Audio content auditioning by playback device

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 playback device to:

• play back a first media item, wherein the first media item is provided by a media streaming service;
• while playing back the first media item, receive a voice command to enter a preview mode in which the playback device is configured to initiate playback of each of two or more media items for a predetermined duration that is configurable based on user input received via an interface of a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the playback device;
• before entering the preview mode and initiating playback of two or more second media items in the preview mode,
• cause the computing device to display, via the interface of the computing device, one or more configuration options by which a user can provide the user input configuring the predetermined duration for which each of the two or more second media items should be played back during the preview mode, and
• receive, from the computing device, an indication of the predetermined duration as configured based on the user input;
• responsive to receiving the voice command, enter the preview mode and thereby (i) suspend playback of the first media item by muting the playback of the first media item and (ii) initiate playback each of the two or more second media items for the predetermined duration as configured on the user input;
• and
• terminate the preview mode and thereby (i) terminate playback of the two or more second media items, and (ii) resume playback of the first media item.

A method carried out by a playback device, the method comprising:

• playing back a first media item, wherein the first media item is provided by a media streaming service;
• while playing back the first media item, receiving a voice command to enter a preview mode in which the playback device is configured to initiate playback of each of two or more media items for a predetermined duration that is configurable based on user input received via an interface of a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the playback device;
• before entering the preview mode and initiating playback of two or more second media items in the preview mode,
• causing the computing device to display, via the interface of the computing device, one or more configuration options by which a user can provide the user input configuring the predetermined duration for which each of the two or more second media items should be played back during the preview mode, and
• receiving, from the computing device, an indication of the predetermined duration as configured based on the user input;
• responsive to receiving the voice command, entering the preview mode and thereby (i) suspending playback of the first media item by muting the playback of the first media item and (ii) initiating playback of each of the two or more second media items for the predetermined duration as configured based on the user input;
• and
• terminating the preview mode and thereby (i) terminating playback of the two or more second media items, and (ii) resuming playback of the first media item.