Element-android: Add an embedded player for Audio files
As per Element Web:
Currently the user has to download the file and play it with a third party application, and it's rendered like that in the timeline:
bmarty
All 17 comments
Highly in favor of this.
For the record, the Element Web player is just the default HTML5 audio player for the browser. I'm not a fan of this; I think Element should have a consistent audio experience across all element apps, which I think demands a dedicated player style.
DanHakimi
on 11 Dec 2020
An embedded player must have a speed control change. @bmarty, should a separate issue be opened or it's a part of this one?
532910
on 11 Dec 2020
... why would it have a speed control change? That sounds like extreme clutter. Most other apps (whatsapp, telegram) don't even have a volume button on the embedded player, because they value design. It's an open source cliche to stuff niche functionality in and clutter the design. I might _never_ use a speed control changer for audio messages I receive. If you want one, download the file and open it in your audio player of choice.
DanHakimi
on 11 Dec 2020
I'm not a tg user, but even I know that it HAS speed control change! Youtube also has speed control change.
Could you explain, why should I waste my time listening at 1x speed?
532910
on 11 Dec 2020
Having a "Skip silence" button is also useful for voice messages.
notramo
on 11 Dec 2020
Maybe it would be better just not create silence during the recording phase.
532910
on 11 Dec 2020
Perhaps it would be better if everyone around us became as convenient for us.
But so far this is not the case.
iav
on 11 Dec 2020
I'm not a tg user, but even I know that it HAS speed control change!
I don't see it here. Oh, and I just checked fluffychat -- they don't have it either, and they don't have volume control either. So I am very firmly of the opinion that it should _just_ be a seek bar + play/pause button.
Youtube also has speed control change.
Yeah, but YouTube is a very old video platform that hosts videos varying between one second and 24 hours in length, closed captions, subtitles, quality options, varying player sizes, popup bubbles, and a dozen other features. And it's been called clunky for a long time. Youtube is a dedicated video platform. We're talking about an inline audio player that will mostly be used for quick voice notes.
Could you explain, why should I waste my time listening at 1x speed?
Don't, don't listen, I don't care, but many of us are happy to listen to voice notes as they are recorded.
Having a "Skip silence" button is also useful for voice messages.
I see why this would be useful, but I don't see why it would be useful enough to take up space in an inline audio player.
Guys, please don't run away with this, it can and should be sleek and simple.
Maybe it would be better just not create silence during the recording phase.
I mean, yeah. The number of cases where silence is going to ruin a voice note will be few and far between. Most voice notes are going to be in the three to thirty second range. With a seek bar. That's good enough, you don't need to add five thousand options to each inline audio widget, that's absurd.
DanHakimi
on 11 Dec 2020
I don't see it here.
many of us are happy to listen to voice notes as they are recorded
never speak for others
532910
on 11 Dec 2020
Audio messages in Telegram looks as
Take note on bars.
iav
on 11 Dec 2020
Audio messages in Telegram looks as
Take note on bars.
Oh, yeah, this is definitely a cool look, but I don't think it's urgent functionality over a straight, flat seek bar. My personal thinking is: get it done, polish it later, and wait before we try adding any unnecessary features.
DanHakimi
on 11 Dec 2020
bars are awesome for scrolling and positioning on long messages
532910
on 11 Dec 2020
Sad true is there are media files with sound. It can be a songs, lectorium, audiobooks, notes, discussions, etc, etc... They need volume control, speed chande, precize navigation, and so on.
And they should not start to play on receiving, newer.
But there are voice messages. 99,99% from them shorter then 2-3 minutes, they maybe need autto-volume-normaliser, and simple and not very slick navigation (I think telegram navigation with bars is good).
And they should auto-play on receive if you have channel on screen and with focus. Possible, by special option — play on receiving in background too.
Different use-case.
iav
on 11 Dec 2020
I would not expect to listen to a lecture, audiobook, or dialog inside my messaging app. You would still have the option to download each audio message as a file, and play that file in your audio player of choice. Our messenger does not need to be a messenger, an ebook reader, a music player, a study app, and everything else. It just needs to function as a messenger.
DanHakimi
on 12 Dec 2020
@DanHakimi have you ever received 2-3 minutes message with 'mmmm', 'aaaaa' or 'soooooo' sounds?
532910
on 12 Dec 2020
99,99% from them shorter then 2-3 minutes
I wouldn't say that's accurate in Venezuela... it's a cultural thing.
I think https://github.com/vector-im/element-android/issues/2525#issuecomment-743458446 maybe passed unnoticed because the image isn't embedded. Let me do it:
That might be the simplest speed control ever. The difference it makes is:
| incoming voice message in WhatsApp | in Telegram |
|---|---|
| 
|
|
I also didn't feel like that's necessary until one day Telegram implemented it.
However, it's true that they didn't implement that feature in their 1st iteration. Having an audio message player is more important than making it 2x.
BTW, Telegram android client is open source. This might be silly but can't element reuse some code?
Yajo
on 12 Dec 2020
And they should auto-play on receive if you have channel on screen and with focus. Possible, by special option — play on receiving in background too.
@iav Such a feature needs to be Opt-in in the app's global settings or per room. Not only for privacy reasons the default behavior shouldn't play a message automated if this option is not explicitly set.
Setting auto-play as default could even be a legal issue in Europe or when providing services to European Citizens (Art. 6 (1) f GDPR)
bpcurse
on 20 Dec 2020
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Most helpful comment
Oh, yeah, this is definitely a cool look, but I don't think it's urgent functionality over a straight, flat seek bar. My personal thinking is: get it done, polish it later, and wait before we try adding any unnecessary features.