Music Library Browsing & Management
Audience: End users and technical evaluators Last Updated: 2026-04-04 Version: 2.0.0
Overview
Llamafin provides comprehensive music library browsing with support for multiple organizational methods: albums, artists, songs, genres, playlists, and folder structures. Each view offers powerful sorting, filtering, search, and real-time updates.
Library Structure
Multi-Library Support
If your Jellyfin server has multiple music libraries:
What Happens:
- Llamafin detects all available music libraries
- If only one exists: automatically selected
- If multiple exist: modal prompts you to choose
- If none exist: helpful empty state with guidance
Library Selection:
- Your choice is remembered and persisted
- Can be changed later in settings
- Each library is independent
- Switching libraries reloads all views
Browsing Methods
Six Ways to Explore Your Music
| Method | Best For | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Albums | Complete album listening | Letter navigation, studio collections, recently added |
| Artists | Artist discographies | Own albums, "appears on" compilations, similar artists |
| Songs | Individual tracks | Frequently played, recently played, play all |
| Genres | Mood/style exploration | Songs and albums per genre, instant mix |
| Playlists | Curated collections | Create, edit, share, multi-user support |
| Folders | File system structure | Direct folder navigation, physical organisation |
Albums View
Album Browsing
Display Options:
- Grid view with album artwork
- List view with details
- Sort by: Name, Artist, Album, Release Date, Date Added, Play Count
- Order: Ascending or descending
Letter Navigation:
- Alphabet sidebar (A-Z)
- '#' for albums starting with numbers
- Instant jump to any letter
- Clear to return to full list
Album Detail Page:
- Full track listing with numbers
- Album artwork (large)
- Artist name and release year
- Total duration
- Play button (all tracks)
- Shuffle button
- Instant Mix generation
- Similar albums recommendations
Recently Added
Home Page Integration:
- Newly added albums appear on home page
- Updated in real-time via WebSocket
- Artwork displayed in hero section
- Quick access to new music
Studio Collections
Record Label Browsing:
- View all albums from a record label
- Studio detail page shows all releases
- Similar to album view but grouped by label
- Useful for label-specific exploration
Artist Context
From Artist Page:
- Own Albums: Albums where artist is primary
- Appears On: Compilations and guest appearances
- Sorted by release date (newest first)
- Complete discography view
Artists View
Artist Browsing
Display Options:
- Grid view with artist images
- List view with details
- Sort by: Name, Album Count
- Letter navigation (A-Z, #)
Artist Detail Page:
- Artist biography (if available)
- Artist image
- Complete discography
- "Appears on" compilations
- Similar artists recommendations
- Play all artist songs
- Shuffle all songs
Favorite Artists
Tracking:
- Artists you mark as favorites tracked separately
- Used for smart notifications
- Priority in recommendations
- Quick filtering option
Similar Artists
Discovery:
- Jellyfin provides similar artist suggestions
- Based on metadata and listening patterns
- Explore related musicians
- Expand your music library
Songs View
Song Browsing
Display Options:
- List view (most practical for songs)
- Sort by: Name, Album, Artist, Track Number, Play Count, Last Played
- Letter navigation
- Shows album artwork alongside
Special Views
Frequently Played:
- Your most-listened tracks
- Sorted by play count (descending)
- Discover your favorites
- Useful for quick access to go-to songs
Recently Played:
- Your listening history
- Sorted by last played date
- Quick return to recent sessions
- Useful for "what was that song I just heard?"
Play All:
- Loads entire song library
- Creates playback queue
- Optional shuffle
- Up to 500 tracks in single load
Server-Side Management
Song Deletion:
- Delete songs from Jellyfin server
- Confirmation dialogue required
- Removes from all views instantly
- Updates all cached lists
Genres View
Genre Browsing
Display:
- Grid or list of all genres
- Letter navigation
- Sort by name
- Genre artwork (if available)
Genre Detail Page:
- Songs Tab: All songs in the genre
- Albums Tab: All albums in the genre
- Both tabs independently paginated
- Sort and filter within each tab
Genre Instant Mix
Auto-Generated Playlists:
- Creates playlist from genre
- Based on audio characteristics
- Infinite playback from genre pool
- Great for mood-based listening
Playlists View
Playlist Browsing
Display:
- Grid with playlist artwork
- List with details
- Sort by: Name, Owner, Date Created
- Your playlists and shared playlists
Playlist Detail Page
View Mode:
- Full track listing
- Total duration
- Owner information
- Number of tracks
- Collaborator list (if shared)
Edit Mode (if you have permission):
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Add Songs | Search and add tracks to playlist |
| Remove Songs | Delete tracks from playlist |
| Reorder Songs | Change track order (enter new position) |
| Rename Playlist | Change playlist name |
| Change Privacy | Public or private playlist |
| Manage Collaborators | Add/remove users with edit access |
| Delete Playlist | Remove playlist entirely |
Creating Playlists
Process:
- Click "Create Playlist" button
- Enter playlist name
- Choose privacy setting (public/private)
- Add songs from context menus
- Save and share
Multi-User Playlists
Collaboration:
- Playlist owners can add collaborators
- Collaborators can add/remove/reorder songs
- Permission-based access control
- Great for shared listening sessions
Similar Playlists
Discovery:
- Recommendations based on current playlist
- Helps find related curated content
- Expand your listening options
Folders View
File System Navigation
Purpose:
- Browse your music using folder structure
- Matches your server's physical file organisation
- Useful for specific folder-based collections
Display:
- Folders listed first (sorts folders above files)
- Navigate into folders
- Shows child count
- Displays file paths
Use Cases:
- Accessing specific folder collections
- Verifying file organisation
- Navigating by release type or date
- Working with imported folder structures
Sorting & Filtering
Sort Options
Each view offers different sort fields:
| View | Sort Fields |
|---|---|
| Albums | Name, Artist, Album, Release Date, Date Added, Play Count |
| Artists | Name, Album Count |
| Songs | Name, Album, Artist, Track Number, Play Count, Last Played |
| Genres | Name |
| Playlists | Name, Owner, Date Created |
| Folders | Name (folders first) |
Sort Order: Ascending (A-Z, oldest-newest) or Descending (Z-A, newest-oldest)
Filter Options
Available Filters (varies by view):
| Filter | Description | Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Filter by music genre | Albums, Artists, Songs, Playlists |
| Tags | Filter by user tags | All views |
| Year | Filter by release year | Albums, Songs, Playlists |
| Favorites | Show only liked/favorited items | All views |
Filter Behaviour:
- Filters apply immediately
- Multiple filters combine (AND logic)
- Clear all filters button available
- Filter state persists during session
Search Integration
Search Within Each View
Every library view has independent search:
How It Works:
- Enter search term in view's search box
- Results display independently from browser
- Search results have own pagination
- Clear search returns to browsing
Search Scope:
- Albums: Searches album names, artists
- Artists: Searches artist names
- Songs: Searches song titles, artists, albums
- Genres: Searches genre names
- Playlists: Searches playlist names
- Folders: Searches folder names
Real-Time Updates
WebSocket synchronisation
Your library updates automatically when changes occur:
What Triggers Updates:
- New music added to server
- Metadata changes (names, artwork)
- Items deleted from server
- Play count changes
- Favorite status changes
Update Behaviour:
| Change Type | How It Appears |
|---|---|
| New Albums | Prepended to browser list and recently added |
| New Artists | Appended and alphabetically re-sorted |
| New Songs | Updated across all song lists simultaneously |
| Metadata Changes | Updated in-place in all views |
| Deletions | Removed from all views, counts adjusted |
Large Update optimisation:
- Small changes (< 50 items): Targeted updates with rich notifications
- Large changes (> 50 items): Smart refresh of key views with single notification
- Prevents UI freezing during bulk imports
Instant Mix
Auto-Generated Playlists
Create instant playlists based on any item:
Available For: Albums, Artists, Songs, Genres, Playlists
How It Works:
- Click "Instant Mix" button
- Jellyfin generates playlist based on item
- Uses audio characteristics and metadata
- Returns ~50 similar tracks
- Plays immediately or adds to queue
Use Cases:
- From Album: Songs similar to album's style
- From Artist: Songs by similar artists
- From Song: Songs matching mood/genre/tempo
- From Genre: All songs in genre, shuffled
- From Playlist: Songs similar to playlist content
Pagination
Infinite Scroll Pattern
All library views use efficient pagination:
Initial Load:
- First page of results displayed (configurable, typically 50-100 items)
- Loading indicator during fetch
- Skeleton placeholders while loading
Load More:
- Scroll to bottom triggers next page
- "Loading more" indicator
- New items appended to existing list
- No page reload, seamless experience
Total Records:
- Shows total count (e.g., "Showing 50 of 1,234 albums")
- Helps gauge library size
- Updates as you load more
Page Size:
- Configurable in appearance settings ("Rolling Window")
- Options: Next (1), numeric (5, 10, 20, 50, etc.), or unlimited
- Different settings for WiFi and cellular
Integration with Playback
Play Actions
From any library view:
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Play | Creates queue from context, starts playback |
| Shuffle Play | Creates shuffled queue, starts playback |
| Play Next | Adds to queue after current track |
| Add to Queue | Appends to end of queue |
| Play Preview | 30-second preview (doesn't affect queue) |
Queue Building
From Different Contexts:
- Album: All album tracks added to queue
- Artist: All artist songs added
- Playlist: All playlist tracks added
- Genre: All genre songs added
- Songs: Explicit song list added
- Studio: All studio releases added
Smart Behaviour:
- If track already in queue, jumps to it (doesn't duplicate)
- If playing same album, enriches metadata without interrupting
- Queue preserves original order unless shuffle enabled
Error Handling
Network Issues
Offline Mode:
- Cached content remains available
- New loads fail gracefully
- Error message displayed
- Retry button available
Partial Failures:
- If some items fail to load, others still display
- Failed items logged for debugging
- Manual refresh available
Empty States
No Results:
- Search with no matches shows helpful message
- Suggests trying different terms
- Offers to clear filters
- Shows popular alternatives
No Music Library:
- Dedicated page explaining the issue
- Instructions for adding music to Jellyfin
- Link to server settings
- Contact support option
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Library Children | 6 (albums, artists, songs, genres, playlists, folders) |
| Default Page Size | Configurable (rolling window setting) |
| Max Songs in Play All | 500 tracks |
| Album Sort Options | 6+ fields |
| Artist Sort Options | 2+ fields |
| Song Sort Options | 6+ fields |
| WebSocket Update Threshold | 50 items (targeted vs. refresh) |
| Recently Added Limit | Configurable |
| Similar Items Limit | 10-20 per request |
| Instant Mix Size | ~50 tracks |
| Alphabet Navigation | A-Z plus '#' for numbers |
| Filter Types | Genre, Tags, Years, Favorites |
| Search Scope | Per-view independent |
| Real-Time Sync | WebSocket-based |