I recently installed Plexamp for my Managed Users (my kids) on their respective PCs. We noticed that they do not have access to the Sonic stations on the home page. After messing around with their content Restrictions, I learned that if I DO NOT include any “Allow Only Labels” or “Exclude Labels” then the Sonic stations show up. Once I add either an “Allow Only Labels” or “Exclude Labels” then the Sonic stations go away.
I tried the same thing with a non-managed user but they are part of my Plex Home. The exact same thing happens.
Are Sonic stations designed NOT to work with library restrictions?
UPDATE: I’m classifying this as a BUG. It is obvious Sonic features are supposed to be working correctly even with content restrictions in place.
Okay, this gets more confusing. The Show Similar Tracks option still works and so does the Sonically Similar Tracks results (though only one track is ever shown).
Sorry, I believe there are limitations imposed on stations when restrictions have been added. I’m not sure if it should include the Sonic Adventures (likely not).
Thanks for the reply Elan. I guess I don’t understand the reason for the limitations. It appears so many other items that require Sonic Analysis to work, do work with the same restrictions. Things like Guest DJ and Show Similar Tracks.
Also, since all the Sonic Analysis results are dynamically created at time of the listing, why can those listing just excluded restricted items?
We’ll look to make the Mix Builders available in this scenario in the future. Sonic Adventure doesn’t take into account labels/restrictions so it will continue to be disabled for accounts so restricted.
Does this mean the Guest DJs and Show Similar Tracks is going to be disabled for restricted accounts too? I’m assuming they use Sonic Analysis as well.
So, no “Guest DJs.” No “Show Similar Tracks.” No “Sonic Adventure.”
Hmm, so I guess I shouldn’t be recommending a Plex Pass subscription (to use Plexamp) to anyone who uses my server because I might be using restrictions on their shares.
I mean, why should anyone really use Plexamp over a regular Plex app if they don’t get Sonic? Okay, loudness normalizations can be nice if my media isn’t already normalized (but most of it is) and Sweet Fades (but my wife and kids turned that feature off because they don’t like it).
Oh, I guess I could set up separate libraries for restricted media. What a pain…but you already have recommended doing just that…
Let’s not forget you have already recommended that Plex admins set up a separate Music Library for Christmas (and I’m going to have to set up another for children music too) because Sonic Analysis fails to use media tags for filtering.
Wouldn’t it just be easier to have a programmer build in the ability for Sonic to respect restrictions and media tag filters than to keep pulling out features, which also requires programming too?
Plexamp is very cool, but now you are removing the features that make it cool.
Disabling features is pretty much the same thing, no?
Anyway, not trying to argue language usage, but my point was that I’m losing the ability to use a feature that was marketed, and is very cool. There was nothing that these features would not work with restrictions. I get it, no one realized it was going to be a problem. I’m just disappointed to be learning the final decision on the matter: features are being disabled for users who have content restrictions placed on them.
It now appears based on my post and @WashingtonMatt post that maybe the lack of restriction usage for music media is because of the need to turn it off to get all the desired features working again.
Correct, “removing.” Thanks for clearing that up. And, I didn’t realize it shouldn’t be showing up in the first place. I just thought it was a bug not to see some of those features yet see them elsewhere; not that some of the features were showing up at all. I’m glad I could help you debug Plexamp. I do try to help out around here by reporting bugs on the forums as Plex has requested. And, some of those reported bugs have become fixes in previous patches.
I believe this is the only place in Plex ecosystem where this will be happening (lack of features due to restrictions on content). It also isn’t because of those restrictions; it is because developers made the choice not to respect the restrictions in the feature.
Please understand too that “restrictions” can be used for more than just protecting minors. I am using restrictions on Movies and TV Shows to allow me to create custom “Collections” and custom “Editions” of media viewable only to specific users. Collections like “Movies Specifically Recommended for [Family X]” for example.
As a programmer myself, I don’t see how it would be that difficult to have Sonic respect those restrictions during the database query, but perhaps I’m not seeing the full picture. It doesn’t seem to be much more than an “Advance Filter” query users of restricted content can do currently. However, in Sonic’s case it is looking at the Sonic Analysis data instead of/or with the other tagged data.
If you can’t tell yet, I do really like Sonic Analysis. I’ve been “selling” the idea of Plexamp to others mainly because of Sonic Analysis. It’s extremely hard to see the best features being disable/removed/never meant to be offered for those who are being shared a limited/restricted list of media.
