Android 13 -- Media Player

[Jerry Kee]

So, updated my Pixel 6 to Android 13 last night. At the dl screen, it highlights some of the new features. One of the new features is an "updated media player with album artwork and a fun playback bar." What media player are they talking about? The only one that I see that is native is Google Play Music, which has been shelved, right?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jerry Kee]

So, updated my Pixel 6 to Android 13 last night. At the dl screen, it highlights some of the new features. One of the new features is an "updated media player with album artwork and a fun playback bar." What media player are they talking about? The only one that I see that is native is Google Play Music, which has been shelved, right?

Thanks in advance.

 

[puppykickr]

Probably just some sorry stock music player.

Most devices have one built in for music, and sometimes video too.

Generally, they are not so great.

 

[mikedt]

So, updated my Pixel 6 to Android 13 last night. At the dl screen, it highlights some of the new features. One of the new features is an "updated media player with album artwork and a fun playback bar." What media player are they talking about? The only one that I see that is native is Google Play Music, which has been shelved, right?

Thanks in advance.

Yup. Google Play Music is dead, long live Google Play Music.
https://killedbygoogle.com/

I believe the successor is YouTube Music.

 

[ocnbrze]

it comes with youtube music i believe:
https://devicehelp.optus.com.au/google/pixel-6-pro-android-12-0/basic-functions/use-music-player/

 

[svim]

Yeah, Google killed off its Play Music app and substituted it with the YouTube Music app. And instead of just transferring our accumulated audio library purchases over for us, Google instead opted to forced that responsibility on us (odd given that all that data resided on their servers). While it did give a lot of prior notice, if you had bought a lot of content via Google Music and didn't bother to copy it over yourself, it's now gone.

For the most part I'm getting more and more leery about relying upon various Google services. Personally, I'd go into whatever Google media player apps you find in your Settings >> Apps menu and either uninstall the ones that transferred over or disable the preinstalled ones (if possible). There are plenty of really good, reputable third-party media player apps like PowerAmp or VLC, etc. that have really extensive feature sets and support a wider range of different file types/codecs.

 

[mikedt]

FWIW I never used Google Play Music. But did try YouTube Music recently, however that required I enter payment details into my Google Account with a "Two week free trial"...NOT going to happen!

I've been using Foobar2000 as my go to music player for few years now.

 

[Hadron]

Google have such a record of launching things and then changing or dropping them that I generally ignore any new service they launch as I don't expect it to last long.

One reason I prefer to use third party apps for most things is that I don't need to worry about either Google or the manufacturer changing them with a system update. It also means I can change manufacturer without my app changing. The other is that you can almost always find a better app that way.

 

[Jerry Kee]

Thanks, All. Like many of you, I like various third-party apps (VLC being the go-to), but, still, why would the update screen tout the enhancements to a media player that doesn't exist, or, if it is an enhancement to YT Music, then say YT Music! I will tweet the image relentlessly mentioning @Google until I get an answer (or until I run out of steam -- which is more likely to be the case).

 

[svim]

Thanks, All. Like many of you, I like various third-party apps (VLC being the go-to), but, still, why would the update screen tout the enhancements to a media player that doesn't exist, or, if it is an enhancement to YT Music, then say YT Music! I will tweet the image relentlessly mentioning @Google until I get an answer (or until I run out of steam -- which is more likely to be the case).

Since this is apparently a fixation you can't just ignore as inconsequential, look in your Settings >> Apps menu, be sure to enable the Show system option so every app (your installed apps plus all pre-installed, system apps), and look for the corresponding app in question.

 

[Jerry Kee]

Since this is apparently a fixation you can't just ignore as inconsequential, look in your Settings >> Apps menu, be sure to enable the Show system option so every app (your installed apps plus all pre-installed, system apps), and look for the corresponding app in question.

Well, I won't deny that my fixation is fueled by my OCD-ish traits, but still, don't tell me something is there when it isn't. Why in the world would a media player be hidden among sys apps. Anyhoo, I went to android.com/13 and a page or so down it shows the "media player", which I would call more of a widget. I'm playing a song in VLC and the widget gives me controls. Whatev. I'm officially done obsessing on this! Onward to my next obsession!

 

[2oldseniors]

So, updated my Pixel 6 to Android 13 last night. At the dl screen, it highlights some of the new features. One of the new features is an "updated media player with album artwork and a fun playback bar." What media player are they talking about? The only one that I see that is native is Google Play Music, which has been shelved, right?

Thanks in advance.

I just started a new thread on this on the pixel 4 forum but yes you are correct a new media player is a part of android 13 ota install but the issue I ran into it does not appear within the app of either YouTube or the yt music apps I discovered that if I opened yt music app and then minimized it then a soft glow at top of phone where pulldown for quick settings is at poof there was the new player but not big and large but a smaller version could be due to my small screen size I hope this helps you some and also let me know if this is how it works for you on a pixel 6 that way if it's supposed to be within the apps then we all know it's a google thing and hopefully it will get fixed