v1.6.0 - Deprecating Music

Scary and unfortunate title, I know. To make this announcement as easy to understand as possible, we'll be using a Q&A format to answer likely questions regarding this decision. Please let us know if you can think of anything else on our Discord, and we'll do our best to answer it.

• What does this mean for Audio Loader users?
  Music is not going away. Since it still works outside of during startup videos and desktop mode right now, we will continue to support it as a legacy feature. All that means is you now have to check a box explaining how to report issues and that fixes might not be made. However, we will not be providing updates for it unless a contributor is able to fix the issues described below.
• What does this mean for music submissions?
  Existing music will stay on DeckThemes for now. While we have no plans to get rid of the music currently on the platform, this may happen eventually should the music feature not be fixed. Future music submissions will be denied since music is now considered a legacy feature.
• When will this be finalized?
  We have completed the code changes and will be making a new release on our GitHub and the Decky plugin store as soon as possible.
• Why was this decision made?
  Unfortunately, recent breakages during startup videos and desktop mode caused by Steam client and Decky Loader updates respectively have been difficult to fix. Since we believe the music feature makes Audio Loader look incomplete and buggy, we have decided keeping it as an option while moving it to a different menu was the best approach.
• Is this decision permanent?
  If a contributor would like to maintain the music part of Audio Loader, they are welcome to investigate tackling the issues surrounding it. However, we have no plans to due to personal and software circumstances that make it too difficult.

What's Changed

• fix lockfile version by @beebls in #47
• 1.5.1: Fix decky env var implementation by @beebls in #49
• actually bump version (1.5.1) by @beebls in #50
• Consider music packs to be a legacy feature by @EMERALD0874 in #60

Full Changelog: v1.5.0...v1.6.0

Version 1.5.0 - Long Time No See

It's been way too long, this update has been finished multiple times before being sidelined by DFL bumps or other preoccupations. But it's here, and there's some nice goodies for users and pack devs.

• New Store
  • AudioLoader now has a similar store UI to that of CSSLoader
  • You can log in using your DeckThemes token to star themes
• Intro's On Music Packs
  • Music packs can now use a new manifest v3 feature, that is intro music.
  • If your music pack is manifest v3, and has a file named intro_music.mp3 (or a mappings entry mapping intro_music.mp3 to one or more other files), the intro music will now play once before audioloader then plays menu_music.mp3 indefinetely looping
• Window Object
  • AudioLoader now exposes window.AUDIOLOADER_MENUMUSIC, which gives play/pause and volume controls of the currently playing menu music to other plugin devs.
  • For example. this can be used to pause AudioLoader's menu music if your decky plugin plays its own music.
• Decky Env Vars
  • AudioLoader now properly implements Decky's environment variables for user path.
  • People with user accounts named something other than deck can now properly use AudioLoader
• Global DFL
  • AudioLoader now implements Global DFL
  • This will hopefully cut down on the amounts of "DFL Bump" updates that are needed when Valve breaks things, as now only Decky Loader will need to be updated

Version 1.4.0 - The start of the New API

The pack-db url has been changed from the github repository to the Deckthemes.com legacy audio endpoint.

This isn't the same account-integration overhaul that CSSLoader received, but it will come soon.

Version 1.1.0

• Add support for playing a music track outside of games.
• Removed deprecated Library Only setting and Reload Packs button which may be reconsidered later.
• Allows for the use of 1.1.0 packs, namely music packs.
• Change mentions of themes to packs.
• Fixed Reload Packs not changing menu entries.
• Fixed issue with having to restart Steam Deck to download newly added packs.