The Free Internet Cafe for the Blind & Visually Impaired, the first in the whole of Africa, which opens the World Wide Web, making The Gambia a leading light in Africa, with this technology by allowing free and total access to surf the net send and receive emails and for students to enhace their studies with the aid of this pioneering software. No more do they need to rely on a third party to read to them newspapers, magazines, books, letters and world wide information. Nonvision.KingfisherGambia.com - Spotify (novice)
 

spotify.com/en/

Spotify

Spotify website (opens in new window )

Level: novice

Spotify

http://www.spotify.com/en/

A wonderful source of free music – free if you don’t mind the adverts and £9.95 per month if you do and want to pay for uninterrupted listening. Great Value either way.

Although Spotify is web-based, you don’t use the WebbIE or Internet browser; and Spotify requires an invitation. You can’t just register yourself. So ask a friend who enjoys Spotify to invite you in and get you started.

Getting Started

Oddly enough, the first thing you do is to press Alt Then F4 to close the introduction screen which does not speak to us.

You are then faced with a screen containing around twelve video advert options and you can click on these and look and listen if you have a little sight. But the main business of listening to music is accomplished via the Menu options.

Here is a list of the keystrokes and a brief explanation of their purpose where necessary:

Create new play list = CONTROL then N. This is a bit like creating a new folder. After pressing Control N, type in a suitable name to represent the music going into the list and press ENTER.

Play/pause = SPACEBAR.

Next track = Control Right Cursor.

Previous track = CONTROL Left Cursor.

Volume up = CONTROL Up Cursor. Thunder users will be pleased that this and the volume down balance the volumes of the music and the Thunder speech very nicely.

Volume down = CONTROL Down Cursor.

Mute = SHIFT CONTROL Down Cursor.

Show help = F1

Give focus to address/search field = CONTROL L. Then type in what you want to hear and press ENTER. Your choice appears in its alphabetical position on the left side of the screen.

Go back a page = ALT Left Cursor.

Go forward = ALT Right Cursor.

Play selected track = ENTER ENTER.

Browse to album of selected tracks = CONTROL ENTER.

Browse to artist of selected Track = CONTROL ALT ENTER.

Hear the name of the track playing = TAB TAB TAB.

Preferences choice = CONTROL P.

Logout active user= CONTROL SHIFT W. This turns the music off.

Quit, Close = ALT F4. This leaves the music running.

Getting To Hear Your Music

With Spotify on screen, Press ALT F4 to get rid of the introduction page.

Press CONTROL L and type in what you want to hear, e.g. "Beatles" but without the quotation marks. Press ENTER.

To start listening, press CONTROL ENTER.

Press TAB three times to hear the name of the track.

CURSOR Down or Up to explore all the tracks but you have to press TAB three times when you want to hear the track title.

Press ENTER twice if it is a track you want to hear.

If you just want to relax, you can let the computer play all the tracks in turn.

For the expert, there is a well written help file, (F1) including a fuller list of keystrokes.

You can fully explore the Spotify screens with the mouse keys and set up screen markers so that you can quickly point to particular spots and activities. But, if you are new to all this, just enjoy the music for now and learn more later.

Enjoy Spotify. It’s great fun. I often have my choice of music running while I work and if I wanted to, it is pretty easy to buy online. All that when you get more experienced.

 

The Free Internet Cafe for the Blind & Visually Impaired, the first in the whole of Africa, which opens the World Wide Web, making The Gambia a leading light in Africa, with this technology by allowing free and total access to surf the net send and receive emails and for students to enhace their studies with the aid of this pioneering software. No more do they need to rely on a third party to read to them newspapers, magazines, books, letters and world wide information.