Add MA_BETA14_IMPACT.md

Required by F-Droid for Flutter apps using --split-per-abi: each
per-ABI APK gets a unique versionCode = base * 10 + abiCode
(armeabi-v7a=1, arm64-v8a=2, x86_64=3).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 <noreply@anthropic.com>

MA_BETA14_IMPACT.md

@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+# Music Assistant 2.8.0 Beta 14 — Impact on Ensemble
+
+**Date:** 2026-03-03
+**Current server:** 2.8.0 beta 12
+**Target server:** 2.8.0 beta 14 (released March 2, 2026)
+
+---
+
+## Summary
+
+Beta 14 is a large release (50+ PRs). The headline change — merging multi-protocol players into a single entity — directly overlaps with Ensemble's client-side Cast↔Sendspin consolidation logic. Sendspin also received a major v4.0 overhaul. Most changes should degrade gracefully but player ID persistence will break on upgrade.
+
+---
+
+## Breaking: Player Merging (PR #3150)
+
+MA now merges players that support multiple protocols (e.g. a Chromecast with Cast + Sendspin) into a **single player entity** server-side. Previously these appeared as two separate players.
+
+> *"After this change, all your players will be reset. If you previously had multiple players in Music Assistant per protocol, this will now show up as one single player."*
+
+### What Ensemble does today
+
+Ensemble handles this client-side in `music_assistant_provider.dart:4271-4406`:
+
+- `_castToSendspinIdMap` maps Cast IDs → Sendspin IDs
+- When Sendspin is grouped: hides Cast player, shows Sendspin (renamed to base name)
+- When ungrouped: hides Sendspin, shows original Cast
+- Mappings persisted to database for cold start restoration
+
+### Impact on Ensemble
+
+| Component | Location | Impact | Severity |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `_castToSendspinIdMap` + consolidation logic | `provider:4271-4406` | Dead code — server no longer sends separate players | Medium |
+| `isManuallySyncedPlayer()` ID translation | `provider:533-595` | Lookups against stale map fail silently (returns `false`) | Low |
+| Player selection persistence | Settings + DB | **Stored player IDs invalid after upgrade** — all players reset | **High** |
+| `_handlePlayerUpdatedEvent()` ID matching | `provider:2956-3358` | Events arrive with new merged IDs, old translation won't match | Medium |
+| Database-persisted Cast↔Sendspin mappings | `DatabaseService` | Stale data, won't match anything | Low |
+
+### Assessment
+
+The consolidation logic should degrade gracefully — it won't find Sendspin suffixes to strip or Cast pairs to merge, so the server's already-merged players pass through `filterPlayers()` as-is. The main risk is **player selection breaking** because saved player IDs no longer exist.
+
+### Action required
+
+1. Verify the existing fallback logic (`provider:4427-4465`) gracefully re-selects when the stored `selectedPlayerId` doesn't exist in the player list
+2. Remove or gate the Cast↔Sendspin consolidation code behind a server version check (on beta 14+ it's unnecessary and could cause confusion)
+3. Clear stale database mappings on first connection to a beta 14+ server
+
+---
+
+## Sendspin v4.0 (PR #3158)
+
+Major rewrite of the Sendspin server.
+
+### Changes
+
+- New `SendspinPlaybackSession` coordinator architecture
+- Per-member DSP pipelines, dynamic group membership, late-join audio backfill
+- Max buffer capacity 5 → 30 seconds
+- Multiple Sendspin servers with automatic failover
+- Per-client codec/sample-rate/bit-depth options
+- Album artwork persists during skip/pause
+- Reduced latency for live streams
+
+### Impact on Ensemble
+
+| Change | Impact |
+|---|---|
+| New session architecture | **Likely compatible** — sendspin-js only bumped 2.0.0 → 2.0.1 (minor), suggesting wire protocol didn't fundamentally change |
+| Per-client codec options | `stream/start` may contain new fields — safe if Ensemble ignores unknown fields |
+| Multiple servers with failover | Ensemble's 3-tier connection strategy may need awareness |
+| Buffer increase | No client impact |
+
+### Action required
+
+1. Test Sendspin connection against beta 14 — verify `client/hello`, `stream/start`, state reporting all still work
+2. Confirm unknown fields in protocol messages are ignored gracefully
+
+---
+
+## Sendspin-Chromecast Bridge (PR #3255)
+
+Replaces the inline experimental Sendspin mode in `ChromecastPlayer` with a dedicated bridge. Cast devices now use a Cast receiver app with an embedded JS Sendspin client.
+
+### Impact on Ensemble
+
+- **Direct impact: None** — Ensemble is a Sendspin client itself, not going through Cast
+- **Indirect:** Changes how grouped Cast players behave, which could affect `GroupVolumeManager`
+
+---
+
+## Group Volume / Grouping Fixes
+
+| PR | Change | Ensemble Impact |
+|---|---|---|
+| #3192 | Fix grouping for players whose native protocol is also a protocol of other players | Bidirectional grouping translation — may affect group detection logic |
+| #3205 | Fix group mute for protocol-synced players (`player.state.group_members` vs `player.group_members`) | `GroupVolumeManager` may see different/correct member lists |
+| #3277 | Fix `volume_up`/`volume_down` for group players | Server-side fix, should improve behavior |
+| #3118 | Fix sync groups losing members on power off | Affects dynamic group management |
+
+### Action required
+
+1. Test group volume behavior — may "just work better" with server-side fixes
+2. Verify `GroupVolumeManager` handles any changes to `group_members` field population
+
+---
+
+## Sendspin Bug Fixes
+
+| PR | Fix | Ensemble Relevance |
+|---|---|---|
+| #3191 | DSP not applying for Sendspin players | DSP config stored on parent player, looked up by protocol player ID — now fixed |
+| #3249 | Update to aiosendspin 4.2.0 | Library update, potential behavior changes |
+| #3250 | Metadata sending wrong progress when paused | Progress reporting fix — Ensemble's position tracker may see better data |
+| #3258 | Floating point for internal audio data | Audio quality improvement, no client impact |
+
+---
+
+## New APIs — Opportunities
+
+| Feature | PR | Details | Ensemble Opportunity |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Playback speed | #3198 | `player_queues/set_playback_speed`, stored in `queue.extra_attributes["playback_speed"]` | Great for audiobooks/podcasts |
+| Save queue to playlist | #3149 | `save_as_playlist` command on player queue controller | Easy feature add |
+| Mixed-media playlists | #3216 | Playlists can contain tracks + podcasts + audiobooks. DB schema bumped to v30. `get_playlist_tracks()` returns `Sequence[PlaylistPlayableItem]` | Playlist screens may need to handle heterogeneous items |
+| Genres v2 | #3164 | New browsing category with icons and SVG support | New library section |
+
+---
+
+## Also Changed in Beta 13 (Skipped)
+
+Relevant changes from beta 13 (between current beta 12 and target beta 14):
+
+- Group volume mute support (#3034)
+- Frontend prepared for multiprotocol support (#1409) — groundwork for beta 14 merging
+- IPv6 support for zeroconf, stream server, AirPlay (#3086)
+- Snapcast player availability alignment (#3104)
+- DLNA reconnection fix (#3132)
+
+---
+
+## Recommended Action Plan
+
+### Before upgrading
+
+- [ ] Verify player selection fallback handles missing player IDs gracefully
+- [ ] Back up current configuration
+
+### Immediate (after upgrading)
+
+- [ ] Test Sendspin protocol compatibility (connection, streaming, state reporting)
+- [ ] Test player list — confirm merged players appear correctly without client-side consolidation
+- [ ] Test group volume behavior with new server-side fixes
+- [ ] Test player selection persistence across app restarts
+
+### Short-term
+
+- [ ] Remove or version-gate Cast↔Sendspin consolidation code
+- [ ] Clear stale database mappings on beta 14+ detection
+- [ ] Test mixed-media playlist handling if playlists are used
+
+### Opportunistic
+
+- [ ] Add playback speed control (audiobook/podcast feature)
+- [ ] Add save-queue-to-playlist
+- [ ] Explore Genres v2 browsing

README.md

@@ -86,6 +86,13 @@ This application was built with AI-assisted development using **Claude Code** an
 - **Skip Controls** - Skip forward/backward during playback
 - **High-Resolution Artwork** - Fetched via iTunes for best quality
 
+### Android Auto
+- **Media Browsing** - Browse your library from your car's display with categories for Home, Music, Audiobooks, Podcasts, and Radio
+- **Voice Search** - Find and play tracks using voice commands
+- **Full Playback Controls** - Play, pause, and skip from your car's head unit
+- **Album Art & Metadata** - Track info and artwork displayed on your car's screen
+- **Smart Queueing** - Tap any track in an album or playlist to play from that point with the full queue
+
 ### Smart Features
 - **Instant App Restore** - App loads instantly with cached library data while syncing in background
 - **Auto-Reconnect** - Automatically reconnects when connection is lost
@@ -141,6 +148,17 @@ If you run Music Assistant as a Home Assistant add-on:
 - Use the IP address of your Home Assistant server
 - Do **not** use your Home Assistant URL or ingress URL
 
+### Android Auto
+
+Since Ensemble is not installed from the Play Store, you need to enable unknown sources in Android Auto:
+
+1. Open **Android Auto** settings on your phone
+2. Tap the **Version** number at the bottom 10 times to enable developer mode
+3. Tap the three-dot menu and open **Developer settings**
+4. Enable **Unknown sources**
+5. Connect your phone to your car via USB or wirelessly
+6. Ensemble will appear in Android Auto's app list
+
 ### Remote Access
 
 For access outside your home network, you'll need to expose Music Assistant through a reverse proxy (e.g., Traefik, Nginx Proxy Manager, Cloudflare Tunnel).
@@ -157,10 +175,7 @@ For access outside your home network, you'll need to expose Music Assistant thro
 A huge thank you to my sponsors! 💖
 
 <a href="https://github.com/pcsokonay"><img src="https://github.com/pcsokonay.png" width="60px" alt="pcsokonay" /></a>
-
-## Contributors
-
-<a href="https://github.com/antoinevandenhurk"><img src="https://github.com/antoinevandenhurk.png" width="60px" alt="antoinevandenhurk" /></a>
+<a href="https://github.com/githubchb"><img src="https://github.com/githubchb.png" width="60px" alt="githubchb" /></a>
 
 ## License
 

android/app/build.gradle

@@ -77,6 +77,16 @@ android {
     }
 }
 
+def abiCodes = ['armeabi-v7a': 1, 'arm64-v8a': 2, 'x86_64': 3]
+android.applicationVariants.configureEach { variant ->
+    variant.outputs.each { output ->
+        def abiVersionCode = abiCodes[output.getFilter('ABI')]
+        if (abiVersionCode != null) {
+            output.versionCodeOverride = variant.versionCode * 10 + abiVersionCode
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 flutter {
     source '../..'
 }

lib/providers/music_assistant_provider.dart

@@ -3063,7 +3063,7 @@ class MusicAssistantProvider with ChangeNotifier {
             _cacheService.setCachedTrackForPlayer(playerId, mergedTrack);
             _logger.log('📋 Merged album info into existing track for $playerName: ${albumName}');
           } else {
-            _logger.log('📋 Skipped caching for $playerName - already have better data (artist: $existingHasProperArtist, image: $existingHasImage)');
+            _logger.debug('📋 Skipped caching for $playerName - already have better data (artist: $existingHasProperArtist, image: $existingHasImage)');
           }
 
           // For selected player, _updatePlayerState() is already called above which fetches queue data
@@ -4556,7 +4556,7 @@ class MusicAssistantProvider with ChangeNotifier {
         return;
       }
       // Sendspin PCM player - continue to start timer
-      _logger.log('🔔 Starting notification timer for Sendspin PCM player');
+      _logger.debug('🔔 Starting notification timer for Sendspin PCM player');
     }
 
     // Only run timer if player is playing
@@ -4800,7 +4800,7 @@ class MusicAssistantProvider with ChangeNotifier {
   /// Called when playback stops (player state becomes idle)
   void _startIdleServiceTimer() {
     _idleServiceTimer?.cancel();
-    _logger.log('⏱️ Starting idle service timer (${_idleServiceTimeout.inMinutes} min)');
+    _logger.debug('⏱️ Starting idle service timer (${_idleServiceTimeout.inMinutes} min)');
     _idleServiceTimer = Timer(_idleServiceTimeout, () {
       _logger.log('⏱️ Idle service timeout reached - stopping foreground service');
       audioHandler.stopService();
@@ -5730,7 +5730,7 @@ class MusicAssistantProvider with ChangeNotifier {
 
         final itemJsonList = queue.items.map((item) => jsonEncode(item.toJson())).toList();
         await DatabaseService.instance.saveQueue(playerId, itemJsonList);
-        _logger.log('💾 Persisted ${queue.items.length} queue items to database');
+        _logger.debug('💾 Persisted ${queue.items.length} queue items to database');
       } catch (e) {
         _logger.log('⚠️ Error persisting queue to database: $e');
       }

lib/services/audio/massiv_audio_handler.dart

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import '../../models/media_item.dart' as ma;
 
 /// Custom AudioHandler for Ensemble that provides full control over
 /// notification actions and metadata updates.
-class MassivAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with SeekHandler {
+class MassivAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandler {
   final AudioPlayer _player = AudioPlayer();
   final AuthManager authManager;
   final _logger = DebugLogger();
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ class MassivAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with SeekHandler {
   /// Called from _MusicAssistantAppState.initState().
   void setProvider(MusicAssistantProvider provider) {
     _autoProvider = provider;
+    _logger.log('AndroidAuto: provider set');
   }
 
   // Media ID constants — root categories
@@ -377,7 +378,10 @@ class MassivAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with SeekHandler {
   Future<List<MediaItem>> getChildren(String parentMediaId,
       [Map<String, dynamic>? options]) async {
     final provider = _autoProvider;
-    if (provider == null) return [];
+    if (provider == null) {
+      _logger.log('AndroidAuto: getChildren("$parentMediaId") — provider not set yet');
+      return [];
+    }
 
     // Ensure provider is connected — AA may browse before app is fully ready
     if (!provider.isConnected) {

lib/services/music_assistant_api.dart

@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ class MusicAssistantAPI {
   void _handleMessage(dynamic message) {
     try {
       final data = jsonDecode(message as String) as Map<String, dynamic>;
-      _logger.log('Received message: ${data.keys}');
+      _logger.debug('Received message: ${data.keys}');
 
       // Check for server info message (first message on connect)
       if (data.containsKey('server_version')) {
@@ -1981,7 +1981,7 @@ class MusicAssistantAPI {
               currentIndex = queueResult['current_index'] as int?;
               shuffleEnabled = queueResult['shuffle_enabled'] as bool?;
               repeatMode = queueResult['repeat_mode'] as String?;
-              _logger.log('🔀 Queue metadata: shuffle_enabled=$shuffleEnabled, repeat_mode=$repeatMode');
+              _logger.debug('🔀 Queue metadata: shuffle_enabled=$shuffleEnabled, repeat_mode=$repeatMode');
 
               final currentItemData = queueResult['current_item'] as Map<String, dynamic>?;
               final currentItemName = currentItemData?['name'] as String?;
@@ -2017,7 +2017,7 @@ class MusicAssistantAPI {
           }
 
           if (items.isEmpty) {
-            _logger.log('⚠️ Queue is empty or all items failed to parse');
+            _logger.debug('⚠️ Queue is empty or all items failed to parse');
             return null;
           }
 

lib/services/position_tracker.dart

@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class PositionTracker {
     Duration? duration,
     double? serverTimestamp,
   }) {
-    _logger.log('⏱️ PositionTracker.updateFromServer: pos=${position.toStringAsFixed(1)}s, isPlaying=$isPlaying, playerId=$playerId');
+    _logger.debug('⏱️ PositionTracker.updateFromServer: pos=${position.toStringAsFixed(1)}s, isPlaying=$isPlaying, playerId=$playerId');
     final bool playerChanged = _playerId != playerId;
     final bool playStateChanged = _isPlaying != isPlaying;
     final bool durationChanged = duration != null && _duration != duration;
@@ -179,11 +179,11 @@ class PositionTracker {
       final newAnchorPos = anchorIsGettingStale && !playerChanged && !playStateChanged && isPlaying
           ? currentInterpolated  // Keep our interpolated position, just refresh the anchor time
           : anchorPos;           // Use server position for other cases
-      _logger.log('⏱️ PositionTracker: Anchor updated ${_anchorPosition.toStringAsFixed(1)}s -> ${newAnchorPos.toStringAsFixed(1)}s (playerChanged=$playerChanged, playStateChanged=$playStateChanged, positionDiff=${positionDiff.toStringAsFixed(1)}, suspiciousReset=$isSuspiciousReset, anchorStale=$anchorIsGettingStale)');
+      _logger.debug('⏱️ PositionTracker: Anchor updated ${_anchorPosition.toStringAsFixed(1)}s -> ${newAnchorPos.toStringAsFixed(1)}s (playerChanged=$playerChanged, playStateChanged=$playStateChanged, positionDiff=${positionDiff.toStringAsFixed(1)}, suspiciousReset=$isSuspiciousReset, anchorStale=$anchorIsGettingStale)');
       _anchorPosition = newAnchorPos;
       _anchorTime = DateTime.now();
     } else if (positionDiff > 2) {
-      _logger.log('⏱️ PositionTracker: Anchor NOT updated (suspiciousReset=$isSuspiciousReset, staleTimestamp=$hasStaleTimestamp, interpolated=${currentInterpolated.toStringAsFixed(1)}s)');
+      _logger.debug('⏱️ PositionTracker: Anchor NOT updated (suspiciousReset=$isSuspiciousReset, staleTimestamp=$hasStaleTimestamp, interpolated=${currentInterpolated.toStringAsFixed(1)}s)');
     }
 
     _isPlaying = isPlaying;
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ class PositionTracker {
 
   /// Clear tracker state (e.g., when disconnecting)
   void clear() {
-    _logger.log('⏱️ PositionTracker.clear() called');
+    _logger.debug('⏱️ PositionTracker.clear() called');
     _stopInterpolationTimer();
     _playerId = null;
     _isPlaying = false;
@@ -238,17 +238,17 @@ class PositionTracker {
 
   void _startInterpolationTimer() {
     if (_interpolationTimer != null) {
-      _logger.log('⏱️ PositionTracker: Timer already running, skipping start');
+      _logger.debug('⏱️ PositionTracker: Timer already running, skipping start');
       return;
     }
 
-    _logger.log('⏱️ PositionTracker: Starting interpolation timer (anchor=${_anchorPosition.toStringAsFixed(1)}s)');
+    _logger.debug('⏱️ PositionTracker: Starting interpolation timer (anchor=${_anchorPosition.toStringAsFixed(1)}s)');
     _interpolationTimer = Timer.periodic(const Duration(milliseconds: 250), (timer) {
       // Log every 4 ticks (1 second) if no emission happened
       if (timer.tick % 4 == 0) {
         final pos = currentPosition;
         if (pos.inSeconds == _lastEmittedSeconds) {
-          _logger.log('⏱️ PositionTracker: Timer tick ${timer.tick}, pos=${pos.inSeconds}s unchanged');
+          _logger.debug('⏱️ PositionTracker: Timer tick ${timer.tick}, pos=${pos.inSeconds}s unchanged');
         }
       }
       _emitPosition();
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ class PositionTracker {
   }
 
   void _stopInterpolationTimer() {
-    _logger.log('⏱️ PositionTracker: Stopping interpolation timer (was ${_interpolationTimer != null ? "running" : "null"})');
+    _logger.debug('⏱️ PositionTracker: Stopping interpolation timer (was ${_interpolationTimer != null ? "running" : "null"})');
     _interpolationTimer?.cancel();
     _interpolationTimer = null;
   }
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ class PositionTracker {
     // Only emit if second changed (reduces unnecessary updates)
     if (seconds != _lastEmittedSeconds) {
       _lastEmittedSeconds = seconds;
-      _logger.log('⏱️ PositionTracker: Emitting position ${seconds}s (anchor=${_anchorPosition.toStringAsFixed(1)}s, playing=$_isPlaying)');
+      _logger.debug('⏱️ PositionTracker: Emitting position ${seconds}s (anchor=${_anchorPosition.toStringAsFixed(1)}s, playing=$_isPlaying)');
       _positionController.add(pos);
     }
   }

lib/services/sendspin_service.dart

@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ class SendspinService {
 
     try {
       final json = jsonEncode(message);
-      _logger.log('Sendspin: Sending message: ${message['type']}');
+      _logger.debug('Sendspin: Sending message: ${message['type']}');
       _channel!.sink.add(json);
     } catch (e) {
       _logger.log('Sendspin: Error sending message: $e');

lib/widgets/expandable_player.dart

@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ class ExpandablePlayerState extends State<ExpandablePlayer>
     _logger.log('📊 Subscribing to positionStream for progress bar');
     _positionSubscription = maProvider.positionTracker.positionStream.listen((position) {
       if (!mounted) return;
-      _logger.log('📊 Progress received position: ${position.inSeconds}s');
+      _logger.debug('📊 Progress received position: ${position.inSeconds}s');
       _progressNotifier.value = position.inSeconds;
     });
   }

pubspec.yaml

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name: ensemble
 description: A minimalistic Music Assistant client built with Flutter
 publish_to: 'none'
-version: 3.0.4+56
+version: 3.0.5+57
 
 environment:
   sdk: '>=3.0.0 <4.0.0'