Systems and methods for networked music playback

A client station comprising:

• a network interface that is configured to communicatively couple the client station to a cloud-based computing system via at least one data network;
• a user interface;
• at least one processor;
• a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium;
• and
• a media-playback application for a cloud-based media service stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the media-playback application comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the client station is configured to:
• operate in a first mode in which the client station is configured to play back media from a local playback queue that is associated with the media-playback application for the cloud-based media service, wherein the local playback queue comprises data identifying one or more media items from the cloud-based media service that are queued for play back by the client station;
• while operating in the first mode, (i) receive, via the network interface from the cloud-based computing system, an indication that at least a first zone player is available for play back of media from the cloud-based media service, (ii) detect, via the user interface, a selection of a first indicator displayed while running the media-playback application that facilitates transfer of playback responsibility from the client station to any zone player that is available for playback of media from the cloud-based media service, and (iii) thereafter detect, via the user interface, a selection of a second indicator while running the media-playback application that represents the first zone player;
• in response to detecting the selection of the second indicator that represents the first zone player, (i) transition the client station from operating in the first mode to operating in a second mode in which the client station is no longer configured to play back media from the local playback queue associated with the media-playback application for the cloud-based media service and is instead configured to control the first zone player's playback of media from the cloud-based media service and (ii) cause, via the network interface and the cloud-based computing system, the first zone player to become configured to play back media from a remote playback queue that is provided between the client station and the first zone player and is synchronized with the local playback queue associated with the media-playback application for the cloud-based media service such that the remote playback queue comprises data identifying at least a portion of the one or more media items from the cloud-based media service that were identified in the local playback queue associated with the media-playback application.

A computing system comprising:

• a network interface that is configured to communicatively couple the computing system to a first zone player via at least a cloud-based network;
• at least one processor;
• a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium;
• and
• program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to:
• receive, via the network interface from the first zone player, a first indication that the first zone player is available for media play back;
• transmit, via the network interface to a client station installed with a media-playback application for a cloud-based media service, a second indication that at least the first zone player is available for play back of media from the cloud-based media service;
• receive, via the network interface from the client station, a third indication that at least the first zone player has been selected to play back media from the cloud-based media service;
• provide a remote playback queue that is associated with the first zone player and the client station, wherein the remote playback queue comprises data identifying a set of one or more media items for play back;
• and
• based on receiving the third indication, transmit, via the network interface to the first zone player, (i) an instruction for the first zone player to accept playback responsibility for the remote playback queue and (ii) data for retrieving at least a first media item identified in the remote playback queue from the cloud-based media service.