Using the remote control

You can find the Android JmRemote app in the Google Play Store. It will come in handy when the Playlist window is in full screen mode and the buttons and lists are not visible on the computer screen.

When the JmRemote app is installed and running it will ask you to type the IP Addres of the computer. Go to the Preferences window in Serenade and select the Remote tab. You will see the IP Address of you computer there, type it in at the remote. Now check the "Remote control" option in the Preferences window. In Windows a Firewall message will appear that the program has been blocked and if you want to unblock it, press the unblock button. If you have done otherwise you can correct this by finding Serenade in Windows Firewall manager and unblock it. Now press the connect button in the JmRemote app on your Android device. The control buttons and the playlist will become visible.

It is asumed that you have a local network with Wifi in your home. That will be the case in most houses. If you don't have one or if you are away from home, playing for an audience in a public location, then you can create your own local wireless network (better known as portable WIFI hotspot) using your Android device. Most Android device have this option in the Wireless & Networks part of the Settings app. When it is set up you need to connect your computer to this local network. After that the procedure is the same as decribed above.

The help button on the JmRemote app will show the following explanation of the buttons:

Show Playlist: List the contents of the playlist in this device.
Show Filelist: List the folders and files of the filelist in this device.
Play / Stop: Start the playlist at the selected file or stop if already playing.
Pause / Resume: Pause while playing or resume when already paused.
Full Screen: Set the desktop computer to fullscreen, hiding the playlist and buttons. Set to normal when already in fullscreen.
Add / Remove: With the filelist showing, add the selected file to the playlist. With the playlist showing, remove the selected file from the playlist.
Activate File: With the filelist showing, if the selected file is a karaoke file then play it, if it is a picture then show it, if it is a playlist then add its files to the playlist, if it is a folder then add all the karaoke files inside it to the playlist."

Actions on the computer will not update the remote, press the Show Playlist or Show Filelist button to get the current situation.