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Pimp My Muxtape (SSB)

Lately I’ve turned a deaf ear to iTunes in favour of discovering new music on Muxtape. In a recent post I demonstrated the benefits of wrangling Muxtape into a site specific browser using Fluid. While running Muxtape in a SSB is a step beyond loading the site in a browser tab It still lacks some of the functionality that I enjoy in iTunes:

1. Growl Notifications
2. Keyboard Shortcuts
3. Streaming music to Airport Express
4. Ability to control away from the computer

After some tinkering and exploring I have come up with four solutions that work for me.

Growl Notifications

To duplicate this functionality we can take advantage of Fluid’s javascript API with userscripts. YungSang created an excellent script that not only displays growl notifications for the next song, it displays the track number in a dock badge, fixes the “signature error loop of death” and fixes a problem where using coverflow breaks playback. This script is the awesome.

To install it simply point to your script menu and choose “Browse Userscript.org…”. YunSang’s userscript can be found here or just do a quick search for Muxtape. Once on the script’s page click the “Install this Script” button and it will download/install. Point to your script menu again and “muxtape” should appear at the top. Click it and a check mark will appear beside it. The script is now active and the next time you load a page the script will take effect.

Keyboard Shortcuts

To achieve keyboard shortcuts I created a couple basic applescripts. I then run the scripts with quicksilver triggers. It’s not the prettiest but it works. I have 4 basic scripts: next track, previous track, play/pause and inspired by Doug McCune’s MuxMaster a random mix script. This one opens a new tab and chooses one of the featured tapes, loads it then plays it.

Muxtape Fluid Applescripts (7.47 KB)

Tutorial on Quicksilver triggers

These scripts assumes your SSB is named “muxtape” if you named it something else you will have to edit them.

Stream Music to Airpot Express

AirPort Express is great but it’s unfortunate that apple limits streaming to iTunes. Luckily the guys at Rogue Amoeba created the application Airfoil allowing you to stream audio from any app. Using Airfoil is as simple as selecting your Muxtape SSB and the device you want to play the music from.

Control Muxtape Remotely

We can achieve these results with another third party app called Remote Buddy.

I created 6 basic actions for controlling Muxtape which you can download here. These actions allow for skipping forward and backward, adjusting volume, toggling play/pause and refreshing a mix when the signature runs out. If you want to learn more about behaviors and actions check out this screencast

Muxtape Remote Buddy Actions (3.23 KB)

These actions will work with both the apple remote and the iphone/ipod touch Ajax remote. They also assume your SSB is named “muxtape”.

Update: YungSang just posted some actions for the free remote app iRedLite as an alternative. Check it out.

Finishing Touches

After adding a whole bunch of features under the hood I figured why not put a little paint on the outside? Mile’s from Cocoa Grove created an amazing cassette icon that yearns to live in your dock. The icon Comes in 8 colors and can be downloaded here.

So…

So there you have it. Four ways I MacGyvered my Muxtape SSB to work they way I wanted. I certainly won’t claim these are the only ways, nor the best ways to achieve the results. I also see the irony in adding debatably unnecessary features to a site that’s popularity and usefulness can be attributed to its simplicity. Nonetheless I had fun rolling up my sleeves and tinkering and hopefully you will too.

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