Feature Request: Integrated Song Discovery + One-Tap Download via slskd

[swappertedium6j]

Summary

Add support for discovering and downloading songs that are not already in the user’s library directly from the app interface, powered by slskd. (https://github.com/slskd/slskd)

The goal is to make music discovery and playlist expansion seamless by allowing users to search, preview, recommend, and download tracks without leaving the app.

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1. Search Results Should Include Non-Library Tracks

Current Behavior

The search feature only shows tracks that already exist in the user’s library.

Proposed Behavior

When a user searches for a song, artist, or album:

• Show:

  • Existing library matches
  • Additional tracks not currently in the library

• Non-library tracks should include:

  • Preview/play button
  • Download button
  • Basic metadata (artist, album, bitrate/format if available)

Example:

Library
______________________________
Song Title — Artist
Song Title — Artist
-----
External
______________________________
Song Title — Artist.............[Download icon]
[Tap to Preview] 

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2. Playlist Recommendations

At the end of every playlist, show 5 recommended tracks based on:

• Tracks in the playlist
• Listening patterns
• Similar artists/albums/genres/language

Each recommendation should include:

• tap to preview button
• Download button

Below the recommendations:

[Refresh Recommendations]

Pressing refresh should generate 5 new recommendations.

This would make playlist expansion feel dynamic and encourage music discovery.

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3. slskd Integration for Downloads

When the user presses the download button:

Workflow

1. App sends an API request to the user’s configured slskd server
2. slskd searches for matching files
3. App selects the best match according to quality preferences
4. Download begins automatically
5. User can monitor progress directly in the app

Download Status UI with the settings page

The app should display:

• Searching
• Queued
• Downloading
• Completed
• Failed/Stalled

If a download stalls or fails:

• Automatically retry with another search result or re-search for the track with variations like removing the artist name from the search quarry.
• Optionally allow manual source selection

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4. Library Integration

Example workflow:

App → slskd download folder → Navidrome library scan

Once the track finishes downloading:

• Navidrome detects the new file
• The song automatically appears in the library
• Downloaded songs can immediately become part of library

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5. Quality Profiles

Add configurable download quality presets:

Audiophile

Preferred:

• 24-bit FLAC

Fallbacks:

• 16-bit FLAC

Balanced

Preferred:

• Standard FLAC
• 320kbps MP3

Fallbacks:

• 256kbps AAC/MP3

Space Saver

Preferred:

• 128–192kbps AAC/MP3

Fallbacks:

• Any smaller compatible format

The app should automatically choose the best available file matching the selected profile.

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Benefits

• Seamless music discovery
• Faster playlist building
• Fully self-hosted workflow
• Tight integration with Navidrome + slskd ecosystems
• Reduced friction between discovering and acquiring music
• Better experience for collectors and audiophiles

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Notes

This feature would effectively turn the app into a hybrid:

• Music player
• Discovery engine
• Self-hosted acquisition client

while keeping the user fully in control of their own infrastructure via slskd and Navidrome.

A very similar feature is currently implemented in Yuzic (https://github.com/eftpmc/yuzic). Could use it to learn how tap to preview works or how slskd api can be used.

[MathieuDubart]

Thanks for the detailed write-up.

This is out of scope for Cassette. The app is a playback client for your existing self-hosted library — not a music acquisition tool or P2P download manager.

Integrating slskd would effectively turn Cassette into a Soulseek client, which raises both App Store compliance issues and a fundamental conflict with the project's philosophy: Cassette is built around content you already own and host yourself.

Closing as out of scope.