---
title: "Play music"
description: "What happens when you tap a track, how to add music to the queue, and how to manage the queue."
url: https://help.volumio.com/en/articles/177-play-music
collection: "Getting started"
updated: 2026-11-13
language: en
---

# Play music

What happens when you tap a track, how to add music to the queue, and how to manage the queue.

## Tap a track

When you tap a track or a radio in `Browse` or `Search`, the device empties the queue, plays that track, and puts the rest of the list in the queue. For example, tap the third track of an album: the whole album goes in the queue, and playback starts from the third track.

Tapping an album, an artist or a playlist opens it.

> **Tip:** If tapping a track only adds it to the end of the queue, go to `Settings` → `Playback options` → `General playback options`, set `Playback mode` to `Continuous` and press `Save`.

## More ways to play

Tap `⋮` next to a track, album, playlist or radio:

-   `Play now` or `Clear and play`: empties the queue and plays only that item.
    
-   `Play next`: adds it right after the track that's playing.
    
-   `Add to queue`: adds it to the end of the queue.
    

On an album, artist or playlist page, you also find `Play all`, `Play next` and `Add to queue` at the top.

## The queue

Open `Queue` to see what's coming up:

-   Drag a track to move it.
    
-   Tap a track to play it.
    
-   Tap the remove button next to a track to take it out of the queue.
    
-   `Save`: saves the queue as a playlist.
    
-   `Clear`: empties the queue.
    

To choose what happens to the queue when the device restarts, go to `Settings` → `Playback options` → `General playback options` → `Persistent queue`: turn it on to keep the queue, or off to empty it at every restart. Then press `Save`.

To shuffle or repeat the queue, use the buttons in `Listening`.

## Related

- [Nova and Volumio 4](https://help.volumio.com/en/articles/172-nova-and-volumio-4.md)
- [Volumio app](https://help.volumio.com/en/articles/173-volumio-app.md)
- [Volumio in a browser](https://help.volumio.com/en/articles/174-volumio-in-a-browser.md)
- [Inputs and outputs](https://help.volumio.com/en/articles/175-inputs-and-outputs.md)
- [Power and standby](https://help.volumio.com/en/articles/176-power-and-standby.md)