> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getmotif.page/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Playback controls

> Play through a Library selection, seek, shuffle, repeat, control volume, and keep listening while you work.

# Playback controls

Selecting music in Motif creates a listening order from the Library view or collection you are currently browsing. The **Now Playing** bar remains at the bottom of the app while you move between Library and Studio areas.

## Start playback

Select a track row to play it. Motif uses the visible selection as the listening context, so **previous** and **next** move through the music you were browsing rather than through the entire Library indiscriminately.

Collection cards can also offer a play or shuffle action. Use this when you want to begin with the collection as a whole rather than choosing its first track yourself.

## Now Playing bar

The compact player contains:

* the current title and available creator information;
* **shuffle**;
* **previous**;
* **play / pause**;
* **next**;
* **repeat**;
* a seek bar with elapsed and total time;
* version-comparison controls when the track has multiple versions;
* mute and volume controls;
* an expand button for the full listening view.

Select the title area or the upward chevron to open the [expanded player](https://docs.getmotif.page/listening/expanded-player.md).

## Move through the current selection

Use **previous** and **next** to move through the current playback order.

Enable **shuffle** to randomize that order. An accent indicator under the shuffle icon shows that it is active. Disable it to return to the normal sequence.

## Repeat modes

Select the repeat control to cycle through:

1. **Repeat off** — playback follows the current order and stops or continues according to that order.
2. **Repeat all** — the current listening order starts again after its final track.
3. **Repeat one** — the current track repeats.

The icon changes for Repeat one, and an accent indicator appears whenever a repeat mode is active.

## Seek through a track

Select or drag along the progress bar to move to another point in the audio.

Keyboard shortcuts:

* press `←` to move backward 5 seconds;
* press `→` to move forward 5 seconds;
* press `Space` to play or pause.

The seek bar also works with supported streamed Tracked audio when Motif knows the track duration.

## Volume and mute

Drag the volume slider to set the playback level. Select the speaker icon to mute; select it again to restore the previous volume.

When the volume slider has keyboard focus, use the arrow keys to adjust it in steps.

## Keep listening while navigating

Playback continues when you:

* switch between Library views;
* open or close a collection;
* move into Studio;
* open Settings;
* expand or collapse the full player.

Changing to another track or changing the current playback order intentionally replaces the current listening context.

## Playback from Tracked

Tracked sources can contain remote audio. Motif can play supported audio from the connected service without first treating it as a local Library file.

Remote availability depends on the service connection and the source still being accessible. If you want a supported remote track as a local file, use its **Download** action. See [Save Tracked music locally](https://docs.getmotif.page/tracked/save-locally.md).

## When a track has versions

The Now Playing bar adds controls for stepping through related exports, hiding the version label for a blind comparison, and choosing a random version. These actions switch the audio while keeping you on the same underlying piece of music.

Read [Compare versions](https://docs.getmotif.page/library/versions.md) for the complete workflow.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.