Sync All Field Values. You can also use the Back and Forward buttons to cycle through the selected songs.

Click the Properties tab to view detailed information about the selected song, including the bit rate, the sample rate, when a song was last played, when it was imported, how long the song is, how many times the song has been played, and where it is stored in your file system.

You can create playlists that automatically add and remove songs based on criteria you specify. For example, a smart playlist can contain songs you rated as five stars but that you have not listened to for six months. Another smart playlist can contain all songs published in 2010 that you have labeled with the Classical genre.

Banshee automatically updates all smart playlists when a change is made to your music library. If you import new songs, Banshee checks to see if they match any of your available smart playlists. When applicable, Banshee also updates your smart playlists if you just listened to a song or updated a song's metadata.

To play music from your digital audio player, simply plug your player into your system. After the system recognizes the device, an icon is displayed in the left panel in Banshee.

Select the icon to display the music on your device in the right panel. Double-click the song you want to listen to.

Figure 23.7. Banshee MP3 Playback from a Nokia N810¶

To view or change device properties, right-click your device, then select Device Properties. From there, you can view various pieces of information. For example, if you have an iPod, you can update the owner's name.

Figure 23.8. Banshee iPod Device Properties¶

To add tracks to your player, simply drag them from your music library to your device.

Banshee transparently supports the transcoding of your songs for any device. You can have your music library in any number of formats (including, but not limited to, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and AAC), and it will be transparently transcoded before it is sent to your digital audio player.

To remove tracks, select your device in the list of sources, right-click the song you want to delete, then click Delete from <device_name>.

Banshee supports the importing of music from a digital audio player to your music library. Simply drag and drop the songs from the digital audio player to your music library. You can also import all of the music on your digital audio player by right-clicking your player in the source list and selecting Import.

Figure 23.9. Importing Music from Your Digital Audio Player to Banshee¶

To keep your digital audio player up to date with your Banshee Library, select your player in the source list, disable Manually Manage this Device, then click Synchronize in the upper right corner.

Banshee also synchronizes the ratings and cover art in your tracks to your iPod.