Amarok/Manual/ConfiguringAmarok
Configuring Amarok
On first start, some basic configuration is done; see also Quick Start Guide: Getting Started. But there is more under the hood. To access the Configuration Menu, go to and see the following dialog:
General
In the screenshot above you can see some General Options you can set. Depending on the distribution, the default settings can vary, sometimes the Splash Screen is disabled for example. When hovering over the options with the mouse pointer, a tooltip will show to explain the individual settings.
This section allows you to configure the following options:
| Option | Tooltip |
|---|---|
| Check to enable the splash screen on Amarok startup. | |
| Check to enable the Amarok system tray icon. | |
| Check to enable the automatic retrieval of cover art from the internet. | |
| Check to make the playlist scroll so the current track is always visible. | |
| The Moodbar makes it possible to navigate in your music visually. Please note that this feature requires the external Moodbar Generator tool, or a script. | |
| Choose the mood display style. |
When you enable the Moodbar, be aware of the following requirements: the Moodbar will only display if your tracks have been tagged with moods. For more about the Moodbar, refer to this section: Advanced Features -> Moodbar
Collection
The above dialog shows a large section in the center where you see the tree structure of your file system, called Collection Folders. Selecting a folder always includes also its subfolders.
The available options in this dialog are the following:
| Option | Tooltip |
|---|---|
| Rescan your entire collection. This will not delete any statistics. | |
| Import statistics from older Amarok versions, or from other media players. | |
| If selected, Amarok will read all subfolders. | |
| If selected, folders will automatically get rescanned when the content is modified, e.g. when a new file is added. | |
| If selected, Amarok will use Mozilla's Character Set Detector to attempt to automatically guess the character set used in ID3 tags. |
Import Statistics
This option allows you to import statistics, e.g. ratings and scores from either
- an older Amarok 1.4.x version (from SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL databases)
- from iTunes
It does not import statistics from an Amarok 2.x database, so if you want to merge an older 2.x database version, you will need to do this by hand.
Internet Services
Amarok offers by default the following Internet services:
| Service | Description | Needs configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Use an external music server | Yes, Ampache server needed | |
| Listen to free music published under Creative Common licenses. See also http://www.jamendo.com/en/about | No | |
| A popular internet radio service, streaming only for subscribers. See also http://www.last.fm/about | Yes, personal information to scrobble | |
| A personal mp3 locker. See also http://www.mp3tunes.com/cb/about/ | Yes | |
| Prewiew and buy music from a non-evil record label. See also http://magnatune.com/info/whynotevil | Only for downloads | |
| Browse and subscribe to a huge list of podcasts | No |
Ampache configuration
If you have access to a remote Ampache music server, click on the wrench icon and enter the necessary information. You can configure access to more than one Ampache server. For more information on Ampache, see also the Ampache section in Advanced Features.
Last.fm configuration
While streaming is free with Last.fm's own online player for residents of the US, the UK and Germany, it only works in Amarok for paid subscribers. Scrobbling is free, however, provided you enter your Last.fm username and password by clicking on the wrench icon. Amarok allows you to store the password in the secure KDE Wallet. If you decline the use of Kwallet, your password will be stored in clear text instead.
mp3tunes configuration
If you have a personal mp3tunes locker, click on the wrench icon and enter your username and password. You will then be able to access your online locker.
Magnatune Store configuration
Listen to the music offered by Magnatune for free and buy it directly through Amarok. Click on the wrench icon to add your membership credentials if you are a member and/or add your email address to re-download music you previously have downloaded from Magnatune.
To download, you then go to the Media Sources pane, select the Internet section and click on the Magnatune Store. It will then download the catalogue and you can search and select the music you are interested to buy.
Playback
In the above Playback section you can configure the playback options, as well as the KDE multimedia framework called Phonon.
| Option | Tooltip |
|---|---|
| If checked, Amarok will slowly fade the volume of the playing track on stop or at the end of the playlist, or stop playback immediately. | |
| The length of the fadeout, in milliseconds. | |
| If checked, Amarok will resume playback where you left it the last session -- just like a tape-player |
Configuring Phonon
Phonon is the multimedia framework used by Amarok. It was created to allow KDE 4 to be independent of any single multimedia framework such as GStreamer or Xine and to provide a stable API for KDE 4's lifetime. As an added bonus, it simplifies development by providing a simple API that can work across different platforms such as Windows and OS X.
The result of all this for you, the user, is that you can choose the multimedia framework that works best for you. This is usually pre-configured by your distribution.
Another result is that playback problems in Amarok are typically not Amarok issues, but rather Phonon issues, as Amarok doesn't handle sound directly anymore.
Selecting an output device
Depending on your OS and distribution, you may need to use ALSA, OSS, PulseAudio, or something else as your default playback device. Find one that works for you with the button and apply to all types of output. If you would like different types of output to go with different devices, this is possible as well.
Selecting a multimedia backend
Depending on your OS you may see options such as Xine, Gstreamer, VLC, or DS9 (Windows only) here. The recommended one for Linux users is Xine or VLC.
If you don't see Xine or the particular back-end you want here you may need to install the package for it. For most distributions the package for Xine, for example, would be phonon-backend-xine.
Each backend comes with its own codecs, so depending on the backend you choose you will need to also download the codecs, as most distributions don't ship them for legal reasons.
For information on codecs and playing MP3s see the information page.
Notifications
| Option | Tooltip |
|---|---|
| Check to enable the On-Screen Display. The OSD briefly displays track data when a new track is played. Once checked, the OSD will be visible on your screen and you can drag it to the location you prefer. | |
| The time in milliseconds for which to show the OSD. The value must be between 500 ms and 10000 ms. | |
| Allows you to choose the screen that should display the OSD if you have a multiscreen setup. Default is 0. | |
| Check to enable translucency if supported by your desktop system. | |
| Check to enable custom colors for the On-Screen Display text. | |
| Click to select the color of the OSD text. | |
| Check to use the system notification. This can vary depending on your desktop system and/or distribution. |
Database
The default database is already set to use embedded MySQL. For most users there is no need to configure an external database, as there is no change in performance. If you want to share your database or use it remotely, you can configure an external MySQL database.
Amarok expects the external database and user account to already exist. The user also requires full access to the database. You MUST restart Amarok after changing these settings.
If your database is not already set up, you can use the SQL commands in the field at the bottom to do so, after replacing the password with the correct one.
| Option | Tooltip |
|---|---|
| Check to enable the use of an external database. | |
| Enter the name of the existing MySQL server | |
| Enter the port number to access the server. Default is port 3306. | |
| Enter the username to access the database with full access privileges. | |
| Enter the password for the default user. | |
| Enter the name of the database. Default preset is amarokdb. |
You can find more information about the External Database in the Advanced Features -> External Database section.