Priority media content

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a cloud-based computing system to:

• maintain (i) a scheduled playlist of media items for playback by one or more playback devices, (ii) a current playback position within the scheduled playlist of media items, and (iii) a priority media item for playback by the one or more playback devices, wherein the priority media item is not included in the scheduled playlist of media items;
• while the current playback position within the scheduled playlist of media items is advancing, receive, from a first playback device associated with a user account at a first time, a first request to play back the scheduled playlist of media items;
• based on the received first request, transmit the priority media item to the first playback device for playback beginning before playback of any media item from the scheduled playlist of media items by the first playback device;
• after transmitting the priority media item to the first playback device associated with the user account, receive, from a second playback device associated with the user account at a second time, a second request to play back the scheduled playlist of media items;
• determine that the priority media item should not be transmitted to the second playback device associated with the user account;
• and
• after determining that the priority media item should not be transmitted to the second playback device associated with the user account, transmit one or more media items from the scheduled playlist of media items to the second playback device for playback based on the current playback position within the scheduled playlist of media items.

A method carried out by a cloud-based computing system, the method comprising:

• maintaining (i) a scheduled playlist of media items for playback by one or more playback devices, (ii) a current playback position within the scheduled playlist of media items, and (iii) a priority media item for playback by the one or more playback devices, wherein the priority media item is not included in the scheduled playlist of media items;
• while the current playback position within the scheduled playlist of media items is advancing, receiving, from a first playback device associated with a user account at a first time, a first request to play back the scheduled playlist of media items;
• based on the received first request, transmitting the priority media item to the first playback device for playback beginning before playback of any media item from the scheduled playlist of media items by the first playback device;
• after transmitting the priority media item to the first playback device associated with the user account, receiving, from a second playback device associated with the user account at a second time, a second request to play back the scheduled playlist of media items;
• determining that the priority media item should not be transmitted to the second playback device associated with the user account;
• and
• after determining that the priority media item should not be transmitted to the second playback device associated with the user account, transmitting one or more media items from the scheduled playlist of media items to the second playback device for playback based on the current playback position within the scheduled playlist of media items.