AutoPause

AutoPause is a simple Obsidian plugin that automatically pauses playing audio when a new clip is played, with the option to reset to the beginning instead of just pausing. This is to allow for one audio stream maximum without needing to locate the previous playing file. It also includes hotkeys to iterate through audio elements and play/pause from any tab.

Features

• Automatically pauses playing audio when a new clip is played
• Option to reset to the beginning instead of just pausing
• Hotkey support for navigating through audio files in the current tab
  • Next audio: Navigate to and play the next audio file
  • Previous audio: Navigate to and play the previous audio file
  • Play/pause toggle: Pause currently playing audio or resume the last paused audio (works globally across all tabs)
• Option to prevent keyboard focus on audio player elements
• Works on desktop and mobile across tabs and document types.

Installation

Add to Obsidian via the Community Plugins Library in settings or:

1. Download the latest release from the Releases page (manifest.json and main.js)
2. Add these files to a folder called auto-pause in the Plugins folder of your Obsidian Vault
3. Reload Obsidian

Usage

• No interaction is required besides enabling the plugin.
• With an audio clip playing, starting another one will pause or stop the initial playing one depending on the setting.
• Use hotkeys to navigate between audio files on the currently active tab (configure in Settings > Hotkeys > AutoPause):
  • "Play next audio" - Cycles to the next audio file and plays it
  • "Play previous audio" - Cycles to the previous audio file and plays it
  • "Play/pause audio" - Pauses any currently playing audio anywhere, or resumes the last paused audio globally
• Tested and working with local audio files and the default Obsidian audio embed.

Settings

• Reset to beginning: When enabled, other audio clips will be reset to the beginning instead of just pausing. This is the same as stopping in other audio players.
• Prevent keyboard focus: When enabled, audio player elements cannot be focused with the keyboard after clicking the controls which can break the shortcuts.

Hotkeys

The plugin registers three commands that can be assigned hotkeys in Obsidian's hotkey settings:

• Play next audio: Cycles through audio files in forward order
• Play previous audio: Cycles through audio files in reverse order
• Play/pause audio: Toggles between play and pause - pauses currently playing audio or resumes the last paused audio

To assign hotkeys:

1. Go to Settings → Hotkeys
2. Search for "AutoPause" or the specific command names
3. Click the + button to assign your preferred key combination

Note: Hotkeys are blank by default and need to be manually configured by the user.