Basic usage

Learn how to use MUDE Music Player for your daily listening needs

Getting started

MUDE integrates seamlessly into VS Code’s status bar, providing intuitive controls for music playback while you work. Once installed and activated, you’ll see a headphone emoji (🎧) in your status bar.

Searching and playing music

1. Open music search

   Click the headphone emoji (🎧) in the status bar or use the Command Palette:

   • Press Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
   • Type “MUDE: Search Music”
   • Press Enter
2. Enter your search query

   Type the name of the song, artist, or album you want to listen to. MUDE searches YouTube Music for matching tracks.

3. Select a track

   Browse the search results and select your desired track. MUDE will:

   • Display a loading indicator while downloading
   • Automatically fetch recommendations for continuous playback
   • Start playing the track once download completes

MUDE downloads audio files to your VS Code global storage directory. These files are reused on subsequent plays for faster playback.

Playback controls

Once a track is playing, MUDE displays playback controls in the status bar:

Control	Icon	Action	Shortcut
Previous track	◀	Play the previous track from history	Command Palette: “MUDE: Play Previous Track”
Seek backward	◀	Jump back 10 seconds	Command Palette: “MUDE: -10 sec”
Play/Pause	▶/⏸	Toggle playback	Command Palette: “MUDE: Toggle Pause”
Seek forward	▶	Jump forward 10 seconds	Command Palette: “MUDE: +10 sec”
Next track	▶	Play the next recommended track	Command Palette: “MUDE: Play Next Track”
Track title	Text	Shows currently playing track	Click headphone emoji to search
Timestamp	00:00	Shows current playback position	Updates in real-time

Play/pause control

The play/pause button automatically updates based on the current playback state:

• Pause icon (⏸): Shows when music is playing - click to pause
• Play icon (▶): Shows when music is paused - click to resume

Seeking through tracks

Use the seek buttons to navigate within a track:

• Seek backward (◀): Jumps 10 seconds back
• Seek forward (▶): Jumps 10 seconds forward

You can use these controls multiple times in succession to skip larger time intervals (e.g., clicking seek forward 3 times skips 30 seconds).

Automatic playback and recommendations

MUDE enhances your listening experience with intelligent recommendations:

How recommendations work

1. Initial search

   When you select a track, MUDE immediately fetches related recommendations from YouTube Music.

2. Continuous playback

   When the current track finishes, MUDE automatically plays the next recommended track from the queue.

3. Queue navigation

   Use the Previous/Next track buttons to navigate through your recommendation queue:

   • Next button shows “Up next: [Track Name]” in the tooltip
   • Previous button lets you replay tracks you’ve already heard

Starting a new search resets your recommendation queue. If you want to return to previous tracks, use the Previous button instead of searching again.

Managing your queue

You can manually control the recommendation queue:

• Skip to next track: Click the Next track button (▶) or use “MUDE: Play Next Track”
• Go back: Click the Previous track button (◀) or use “MUDE: Play Previous Track”
• Check what’s next: Hover over the Next button to see the upcoming track title

State persistence

MUDE remembers your playback state across VS Code sessions:

What gets saved

• Last played track: The file path of your most recent track
• Playback position: MUDE attempts to restore your last position
• Recommendation queue: Your current queue and position within it

How restoration works

When you restart VS Code:

1. Extension activates

   MUDE starts MPV and checks for saved playback state.

2. State restoration

   If a previously played track exists and the file is still available, MUDE:

   • Loads the track into MPV
   • Sets the player to paused state
   • Displays the track title in the status bar
3. Resume playback

   Click the Play button to continue where you left off.

If the previously played file is no longer available, MUDE gracefully handles this and displays the stopped state. Simply search for a new track to start listening.

Tips for daily use

Efficient workflow

1. Keep the status bar visible: MUDE’s controls are always accessible in the status bar without interrupting your coding flow.

2. Use keyboard shortcuts: Add custom keybindings for MUDE commands:

   • Open VS Code settings
   • Search for “Keyboard Shortcuts”
   • Find MUDE commands and assign your preferred shortcuts

3. Let recommendations play: MUDE’s auto-play feature means you can start one song and enjoy hours of music without interruption.

Understanding status indicators

• 🎧 (headphone emoji): Extension is active - click to search
• $(loading~spin) Loading…: MUDE is downloading a track
• $(loading~spin) Downloading…: Track download in progress
• $(error) Error loading: Download or playback failed (see troubleshooting)
• Track title displayed: Currently playing or loaded
• Empty status bar: No track loaded - click headphone emoji to search

Multi-window support

MUDE works across multiple VS Code windows:

• The MPV player runs as a single instance
• Opening a new window refreshes the status bar to show current playback
• Playback continues even when switching between windows

Closing all VS Code windows will stop the MPV player and end playback. Your state will be saved and restored when you reopen VS Code.