Plex Endpoint Support / Plexamp Headless

[nadanre]

I just had a little conversation with the Plex-Support, asking about the state of plex endpoint integration. As of their last roadmap Plex Endpoint/Plexamp Headless support is listed under "actively working on".
According to the support they are still evaluating it and are in fact not actively working on it. I really would like to see headless plexamp on the wiim ultra, because the current implementation is really flawed.
For example: Under artist pages there are only albums shown, no eps or live-albums or compilations.
Also preset-playlists only contain the first 500 tracks...
From my understanding it should be easier to implement a true plex endpoint, than trying to implement all the functions "manually" and bit by bit within the wiim home app.
I guess there are a few others that would like to see this feature, since also chromecast with plexamp is really in dire need of an update, since it doesnt even show track, or artist names not even talking about album art. But from my understanding that is something the Plex/Plexamp team would need to fix/implement.

All that aside, I am still really happy with the plex support so far, and all the improvements that have been made so far.
All the best to all of you,
Navid

 

[TimTim]

I have a large collection of flac files on my Plex server and use wimm app, Works as it should no transcoding etc but without some of the bells and whistles.
Listen to music, browse and search.fine

Search never works for me. The results are beyond erratic.

 

[Roedelheim]

For exactly this I run a Pi5 with a Hifiberry Digi Pro HAT and use the optical in from my (Amp) Ultra. But if you wanted your Ultra only for Plex it might be worth to think new.

 

[simbun]

Search never works for me. The results are beyond erratic.

It's an API call (GET /hubs/search?query=Beatles&contentDirectoryID=3 in my case) so if the results are erratic it's likely a Plex fault.
The searches are visible in the 'Plex Media Server.log' once debugging has been enabled, though unfortunately you can't see the results.

 

[TimTim]

It's an API call (GET /hubs/search?query=Beatles&contentDirectoryID=3 in my case) so if the results are erratic it's likely a Plex fault.
The searches are visible in the 'Plex Media Server.log' once debugging has been enabled, though unfortunately you can't see the results.

If I search for an artist in Plexamp, I’ll get a list of all the albums by that artist. In WHA I’ll get a selection with a couple of things missing which might show up if I search for the album title. It’s been like this forever. Other people on here don’t seem to have that problem. So maybe it’s related to large collections only. Maybe there’s a limit to the number of results for that API call. If LMS wasn’t a lot slower than Plex, I’d just stick to that.

 

[simbun]

So maybe it’s related to large collections only. Maybe there’s a limit to the number of results for that API call.

Creating the registry key EnableDatabaseTrace instructs Plex to log all database queries.
Each search triggers 4 database queries which appear to relate to album, artist, track and ? The problem is, each can only return a maximum of 4 rows (using the LIMIT 4 sql clause).
Does that match what you're seeing?

If LMS wasn’t a lot slower than Plex, I’d just stick to that.

If you're on Android have you tried using Symfonium with Plex (or with a better server)?

 

[pieterv1]

Hi everyone, a nasty surprise today.

I just purchased several Wiim devices and was very disappointed to find that the Wiim Ultra can't be a Plexamp endpoint.
I have a large and well-tagged music library, so I can't live without Plexamp.
So far, I've been using a Raspberry Pi 4 with a DAC without any problems. Of course, I never would have thought that an Ultra couldn't replace this equipment. I've already contacted support, asking them to answer my question about whether implementation is planned or not. If it isn't, there are two options: either give up on the Wiim devices or get the Raspberry Pi back and equip it with a Toslink output...

If you are running your Plex library on a NAS or on a always-on PC, check out Home Assistant, in combination with the Music Assistant plugin. This will allow you to set up your WiiM devices as an Airplay destination, Plexamp endpoint etc...

The Music Assistant service acts as an intermediate layer - it picks up on the Ultra's built-in UPnP capabilities and will then "advertise" it to the other protocols you set up (Airplay, Plex...). On your phone or computer it'll look like it is a natively supported device, directly accessible from Plexamp.

 

[TimTim]

Creating the registry key EnableDatabaseTrace instructs Plex to log all database queries.
Each search triggers 4 database queries which appear to relate to album, artist, track and ? The problem is, each can only return a maximum of 4 rows (using the LIMIT 4 sql clause).
Does that match what you're seeing?

If you're on Android have you tried using Symfonium with Plex (or with a better server)?

Haven’t had the time to inspect logs but this seems to make a lot of sense. Just searched for „James Brown“ in the WHA. Without quotation marks, the search seems to be for just „James“ as James Brown doesn’t show up in the results. With quotation marks, he does and I get a selection of about 20 albums. Plexamp offers about 50 and I don’t need quotation marks.

Unfortunately I don’t own any Android devices.

 

[simbun]

Haven’t had the time to inspect logs but this seems to make a lot of sense. Just searched for „James Brown“ in the WHA. Without quotation marks, the search seems to be for just „James“ as James Brown doesn’t show up in the results. With quotation marks, he does and I get a selection of about 20 albums.

I've only looked at the queries related directly to my search term at present, but mine are all hard limited to 4 results so I'm surprised you're seeing 20; I wonder if it's because I'm using a free account (I'm not a Plex user).

Notice the 'LIMIT 4' at the end, showing it's very much a Plex imposed constraint on this API.

SELECT metadata_items.id
FROM   metadata_items
       JOIN metadata_items AS parents
         ON metadata_items.parent_id = parents.id
       JOIN metadata_items AS children
         ON children.parent_id = metadata_items.id
WHERE  ( metadata_items.title = 'beatles'
          OR metadata_items.title_sort = 'beatles'
          OR metadata_items.original_title = 'beatles' )
       AND metadata_items.library_section_id IN ( 3 )
       AND ( metadata_items.metadata_type = 9
             AND ( metadata_items.remote IS NULL ) )
ORDER  BY parents.title_sort COLLATE icu_root ASC,
          metadata_items.title_sort COLLATE icu_root ASC,
          metadata_items.`index` ASC,
          metadata_items.id ASC,
          metadata_items.originally_available_at ASC
LIMIT  4 offset 0;

 

[music8148]

As already mentioned in this thread:

J

Thread 'Plex Integration (In-App and as Plexamp Player)'

Mar 6, 2024

I really love the WiiM Amp so far. Most music I listen with the Amp is using Plexamp + Chromecast to WiiM Amp.

A native Plex Integration would be highly appreciated. Integrated in the WiiM Home App and additionally as Plexamp compatible player in the network since listening to music with Plexamp is way more fun.

I would absolutely beta test this feature.

• jxrxme
• Replies: 125
• Forum: Feature request for WiiM Amp, Amp Pro, & Amp Ultra

• 

After a day of testing, Wiim Ultra and Wiim Pro Plus worked quite well as endpoints for Plexamp. They're good, except that starting songs is much slower, taking about 5-6 seconds, while gapless playback works. Perhaps the slowdown in song loading can be improved with some settings. Waiting for the Wiim engineers to work on it...
Method: Install (in my case on a Raspberry PI 4) Home Assistant and Music Assistant on a Raspberry Pi, Mini PC, or NAS.
If you'd like, I can post the entire procedure; knowing how, it's very quick. I can only talk about Raspberry Pi, but there are guides on YouTube for installing it on a NAS via VM or Docker, or on a Mini PC. The relatively more complicated part is configuring Music Assistant; it's actually 3 clicks. On Music Assistant, you need to install the Providers (Plex Media Server) and the Plex Connect Plugin (this plugin must then be added to the WiiM players), UPNP/DLNA players must be added from "Devices and Services" within Music Assistant "Players". It is important to properly configure these players (which correspond to the WiiM devices), even in the advanced sections; nothing difficult. If you want, I can provide further instructions.

 

[azoriusmage]

I bought my Ultra around the time it came out excepting that it would fully support Plex soon. Now I’m just using it in the bedroom and I’m back to a Pi feeding a dac for the main system. Supposedly the endpoint thing is still being worked on. If that ever happens, the Ultra would be the one device I’d recommend. You might want to look into LMS on a Pi.

On roadmap for over a year do not hold your breath they have been very vague in plexamp headless client

 

[music8148]

Fix: "These are valid, except that loading the album for track 1 is significantly slower, taking about 5-6 seconds, while seamless playback works. Perhaps the slow loading of tracks can be improved with some settings. Let's wait for the WiiM engineers to work on it..."