Shift to Corresponding Media in a Playback Queue

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide for extending media playback. In an example implementation, during playback of one or more first media items populated in a queue, a control device extends playback time of the queue. Extending playback time of the queue may involve determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and before the first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that play time of the queue is extended.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform operations comprising:
 sending an instruction that causes a first playback device to populate a queue with one or more first media items, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device;   sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to initiate playback of the queue;   during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue, extending playback time of the queue, wherein extending playback time of the queue comprises:
 determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and 
 before the first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that play time of the queue is extended. 
   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone group that includes a second playback device, and wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to initiate playback of the queue comprises:
 sending an instruction that causes the first playback device and the second playback device of the zone group to initiate playback of the queue in synchrony.   
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein extending playback time of the queue comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to send the one or more second media items to the second playback device. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 3 , wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to send the one or more second media items to the second playback device comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to indicate a source of the one or more second media items to the second playback device. 
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 causing a graphical interface to display an indication of the queue, wherein the queue includes the one or more first media items and the one or more second media items.   
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone, and wherein determining one or more second media items that corresponds in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items comprises determining one or more media items that have been previously played back in the zone. 
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein determining one or more second media items that corresponds in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items comprises:
 determining a current time of day; and   determining one or more media items that have been previously played back by the first playback device in a window of time that encompasses the current time of day.   
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert a given one of the one or more second media items into the queue between two of the one or more first media items. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items comprises querying a streaming music service for a channel of one or more second media items that correspond to the one or more first media items, and wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to include the channel of one or more second media items in the queue. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to populate the queue with the one or more first media items comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to populate a queue that is stored on a second device with the one or more first media items. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 sending, by a control device of a media playback system, an instruction that causes a first playback device of the media playback system to populate a queue with one or more first media items, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device;   sending, by the control device, an instruction that causes the first playback device to initiate playback of the queue;   during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue, extending playback time of the queue, wherein extending playback time of the queue comprises:
 determining, by the playback device, when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and 
 before the first media items are finished playing, determining, by the playback device, one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that play time of the queue is extended. 
   
     
     
         12 . A control device comprising:
 one or more processors; and   tangible non-transitory computer-readable memory have instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the control device device to perform a method comprising:   sending an instruction that causes a first playback device to populate a queue with one or more first media items, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device;   sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to initiate playback of the queue;   during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue, extending playback time of the queue, wherein extending playback time of the queue comprises:
 determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and 
 before the first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that play time of the queue is extended. 
   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a control device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an indication of one or more first media items that are populated in a queue of a first playback device, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device;   during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue by the first playback device, extending playback time of the queue, wherein extending playback time of the queue comprises:
 determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and 
 before the first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that play time of the queue is extended. 
   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone group that includes a second playback device, and wherein the operations further comprising sending an instruction that causes the first playback device and the second playback device of the zone group to initiate playback of the queue in synchrony. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein extending playback time of the queue comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to send the one or more second media items to the second playback device. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to send the one or more second media items to the second playback device comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to indicate a source of the one or more second media items to the second playback device. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first playback device is a member of a zone, and wherein determining one or more second media items that corresponds in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items comprises determining one or more media items that have been previously played back in the zone. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein sending the instruction that causes the first playback device to populate the queue with the one or more first media items comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to populate a queue that is stored on a second device with the one or more first media items. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a control device of a media playback system, an indication of one or more first media items that are populated in a queue of a first playback device of the media playback system, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device;   during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue by the first playback device, extending playback time of the queue, wherein extending playback time of the queue comprises:
 determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and 
 before the first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that play time of the queue is extended. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to populate the queue with the one or more first media items.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the media playback system comprises a second playback device, and wherein the method further comprises sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to initiate playback of the queue in synchrony with the second playback device. 
     
     
         22 . A control device comprising:
 one or more processors; and   tangible non-transitory computer-readable memory have instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the control device to perform a method comprising:   receiving, by a control device of a media playback system, an indication of one or more first media items that are populated in a queue of a first playback device of the media playback system, wherein the queue comprises an ordered list of media items for playback by the first playback device;   during playback of the one or more first media items populated in the queue by the first playback device, extending playback time of the queue, wherein extending playback time of the queue comprises:
 determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and 
 before the first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that play time of the queue is extended.