[API Request] Artist-independent search and recency filter for getTopSongs

[codesoap]

Type of change

API extension

Proposal description

The getTopSongs endpoint currently finds the top songs for a given artist. In my music listening patterns, I frequently search for songs I have recently played a lot. It would be helpful to me, if the API could give me top songs of the recent history, independent of artist.

Backward compatibility impact

I think the getTopSongs endpoint could be tweaked without breaking current behaviour. The name of the existing endpoint does not imply a restriction to a single artist, so I think it fits.

Backward compatibility

• No backward compatibility impact.

API details

These changes could be made to the getTopSongs endpoint:

• artist/id query parameters become optional. If they are missing, the search is not restricted to a single artist.
• A boolean recent query parameter. If it is set, top tracks of the recent history are returned.

For last.fm, user.getTopTracks could implement this. It returns top songs independent of artists, and has an optional period filter with the following options: overall, 7day, 1month, 3month, 6month, 12month. If recent=True, e.g. the filter 1month could be used.

PS: I intend to use a custom backend instead of last.fm, songmem. It has a "frecency" sorting, without a specific cutoff time, (see https://wiki.mozilla.org/User:Jesse/NewFrecency for the algorithm). That's why I'm suggesting a boolean instead of copying the period filter—it grants more freedom in the implementation.

Security impacts

No response

Potential issues

No response

Alternative solutions

No response