Shuffle By Album Free is a simple ad-based application that randomly selects an album, plays the entire album, and then randomly selects another album to play. It is every bit as feature rich as the paid-for app Shuffle By Album, but it does include an ad control which cause cause additional battery drain – this is the major trade off from the free and paid-for versions.
Frequently asked questions:
Why does the battery drain faster with the free version? Because the ad control is using more of the device’s functionality than the paid-for, non-ad version.
Can I continue to play music with the screen locked? Yes, as of version 1.1, Shuffle By Album will continue to play while the screen is locked. Sorry that this got missed in 1.0!
Can I change the volume of the music? Yes, using the Windows Phone volume buttons.
How can I change tracks? If you tap the text of the current album or song, you will be shown a track list; tap whichever song you want and press the Back button on the handset to return to the main screen.
Why do I see more than one album cover at a time? The center album is currently playing album. The one to the left is the album that you just played and the one on the right is what’s coming next; tapping either of these will bring you to that album. Tapping the right album to select the next album will always show you a new random album; tapping the left album will use the last albums played.
How random is the album selection? It’s as random as a computer can be, so random that if you don’t have much music on your phone, you might get the same album twice in a row.
How can I rewind/fast forward in the current track? Press either of the volume buttons on the phone itself and the Audio Control will slide down; from there you can press and hold either Prev or Next to rewind/fast forward in the current song.
Why can’t I use this application while I’m syncing with a computer? Since Windows Phone 7 uses Zune itself to sync with computers, it cannot access the Zune music collection while it’s trying to build it. After you’ve completed your sync, you can restart Shuffle By Album.