LeaseySpotify.

Introduction.

Spotify gives you millions of songs at your fingertips. The artists you love, the latest hits, and new discoveries just for you. It allows you to stream songs over the internet and listen to them as if they were stored on your computer. Imagine being let loose in a music store with permission to play anything you want, old and new. You can play any song, any time! There are also hundreds of playlists other people have created to suit any mood or music genre. Why search for songs when someone else has done the work? Whether you want to relax, have music to exercise to or hear the latest hits, Spotify has you covered.

Sometimes only your favourite artist will do. You can play all their music on shuffle, for free.

There are two types of Spotify account, “Free” and “Premium”. Among other considerations, “Spotify Premium” allows you to play all the music you want without the interruption of commercials. If you enjoy listening to music, particularly albums in their entirety, it is worthwhile purchasing a monthly subscription to “Spotify Premium” for this useful addition alone.

Using LeaseySpotify and the Leasey Help System.

As usual with Leasey, there are several common factors to using the LeaseySpotify interface.

Signing Up for a Spotify Account.

Even if you wish to use “Spotify Free”, this does require the creation of an account. Visiting the website at www.spotify.com will allow you to create one.

There are two ways in which an account can be created. The first is to log in with your Facebook cridentials if you have a Facebook account. If this is selected, then many of your details will be retrieved from your Facebook profile directly. This includes your Facebook Email address and password. You will use the Email address as your username.

The recommended option however is to create an account using your Email address, since you will be able to choose the username and password in order to use Spotify. The password can be something which is memorable to you.

When the account is created on the Spotify website, you can then elect to choose “Spotify Premium”, submitting your credit card information. Indeed the company may give you a trial of “Spotify Premium” at no cost if you would like to evaluate the experience.

When Spotify loads, you will be asked for your username and password. With Leasey installed, it is not necessary to enter “Forms Mode”.

  1. Focus is automatically set to the “Username” field. Please type it in and press Tab.
  2. Type the password for your account and press Enter.
  3. Note that if you press Tab rather than Enter, focus will now be set to a Check Box. At the time of writing, it is not possible to toggle this Check Box by pressing the Space Bar and the status is always reported as being “Unchecked”. The purpose of the Check Box is to allow automatic log into Spotify each time it is started. However by default, the Check Box is set to allow automatic log in, so press Tab once more.
  4. You are now on the “Sign In” Button. Press the Space Bar, not Enter, on this Button.
  5. You should now be logged into Spotify. press Insert+T which will cause JAWS to announce the account type you have access to, such as “Spotify Free” or “Spotify Premium”. If JAWS announces “Spotify”, you are not logged in.

Using Spotify.

Having logged into Spotify, we can now begin to find music to listen to!

When working through the rest of the tasks in this Chapter, please pay particular attention to the instructions and carry them out precisely in order that LeaseySpotify will work correctly for you.

To the average user, Spotify appears as a series of web pages. So any techniques you have learned in order to browse content on the internet can be used here, together with the additional keystrokes and methods of navigation which will be detailed below. Pay particular attention to moving by Heading (by pressing the letter "H"), accessing a list of Links (Insert+F7), and using the JAWS Find facility (Control+F).

Searching for Songs.

Let us start with a simple task, searching for a song. Working through this procedure should introduce you to the concept is a good training ground.

There are two methods in respect of searching for a song. There is a method you can use from within LeaseySearch, or alternatively, the more traditional way. If you are using the LeaseySearch method, Spotify does not need to be running at this point. However, we will first relate the traditional method.

  1. Press Control+Shift+F to find a song.
  2. Type a song title such as “Thinking Out Loud”.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. The search is carried out and in a second or two you should be focused upon the first search result. JAWS will speak the title of the song assuming it exists.
  5. Focus is now in a list of results. You can press the Down Arrow key to review them. First you will see what Spotify deems to be the "Top Result", followed by a list of the most popular songs matching the search criteria.

Song Details.

As you press the Down Arrow key to move through the songs which have been found, you are likely to discover a number of elements.

Press Enter on any of the Buttons to perform the desired action.

Note that when songs are playing, you can use the following keystrokes to control the playback.

  • Pause and Play Song, ALT+Control+Windows+P.
  • Volume Up, ALT+Control+Windows+Up Arrow.
  • Volume Down, ALT+Control+Windows+Down Arrow.
  • Next Track, Control+Shift+N.
  • Previous Track, Control+Shift+P.
  • Fast Forward, ALT+Control+Windows+Right Arrow.
  • Rewind, ALT+Control+Windows+Left Arrow.
  • Toggle Shuffle, Control+S.
  • Toggle Repeat, Control+R.

    • Browsing Around.

    Within this Chapter, we are going to describe some specific strategies you can use to get the most from Spotify when reading the pages. However, you may wish to explore the individual pages yourself, given that it has been made very accessible for you in the most part. You can read any of the text on the pages and activate the Links and Buttons in order to move to different sections of Spotify.

    Here are some useful tips when navigating:

    Using LeaseySearch to Find Items on Spotify.

    This method is useful if you quickly want to find a song on Spotify and you may not have the application running or if you wish to locate an item fairly quickly. The concept is that you will find the item in a List Box, press Enter, and the relevant page on Spotify will be loaded into the application. You will then need to do a little work in order to begin playing the item.

    1. Move into LeaseySearch by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+S.
    2. Select Spotify and press Enter. If the Spotify application is already in focus, you can go straight to this method of search by pressing Control+Shift+S without the Leasey Key.
    3. Type a song title and press Enter. Note it is important to be as specific as you can if possible, so if you are searching for a song, include the artist or group name to ensure the results are to your taste. You could also type an artist or group name by itself, or with the album name, etc.
    4. A list of results will be displayed. Press Down Arrow to find the result you want. Note that the list contains anything Spotify holds including this term, such as songs, albums or playlists with this title. Find something which may interest you by pressing Down Arrow and press Enter. If you have searched for a song, and you have entered the artist or group name as well, in the vast majority of cases the first result will be the one you want.
    5. The Spotify application will then run if it was not previously launched and the page for the item will be available. Hopefully, the song will begin to play if that is what you have searched for and focus should be on the "Pause" Button.

    Now you should use any browsing techniques discussed above.

    To return to your search results list, you can press the Leasey Key then ALT+Left Arrow.

    Selecting an Artist.

    You will have noticed while browsing the list of results in our song search that the artists are displayed as Hyperlinks. You can press enter on any one of the Links so as to display the artist page. Press Insert+T to verify that the artist page is loaded and you should find the name of the artist reflected there.

    Having done this, press number 2 on the keyboard, above the letter keys. This takes you to the first level 2 heading where the results start, whereupon you can explore the page. This is usually under Spotify’s Heading of “Popular”, meaning that they are played by users more frequently. If you want to examine songs under this Heading, press Down Arrow repeatedly.

    If on the other hand you wish to move through albums of the artist selected, press H to move through the Headings. Each album is denoted by a hyperlink. Press Enter to move to the album page. Again, the window title reflects the album which has been selected.

    Moving to the first table by pressing the letter T will show all the tracks on the album. The layout is a very similar arrangement to search results, except that the items also contain statistical data, such as the number of times the item has been played. You can press the Space Bar on any item to play it.

    You will find just above the songs listed on the album details of the number of tracks, the total playing time and, crucially, a Button labelled "Save". Pressing Enter on this Button will save the album to "Your Music" if desired.

    Selecting Playlists.

    We will now introduce you to the concept of Playlists. Playlists are a compilation of tracks a person has prepared, usually to reflect a particular musical style. These can make for good listening and, if you are not tempted to look at the track list, you can get a surprise when you listen to the music and perhaps one of your favourites is played. “Shuffle Mode” is also very appealing when listening to music in a Playlist.

    From the Home Page, the easiest way to find your Playlists is to press the letter B to reach the Button "Create a Playlist". Just below this you will find your Playlists with each one denoted by a hyperlink. Press Enter to move into it. However, if you explore the home page, you will find plenty of Playlists advertised for you based on those songs you have played recently.

    When you find a Playlist you would like to hear, press Enter on the Link containing its name.

    When inside a Playlist, there are a number of things you can do:

    1. Press Control+Home to move to the top of the page.
    2. Press letter "H" to move to the first Level 1 Heading which is the Playlist title.
    3. Press Down Arrow to read the page. You will first find a “Play Pause” Button. Press Enter to play all the songs from the beginning or in a random order of “Shuffle Mode” is on.
    4. Next comes a “Follow” Button. If you are already following the Playlist, you will hear the word “Following”. Press Enter to unfollow or conversely, if you are not following the Playlist and you would like to do so, press Enter to follow it.
    5. Next comes the name of the Playlist creator, the total number of songs and the running time.
    6. The results are displayed in a table, so you can always move straight to this by pressing the letter "T".
    7. If browsing through the results, you can play a track by placing the cursor on the "Play" Button relative to the track and pressing Enter. But in most cases, the purpose of selecting a Playlist is to hear a collection of songs and to enjoy them!

    Creating Your Own Playlists and an Introduction to the Context Menu.

    For each individual music track you search for, it is possible to activate a Context Menu so as to interact with it. You can add the song to a Playlist, start a radio station playing based on the track, add it to the playing queue, and more. In this section, we will work through how to use the Context Menu.

    Before we do this, we need to create a new Playlist.

    1. From any Spotify page, press the letter "B" repeatedly until you reach a Button entitled "Create New Playlist".
    2. Press Enter on the Button, (or press Control+N), and an Edit Field will be in focus.
    3. If necessary, activate Forms Mode by pressing Enter. Type the name of the Playlist into the Edit Field. We will use the title "Leasey" as our example.
    4. Press Tab to reach the "Create" Playlist" Button and press Enter. You will note that there is a field for adding a description. This is optional.
    5. Our Playlist is now created. We will add a song to it. Press Control+Shift+F and type a song title you know to be on Spotify. When this is done, press Enter. Alternatively you can use the LeaseySearch method of access.
    6. After a short pause, you will be placed within the search results. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys until the song you wish to add is spoken.
    7. Press Enter on the appropriate Button to play it. This is for two reasons: first because you can determine if it is the correct version and second because this loads up the appropriate song or album page.
    8. Press letter "B" to reach the "More Options For" Button and press Enter. Tip: If you do not find this Button right away, it could be that the Button is not visually available. To work around this issue, press Control+End to move to the bottom of the page and press Shift+B repeatedly. Then press Enter.
    9. You are now in a Context Menu. Arrow down to the item "Add to Playlist" and press Enter.
    10. A list of your Playlists is displayed. Move to the name of the Playlist by pressing Down Arrow. In our example, this is, "Leasey".
    11. Press Enter, and the song is now in the Playlist. JAWS says "Added to Playlist".

    Note that if you wish to add other songs, you should repeat the procedure.

    To be thorough, we should check that the song is in the Playlist, however when adding multiple songs it is unlikely you will carry out this process. It is worth describing however because at some point, you are going to want to listen to it.

    1. From the Home Page, press the letter "B" until you reach the Button "Create a Playlist".
    2. Press Down Arrow, and you will find all your Playlists. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly to move through the available Playlists. When you reach one you would like to select, Press Enter.
    3. PThe procedure for listening to the content of the playlist is exactly the same as that which we have already explored. In summary, press the letter "T" to reach the table of song titles and locate the song.
    4. Underneath the Playlist title is a "Play Pause" Button. Press Enter to listen to the songs in the Playlist.
    5. If you wish to activate the Context menu for the playlist, Press Enter on the "More" Button for it.
    6. Press Down Arrow to move through the options on the Context Menu. The options include:
      1. Start Playlist Radio. Starts a radio station based upon the content of the Playlist, containing similar songs to those listed.
      2. Share. Allows the sharing of the Playlist on social media. This includes copying the URI to the Clipboard. This is a link which can be shared in order that anyone can listen to it on Spotify.
      3. Copy Playlist Link. Copies a Link to the clipboard of the Playlist which can be shared with someone else, perhaps in an Email. When the second user activates the Link, the Spotify web player will load in the browser, and will play the songs in the Playlist.
        4. li>Collaborative Playlist. Activating this option means you can then copy the Playlist URI (as above), and send it to a friend. When he or she opens the Playlist in Spotify, songs can be added, with them being available then to you and your friend.
      4. Make Secret or Make Public. This is simple. If made secret, the Playlist is not visible to the public. If Make Public is selected, it will be available to everyone potentially.
      5. Rename. Allows you to rename the Playlist. An Edit Field is made instantly available. Edit the existing name, or type a new one, then press Enter.
      6. Delete. This displays a new window with a "Delete" Button at the bottom of the page. Press Control+End, and you should be focused on the "Delete" Button. Press Enter to remove the Playlist.

    To activate an item on the Context Menu, press Enter.

    Deleting a Song from a Playlist.

    If you wish to delete a song from a playlist:

    1. Be sure you are located on the Playlist page as described in the previous section.
    2. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move to the song you wish to delete.
      3. Press Enter to play the song to be sure it is the correct one.
    3. Press ALT+Control+Shift+P to pause the playback.
    4. Find the "More Options" Button underneath the song and press Enter to activate the Context Menu.
    5. When the Context Menu is displayed, press Down Arrow until you reach "Remove from Playlist".
    6. Press Enter to remove the song from the Playlist.

    Context Menu Items Relating to Tracks.

    We have already explored the Context Menu relating to tracks, as we used it to add to our Playlist. However, there are other items on the Context Menu which are useful. These are very similar to the options we've just worked through when exploring a Context Menu for the Playlist. However, we have not covered:

    Sharing a Track or Playlist With Others.

    You may talk about music with your friends and family. They may well be Spotify users and hear songs you might enjoy. Now, they can send you Links to songs or Playlists they may have created and you can listen to them. How cool is that?

    As we briefly described earlier, Spotify contains what is known as a "U R I". This is a Link pointing to a music track or Playlist on Spotify. When the Link is activated, the appropriate song or Playlist is automatically available in the application.

    Leasey makes it easy for you to open such Links directly, whereupon you can then follow a Playlist or listen to the music track.

    When activating either the Context Menu for a track or Playlist, you will see the option "Copy URI". Press Enter on this. It is then available on the Clipboard, which you can verify by pressing the Leasey Key followed by X. It can then be pasted into a tweet, Email or other text edit environment and sent to someone else for listening.

    If on the other hand someone sends you a Spotify U R I, as you are using Leasey you can first copy the U R I to the Clipboard, then press Control+Shift+U, or activate the appropriate option on the LeaseySpotify Menu. An Edit Field is available, with a prompt requesting that you paste the U R I there. Please do this, then press Enter. Spotify will load the appropriate item.

    If the U R I points to a Playlist, you will be taken to the page relating to it, whereupon it can be played or followed. Please refer to the earlier section concerning viewing a Playlist page.

    If you have been sent a URI for a song, it is likely Spotify will take you to the album on which it appears.

    Now you have the ability to run a Spotify URI easily, ask your friends to share their Playlists or favourite songs with you, and, enjoy the music!

    Choose the Device to Play On

    You may care to use your mobile device on which to listen to Spotify. If you have a number of Playlists which you are following, you have a large collection of songs in “Your Music”, or you just want to hear songs which can be quickly found using LeaseySpotify, you can hear these on your mobile device. Particularly if you have an external speaker or speakers, this can make for a wonderful listening experience as you can hear your music independent of the computer.

    Certainly, the app for Spotify on I O S devices is particularly accessible and indeed using that, it is possible to create Playlists and add tracks to them yourself, then listen to those on the computer if you wish, in a simlar way to that described above.

    If you are using Spotify on the computer, and you wish for your mobile device to immediately take over and start playing the music output, follow these steps:

    1. Open the Spotify app on your mobile device and ensure it has an internet connection.
    2. Using the computer, press Control+End to move to the end of any Spotify page.
    3. Press Shift+B to reach the “Choose the Device to Play On” Button.
    4. Press Enter.
    5. Press down Arrow repeatedly and you should see a list of devices detected, including your computer and the name of your mobile device.
    6. Press Enter on the name of your mobile device. It may take a second or two but the audio playback should begin. If it does not, exit “Browse Mode” by pressing F12, then press the Space Bar. All being well, you should hear the music from your mobile device.

    If while the mobile device is connected, and you carry out any of the steps described in this Chapter such as playing a song by pressing the Enter key, communication will be sent to your mobile device as this is now the primary source for audio output. This means that all the control of Spotify can be carried out using the computer while you are listening to the music and it is reflected on the mobile device. It’s like magic!

    If while browsing any page you press Control+End, you should be able to read the line of text stating that you are listening on a mobile device.

    To re-enable your computer as the output source, work through the procedure described above. In summary, select the “Choose the Device to Play On” Button by pressing Enter on it, but this time, select “This Computer” in the list of devices which appears. Assuming a song is playing, playback should cease on the mobile device and you should hear it through the computer’s sound source instead.

    Spotify Radio.

    LeaseySpotify supports the ability to be able to listen to the SpotifyRadio “Genre Stations”. You can select a radio station pertaining to a genre and Spotify will play many songs matching the category.

    1. From any page, press Insert+F7 to bring into view the list of Links.
    2. Press the letter “R” for “Radio”.
    3. Press Enter.
    4. Press Control+End to move to the end of the page.
    5. Press Shift+H to locate “Genre Stations”.
    6. Press the letter “B” repeatedly in order to move through the genres.
    7. Press Enter to select the one you want. You should now begin to hear the radio station.
    8. Optionally, press ALT+Control+Windows+T to hear the current song title.
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