remove redundant restAPI

playback is controlled by state machine

.gitea/workflows/release.yaml

@@ -19,11 +19,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Setup .NET 9
-        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
-        with:
-          dotnet-version: '9.0.x'
-
       - name: Verify .NET installation
         run: dotnet --version
 
@@ -128,3 +123,51 @@ jobs:
 
           echo "Release created successfully!"
           echo "View at: ${GITEA_URL}/${REPO_OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}/releases/tag/${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}"
+
+      - name: Calculate checksum
+        id: checksum
+        run: |
+          CHECKSUM=$(md5sum "${{ steps.jprm.outputs.artifact }}" | awk '{print $1}')
+          echo "checksum=${CHECKSUM}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "MD5 checksum: ${CHECKSUM}"
+
+      - name: Update manifest.json
+        run: |
+          VERSION="${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version_number }}"
+          CHECKSUM="${{ steps.checksum.outputs.checksum }}"
+          TIMESTAMP=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
+          ARTIFACT_NAME="${{ steps.jprm.outputs.artifact_name }}"
+          REPO_OWNER="${{ github.repository_owner }}"
+          REPO_NAME="${{ github.event.repository.name }}"
+          GITEA_URL="${{ github.server_url }}"
+          DOWNLOAD_URL="${GITEA_URL}/${REPO_OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}/releases/download/${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}/${ARTIFACT_NAME}"
+
+          # Create the new version entry
+          NEW_VERSION=$(cat <<EOF
+          {
+            "version": "${VERSION}",
+            "changelog": "Release ${VERSION}",
+            "targetAbi": "10.10.0.0",
+            "sourceUrl": "${DOWNLOAD_URL}",
+            "checksum": "${CHECKSUM}",
+            "timestamp": "${TIMESTAMP}"
+          }
+          EOF
+          )
+
+          # Prepend new version to the versions array in manifest.json
+          jq --argjson newver "${NEW_VERSION}" '.[0].versions = [$newver] + .[0].versions' manifest.json > manifest.tmp.json
+          mv manifest.tmp.json manifest.json
+
+          echo "Updated manifest.json:"
+          cat manifest.json
+
+      - name: Commit and push manifest
+        env:
+          GITEA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          git config user.name "Gitea Actions"
+          git config user.email "actions@gitea.tourolle.paris"
+          git add manifest.json
+          git commit -m "Update manifest.json for ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}"
+          git push origin HEAD:master

Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/Api/JellyLmsController.cs

@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;
+using System.Linq;
 using System.Net.Mime;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using Jellyfin.Data.Enums;
 using Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Models;
 using Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Services;
+using MediaBrowser.Controller.Entities;
+using MediaBrowser.Controller.Entities.Audio;
+using MediaBrowser.Controller.Library;
+using MediaBrowser.Model.Entities;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authorization;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
@@ -22,22 +28,22 @@ public class JellyLmsController : ControllerBase
 {
     private readonly ILmsApiClient _lmsClient;
     private readonly LmsPlayerManager _playerManager;
-    private readonly LmsSessionManager _sessionManager;
+    private readonly ILibraryManager _libraryManager;
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="JellyLmsController"/> class.
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="lmsClient">The LMS API client.</param>
     /// <param name="playerManager">The player manager.</param>
-    /// <param name="sessionManager">The session manager.</param>
+    /// <param name="libraryManager">The library manager.</param>
     public JellyLmsController(
         ILmsApiClient lmsClient,
         LmsPlayerManager playerManager,
-        LmsSessionManager sessionManager)
+        ILibraryManager libraryManager)
     {
         _lmsClient = lmsClient;
         _playerManager = playerManager;
-        _sessionManager = sessionManager;
+        _libraryManager = libraryManager;
     }
 
     /// <summary>
@@ -183,108 +189,85 @@ public class JellyLmsController : ControllerBase
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Gets all active playback sessions.
+    /// Discovers file paths used by Jellyfin's music libraries.
+    /// Helps users configure path mappings for direct file access.
     /// </summary>
-    /// <returns>List of active sessions.</returns>
+    /// <returns>Sample file paths from each music library.</returns>
-    [HttpGet("Sessions")]
+    [HttpGet("DiscoverPaths")]
     [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
-    public ActionResult<List<LmsPlaybackSession>> GetSessions()
+    public ActionResult<DiscoveredPathsResponse> DiscoverPaths()
     {
-        return Ok(_sessionManager.GetActiveSessions());
+        var response = new DiscoveredPathsResponse();
+
+        // Get sample audio files from the library
+        var query = new InternalItemsQuery
+        {
+            IncludeItemTypes = [BaseItemKind.Audio],
+            Limit = 50,
+            Recursive = true
+        };
+
+        var items = _libraryManager.GetItemsResult(query).Items;
+
+        // Extract unique path prefixes
+        var pathPrefixes = new HashSet<string>();
+
+        foreach (var item in items)
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(item.Path))
+            {
+                continue;
             }
 
+            // Add sample paths
+            if (response.SamplePaths.Count < 5)
+            {
+                response.SamplePaths.Add(item.Path);
+            }
+
+            // Try to find common path prefixes
+            var path = item.Path.Replace('\\', '/');
+            var parts = path.Split('/');
+
+            // Build prefix from first few directory levels
+            if (parts.Length > 2)
+            {
+                // Try different prefix lengths to find common ones
+                for (var i = 2; i <= Math.Min(4, parts.Length - 1); i++)
+                {
+                    var prefix = string.Join('/', parts.Take(i));
+                    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(prefix) && !prefix.Contains('.', StringComparison.Ordinal))
+                    {
+                        pathPrefixes.Add(prefix);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Sort prefixes by length (shorter = more general)
+        response.DetectedPrefixes = pathPrefixes
+            .OrderBy(p => p.Length)
+            .Take(10)
+            .ToList();
+
+        return Ok(response);
+    }
+}
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Response containing discovered file paths from Jellyfin libraries.
+/// </summary>
+public class DiscoveredPathsResponse
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets sample file paths from the music library.
+    /// </summary>
+    public List<string> SamplePaths { get; set; } = [];
+
     /// <summary>
-    /// Starts playback of a Jellyfin item on LMS players.
+    /// Gets or sets detected common path prefixes.
     /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="request">The playback request.</param>
+    public List<string> DetectedPrefixes { get; set; } = [];
-    /// <returns>The created session.</returns>
-    [HttpPost("Sessions/Play")]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status400BadRequest)]
-    public async Task<ActionResult<LmsPlaybackSession>> StartPlayback([FromBody] StartPlaybackRequest request)
-    {
-        var session = await _sessionManager.StartPlaybackAsync(request.ItemId, request.PlayerMacs, request.UserId)
-            .ConfigureAwait(false);
-
-        if (session == null)
-        {
-            return BadRequest("Failed to start playback");
-        }
-
-        return Ok(session);
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Pauses a playback session.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <returns>Success status.</returns>
-    [HttpPost("Sessions/{sessionId}/Pause")]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status404NotFound)]
-    public async Task<ActionResult> PauseSession(string sessionId)
-    {
-        var success = await _sessionManager.PauseSessionAsync(sessionId).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        return success ? Ok() : NotFound();
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Resumes a paused playback session.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <returns>Success status.</returns>
-    [HttpPost("Sessions/{sessionId}/Resume")]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status404NotFound)]
-    public async Task<ActionResult> ResumeSession(string sessionId)
-    {
-        var success = await _sessionManager.ResumeSessionAsync(sessionId).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        return success ? Ok() : NotFound();
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Stops a playback session.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <returns>Success status.</returns>
-    [HttpPost("Sessions/{sessionId}/Stop")]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status404NotFound)]
-    public async Task<ActionResult> StopSession(string sessionId)
-    {
-        var success = await _sessionManager.StopSessionAsync(sessionId).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        return success ? Ok() : NotFound();
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Seeks to a position in the playback session.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <param name="request">The seek request.</param>
-    /// <returns>Success status.</returns>
-    [HttpPost("Sessions/{sessionId}/Seek")]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status404NotFound)]
-    public async Task<ActionResult> SeekSession(string sessionId, [FromBody] SeekRequest request)
-    {
-        var success = await _sessionManager.SeekAsync(sessionId, request.PositionTicks).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        return success ? Ok() : NotFound();
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Sets the volume for all players in a session.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <param name="request">The volume request.</param>
-    /// <returns>Success status.</returns>
-    [HttpPost("Sessions/{sessionId}/Volume")]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
-    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status404NotFound)]
-    public async Task<ActionResult> SetSessionVolume(string sessionId, [FromBody] VolumeRequest request)
-    {
-        var success = await _sessionManager.SetVolumeAsync(sessionId, request.Volume).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        return success ? Ok() : NotFound();
-    }
 }
 
 /// <summary>
@@ -316,37 +299,3 @@ public class CreateSyncGroupRequest
     [Required]
     public List<string> SlaveMacs { get; set; } = [];
 }
-
-/// <summary>
-/// Request to start playback.
-/// </summary>
-public class StartPlaybackRequest
-{
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Gets or sets the Jellyfin item ID.
-    /// </summary>
-    [Required]
-    public Guid ItemId { get; set; }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Gets or sets the LMS player MAC addresses.
-    /// </summary>
-    [Required]
-    public List<string> PlayerMacs { get; set; } = [];
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Gets or sets the optional user ID.
-    /// </summary>
-    public Guid? UserId { get; set; }
-}
-
-/// <summary>
-/// Request to seek to a position.
-/// </summary>
-public class SeekRequest
-{
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Gets or sets the position in ticks.
-    /// </summary>
-    public long PositionTicks { get; set; }
-}

Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/Configuration/PluginConfiguration.cs

@@ -1,7 +1,24 @@
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using MediaBrowser.Model.Plugins;
 
 namespace Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Configuration;
 
+/// <summary>
+/// Represents a path mapping between Jellyfin and LMS file paths.
+/// </summary>
+public class PathMapping
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the path prefix as seen by Jellyfin.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string JellyfinPath { get; set; } = string.Empty;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the same path prefix as seen by LMS.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string LmsPath { get; set; } = string.Empty;
+}
+
 /// <summary>
 /// Plugin configuration for JellyLMS.
 /// </summary>
@@ -62,4 +79,76 @@ public class PluginConfiguration : BasePluginConfiguration
     /// Gets or sets the Jellyfin API key for authenticating stream requests from LMS.
     /// </summary>
     public string JellyfinApiKey { get; set; } = string.Empty;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets a value indicating whether to use direct file paths instead of HTTP streaming.
+    /// When enabled, LMS accesses files directly from shared storage, enabling native seeking.
+    /// </summary>
+    public bool UseDirectFilePath { get; set; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the media path prefix as seen by Jellyfin.
+    /// Used for path mapping when UseDirectFilePath is enabled.
+    /// Deprecated: Use PathMappings instead. Kept for backwards compatibility.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string JellyfinMediaPath { get; set; } = string.Empty;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the media path prefix as seen by LMS.
+    /// Used for path mapping when UseDirectFilePath is enabled.
+    /// Deprecated: Use PathMappings instead. Kept for backwards compatibility.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string LmsMediaPath { get; set; } = string.Empty;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the list of path mappings between Jellyfin and LMS.
+    /// Each mapping allows files from different locations to be played via direct file access.
+    /// </summary>
+    public List<PathMapping> PathMappings { get; set; } = new();
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the timeout in seconds when waiting for LMS to start playback.
+    /// </summary>
+    public int LoadingTimeoutSeconds { get; set; } = 5;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the timeout in seconds when waiting for a seek operation to complete.
+    /// </summary>
+    public int SeekTimeoutSeconds { get; set; } = 3;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the polling interval in milliseconds during state transitions.
+    /// </summary>
+    public int TransitionPollIntervalMs { get; set; } = 300;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the number of automatic retries for transient failures.
+    /// </summary>
+    public int MaxAutoRetries { get; set; } = 2;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets all effective path mappings, including legacy single mapping if configured.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <returns>Enumerable of all configured path mappings.</returns>
+    public IEnumerable<PathMapping> GetAllPathMappings()
+    {
+        // Return configured list mappings first
+        foreach (var mapping in PathMappings)
+        {
+            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(mapping.JellyfinPath) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(mapping.LmsPath))
+            {
+                yield return mapping;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Fall back to legacy single mapping for backwards compatibility
+        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(JellyfinMediaPath) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(LmsMediaPath))
+        {
+            yield return new PathMapping
+            {
+                JellyfinPath = JellyfinMediaPath,
+                LmsPath = LmsMediaPath
+            };
+        }
+    }
 }

Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/Configuration/configPage.html

@@ -141,6 +141,47 @@
                         </div>
                     </div>
 
+                    <div class="verticalSection">
+                        <h3>Direct File Access (Optional)</h3>
+                        <p class="fieldDescription">If LMS and Jellyfin share the same storage (e.g., NAS), enable direct file access for native seeking support. This provides smooth seeking without audio restart.</p>
+
+                        <div class="checkboxContainer checkboxContainer-withDescription">
+                            <label class="emby-checkbox-label">
+                                <input id="UseDirectFilePath" name="UseDirectFilePath" type="checkbox" is="emby-checkbox" />
+                                <span>Enable Direct File Access</span>
+                            </label>
+                            <div class="fieldDescription checkboxFieldDescription">When enabled, LMS will access files directly instead of streaming via HTTP</div>
+                        </div>
+
+                        <div id="directPathSettings" style="margin-top: 15px;">
+                            <h4 style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Path Mappings</h4>
+                            <p class="fieldDescription">Map Jellyfin paths to LMS paths. Add multiple mappings if your music and podcasts are in different locations.</p>
+
+                            <div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
+                                <button is="emby-button" type="button" id="btnDiscoverPaths" class="raised button-alt emby-button">
+                                    <span>Discover Jellyfin Paths</span>
+                                </button>
+                                <span id="discoverStatus" style="margin-left: 10px;"></span>
+                            </div>
+
+                            <div id="discoveredPaths" style="display: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 10px; background: rgba(0,0,0,0.2); border-radius: 4px;">
+                                <strong>Detected Jellyfin paths:</strong>
+                                <ul id="detectedPrefixList" style="margin: 5px 0; padding-left: 20px;"></ul>
+                                <div class="fieldDescription">Click a path to use it as the Jellyfin path in a new mapping</div>
+                            </div>
+
+                            <div id="pathMappingsList">
+                                <!-- Dynamic path mappings will be added here -->
+                            </div>
+
+                            <div style="margin-top: 10px;">
+                                <button is="emby-button" type="button" id="btnAddMapping" class="raised button-alt emby-button">
+                                    <span>+ Add Mapping</span>
+                                </button>
+                            </div>
+                        </div>
+                    </div>
+
                     <div class="verticalSection">
                         <h3>Player Sync</h3>
                         <p class="fieldDescription">Select players to sync together for multi-room audio. Synced players play in perfect sync.</p>
@@ -406,6 +447,113 @@
                 });
             }
 
+            // Path Mapping Functions
+            function renderPathMappings(mappings) {
+                var container = document.querySelector('#pathMappingsList');
+                if (!mappings || mappings.length === 0) {
+                    container.innerHTML = '<p class="fieldDescription">No path mappings configured. Click "Discover Jellyfin Paths" to get started.</p>';
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                var html = '';
+                mappings.forEach(function(mapping, index) {
+                    html += '<div class="path-mapping-row" style="display: flex; gap: 10px; align-items: flex-end; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 10px; background: rgba(0,0,0,0.1); border-radius: 4px;">';
+                    html += '<div style="flex: 1;">';
+                    html += '<label class="inputLabel inputLabelUnfocused">Jellyfin Path</label>';
+                    html += '<input type="text" is="emby-input" class="mapping-jellyfin-path" data-index="' + index + '" value="' + (mapping.JellyfinPath || '') + '" placeholder="/media/music" />';
+                    html += '</div>';
+                    html += '<div style="flex: 1;">';
+                    html += '<label class="inputLabel inputLabelUnfocused">LMS Path</label>';
+                    html += '<input type="text" is="emby-input" class="mapping-lms-path" data-index="' + index + '" value="' + (mapping.LmsPath || '') + '" placeholder="/mnt/music" />';
+                    html += '</div>';
+                    html += '<button is="emby-button" type="button" class="raised button-alt emby-button btnRemoveMapping" data-index="' + index + '" style="margin-bottom: 0;">';
+                    html += '<span>Remove</span>';
+                    html += '</button>';
+                    html += '</div>';
+                });
+                container.innerHTML = html;
+
+                // Add remove handlers
+                container.querySelectorAll('.btnRemoveMapping').forEach(function(btn) {
+                    btn.addEventListener('click', function() {
+                        var idx = parseInt(this.getAttribute('data-index'));
+                        JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings.splice(idx, 1);
+                        renderPathMappings(JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings);
+                    });
+                });
+
+                // Update stored mappings when inputs change
+                container.querySelectorAll('.mapping-jellyfin-path, .mapping-lms-path').forEach(function(input) {
+                    input.addEventListener('change', function() {
+                        var idx = parseInt(this.getAttribute('data-index'));
+                        if (this.classList.contains('mapping-jellyfin-path')) {
+                            JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings[idx].JellyfinPath = this.value;
+                        } else {
+                            JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings[idx].LmsPath = this.value;
+                        }
+                    });
+                });
+            }
+
+            function addPathMapping(jellyfinPath, lmsPath) {
+                JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings = JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings || [];
+                JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings.push({
+                    JellyfinPath: jellyfinPath || '',
+                    LmsPath: lmsPath || ''
+                });
+                renderPathMappings(JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings);
+            }
+
+            function discoverPaths() {
+                var statusDiv = document.querySelector('#discoverStatus');
+                statusDiv.innerHTML = '<span style="color: orange;">Discovering...</span>';
+
+                ApiClient.ajax({
+                    url: ApiClient.getUrl('JellyLms/DiscoverPaths'),
+                    type: 'GET',
+                    dataType: 'json'
+                }).then(function(result) {
+                    statusDiv.innerHTML = '';
+                    var discoveredDiv = document.querySelector('#discoveredPaths');
+                    var prefixList = document.querySelector('#detectedPrefixList');
+
+                    if (result.DetectedPrefixes && result.DetectedPrefixes.length > 0) {
+                        discoveredDiv.style.display = 'block';
+                        var html = '';
+                        result.DetectedPrefixes.forEach(function(prefix) {
+                            html += '<li><a href="#" class="detected-prefix-link" data-path="' + prefix + '" style="color: #00a4dc;">' + prefix + '</a></li>';
+                        });
+                        prefixList.innerHTML = html;
+
+                        // Add click handlers to use detected paths
+                        prefixList.querySelectorAll('.detected-prefix-link').forEach(function(link) {
+                            link.addEventListener('click', function(e) {
+                                e.preventDefault();
+                                addPathMapping(this.getAttribute('data-path'), '');
+                            });
+                        });
+                    } else {
+                        discoveredDiv.style.display = 'block';
+                        prefixList.innerHTML = '<li>No audio files found in library</li>';
+                    }
+                }).catch(function(err) {
+                    statusDiv.innerHTML = '<span style="color: red;">Discovery failed</span>';
+                    console.error('Path discovery failed:', err);
+                });
+            }
+
+            function getPathMappingsFromUI() {
+                var mappings = [];
+                document.querySelectorAll('.path-mapping-row').forEach(function(row) {
+                    var jellyfinPath = row.querySelector('.mapping-jellyfin-path').value;
+                    var lmsPath = row.querySelector('.mapping-lms-path').value;
+                    if (jellyfinPath || lmsPath) {
+                        mappings.push({ JellyfinPath: jellyfinPath, LmsPath: lmsPath });
+                    }
+                });
+                return mappings;
+            }
+
             document.querySelector('#JellyLmsConfigPage')
                 .addEventListener('pageshow', function() {
                     Dashboard.showLoadingMsg();
@@ -418,6 +566,19 @@
                         document.querySelector('#ConnectionTimeoutSeconds').value = config.ConnectionTimeoutSeconds || 10;
                         document.querySelector('#EnableAutoSync').checked = config.EnableAutoSync !== false;
                         document.querySelector('#DefaultPlayerMac').value = config.DefaultPlayerMac || '';
+                        document.querySelector('#UseDirectFilePath').checked = config.UseDirectFilePath || false;
+
+                        // Load path mappings (new list format, with fallback to legacy single mapping)
+                        JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings = config.PathMappings || [];
+                        // If no list mappings but legacy single mapping exists, show it
+                        if (JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings.length === 0 && config.JellyfinMediaPath && config.LmsMediaPath) {
+                            JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings = [{
+                                JellyfinPath: config.JellyfinMediaPath,
+                                LmsPath: config.LmsMediaPath
+                            }];
+                        }
+                        renderPathMappings(JellyLmsConfig.pathMappings);
+
                         Dashboard.hideLoadingMsg();
 
                         loadPlayers();
@@ -460,6 +621,11 @@
                         config.ConnectionTimeoutSeconds = parseInt(document.querySelector('#ConnectionTimeoutSeconds').value) || 10;
                         config.EnableAutoSync = document.querySelector('#EnableAutoSync').checked;
                         config.DefaultPlayerMac = document.querySelector('#DefaultPlayerMac').value;
+                        config.UseDirectFilePath = document.querySelector('#UseDirectFilePath').checked;
+                        // Save path mappings (clear legacy single mapping when using list)
+                        config.PathMappings = getPathMappingsFromUI();
+                        config.JellyfinMediaPath = '';
+                        config.LmsMediaPath = '';
                         ApiClient.updatePluginConfiguration(JellyLmsConfig.pluginUniqueId, config).then(function (result) {
                             Dashboard.processPluginConfigurationUpdateResult(result);
                         });
@@ -468,6 +634,16 @@
                     e.preventDefault();
                     return false;
                 });
+
+            document.querySelector('#btnDiscoverPaths')
+                .addEventListener('click', function() {
+                    discoverPaths();
+                });
+
+            document.querySelector('#btnAddMapping')
+                .addEventListener('click', function() {
+                    addPathMapping('', '');
+                });
         </script>
     </div>
 </body>

Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/Models/LmsPlaybackSession.cs

@@ -9,9 +9,14 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Models;
 public enum PlaybackState
 {
     /// <summary>
-    /// Playback is stopped.
+    /// Device connected, no media loaded.
     /// </summary>
-    Stopped,
+    Idle,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Play command sent, waiting for LMS to confirm playback started.
+    /// </summary>
+    Loading,
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Playback is active.
@@ -21,7 +26,84 @@ public enum PlaybackState
     /// <summary>
     /// Playback is paused.
     /// </summary>
-    Paused
+    Paused,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Position change in progress.
+    /// </summary>
+    Seeking,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Playback failed with an error.
+    /// </summary>
+    Error,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Playback has ended.
+    /// </summary>
+    Stopped
+}
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Types of playback errors.
+/// </summary>
+public enum PlaybackErrorType
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// No error.
+    /// </summary>
+    None,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Operation timed out waiting for LMS response.
+    /// </summary>
+    Timeout,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Network error communicating with LMS.
+    /// </summary>
+    NetworkError,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// LMS returned an error.
+    /// </summary>
+    LmsError,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Error with the audio stream from Jellyfin.
+    /// </summary>
+    StreamError,
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Unknown error.
+    /// </summary>
+    Unknown
+}
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Contains details about a playback error.
+/// </summary>
+public class PlaybackErrorInfo
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the type of error.
+    /// </summary>
+    public PlaybackErrorType ErrorType { get; set; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the error message.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string Message { get; set; } = string.Empty;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets when the error occurred.
+    /// </summary>
+    public DateTime OccurredAt { get; set; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the number of retry attempts made.
+    /// </summary>
+    public int RetryCount { get; set; }
 }
 
 /// <summary>
@@ -67,7 +149,12 @@ public class LmsPlaybackSession
     /// <summary>
     /// Gets or sets the current playback state.
     /// </summary>
-    public PlaybackState State { get; set; } = PlaybackState.Stopped;
+    public PlaybackState State { get; set; } = PlaybackState.Idle;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the last error that occurred during playback.
+    /// </summary>
+    public PlaybackErrorInfo? LastError { get; set; }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Gets or sets the current playback position in ticks.

Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/PluginServiceRegistrator.cs

@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ public class PluginServiceRegistrator : IPluginServiceRegistrator
     {
         serviceCollection.AddSingleton<ILmsApiClient, LmsApiClient>();
         serviceCollection.AddSingleton<LmsPlayerManager>();
-        serviceCollection.AddSingleton<LmsSessionManager>();
-        serviceCollection.AddHostedService(sp => sp.GetRequiredService<LmsSessionManager>());
 
         // Device discovery service - registers LMS players as Jellyfin sessions for casting
         // Use AddHostedService directly to let DI handle construction

Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/Services/LmsSessionController.cs

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 using System;
-using System.Text.Json;
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Configuration;
 using Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Models;
 using MediaBrowser.Controller.Entities;
 using MediaBrowser.Controller.Library;
@@ -23,12 +23,16 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
     private readonly SessionInfo _session;
     private readonly ISessionManager _sessionManager;
     private readonly ILibraryManager _libraryManager;
+    private readonly PlaybackStateMachine _stateMachine;
+    private readonly LmsStatusPoller _statusPoller;
+    private readonly CancellationTokenSource _cancellationTokenSource = new();
     private Timer? _progressTimer;
     private bool _disposed;
     private BaseItem? _currentItem;
     private Guid[] _playlist = [];
     private int _playlistIndex;
     private long _seekOffsetTicks; // Offset from transcoded stream start position
+    private PlaybackErrorInfo? _lastError;
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="LmsSessionController"/> class.
@@ -53,22 +57,38 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
         _session = session;
         _sessionManager = sessionManager;
         _libraryManager = libraryManager;
+        _stateMachine = new PlaybackStateMachine(logger);
+        _statusPoller = new LmsStatusPoller(lmsClient, logger);
     }
 
+    private static PluginConfiguration Config => Plugin.Instance?.Configuration ?? new PluginConfiguration();
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Gets or sets the currently playing item ID.
     /// </summary>
     public Guid? CurrentItemId { get; set; }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Gets or sets a value indicating whether playback is currently active.
+    /// Gets a value indicating whether playback is currently active.
     /// </summary>
-    public bool IsPlaying { get; set; }
+    public bool IsPlaying => _stateMachine.CurrentState == PlaybackState.Playing
+        || _stateMachine.CurrentState == PlaybackState.Loading
+        || _stateMachine.CurrentState == PlaybackState.Seeking;
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Gets or sets a value indicating whether playback is paused.
+    /// Gets a value indicating whether playback is paused.
     /// </summary>
-    public bool IsPaused { get; set; }
+    public bool IsPaused => _stateMachine.CurrentState == PlaybackState.Paused;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the current playback state.
+    /// </summary>
+    public PlaybackState State => _stateMachine.CurrentState;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the last error that occurred during playback.
+    /// </summary>
+    public PlaybackErrorInfo? LastError => _lastError;
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
     public bool IsSessionActive => _player.IsConnected;
@@ -172,26 +192,69 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
         var itemId = _playlist[index];
         _playlistIndex = index;
 
-        var streamUrl = BuildStreamUrl(itemId);
+        // Look up the item first - we need it for file path if using direct mode
-        _logger.LogInformation("Playing item {Index}/{Total}: {Url}", index + 1, _playlist.Length, streamUrl);
+        _currentItem = _libraryManager.GetItemById(itemId);
 
-        await _lmsClient.PlayUrlAsync(_player.MacAddress, streamUrl).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        // Build stream URL/path with start position
+        var (streamUrl, useDirectPath) = BuildPlaybackUrl(itemId, startPositionTicks);
+        _logger.LogInformation(
+            "Playing item {Index}/{Total} from position {Position}s (direct={Direct}): {Url}",
+            index + 1,
+            _playlist.Length,
+            startPositionTicks / TimeSpan.TicksPerSecond,
+            useDirectPath,
+            streamUrl);
+
+        // Transition to Loading state before sending command
+        _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Loading, "Starting playback");
+
+        // Send play command with retry logic
+        var playSuccess = await _statusPoller.ExecuteWithRetryAsync(
+            async () => await _lmsClient.PlayUrlAsync(_player.MacAddress, streamUrl).ConfigureAwait(false),
+            Config.MaxAutoRetries,
+            retry => _logger.LogInformation("Retrying play command (attempt {Retry})", retry),
+            _cancellationTokenSource.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+        if (!playSuccess)
+        {
+            _lastError = new PlaybackErrorInfo
+            {
+                ErrorType = PlaybackErrorType.LmsError,
+                Message = "Failed to send play command to LMS after retries",
+                OccurredAt = DateTime.UtcNow,
+                RetryCount = Config.MaxAutoRetries
+            };
+            _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Error, "Play command failed");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Wait for LMS to confirm playback started
+        var loadingTimeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(Config.LoadingTimeoutSeconds);
+        var started = await _statusPoller.WaitForPlaybackStartAsync(
+            _player.MacAddress,
+            loadingTimeout,
+            _cancellationTokenSource.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+        if (!started)
+        {
+            _lastError = new PlaybackErrorInfo
+            {
+                ErrorType = PlaybackErrorType.Timeout,
+                Message = $"LMS did not start playing within {loadingTimeout.TotalSeconds}s",
+                OccurredAt = DateTime.UtcNow
+            };
+            _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Error, "Loading timeout");
+            return;
+        }
 
         // Track current playback state
         CurrentItemId = itemId;
-        IsPlaying = true;
+        _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Playing, "LMS confirmed playback");
-        IsPaused = false;
-        _seekOffsetTicks = 0; // Reset seek offset when starting a new track
 
-        // Look up the item for duration info
+        // Track the seek offset so we report the correct position
-        _currentItem = _libraryManager.GetItemById(itemId);
+        // When using direct file paths, LMS handles seeking natively so no offset needed
-
+        // When using HTTP streaming with startTimeTicks, the stream starts at 0 but we need to report actual position
-        // Seek to start position if specified
+        _seekOffsetTicks = useDirectPath ? 0 : startPositionTicks;
-        if (startPositionTicks > 0)
-        {
-            var positionSeconds = startPositionTicks / TimeSpan.TicksPerSecond;
-            await _lmsClient.SeekAsync(_player.MacAddress, positionSeconds).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        }
 
         // Report playback start to Jellyfin
         await ReportPlaybackStartAsync(itemId, startPositionTicks).ConfigureAwait(false);
@@ -248,7 +311,14 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
 
     private async Task ReportPlaybackProgressAsync()
     {
-        if (!IsPlaying || !CurrentItemId.HasValue)
+        // Don't report during Loading, Seeking, or Error states
+        var currentState = _stateMachine.CurrentState;
+        if (currentState == PlaybackState.Loading
+            || currentState == PlaybackState.Seeking
+            || currentState == PlaybackState.Error
+            || currentState == PlaybackState.Stopped
+            || currentState == PlaybackState.Idle
+            || !CurrentItemId.HasValue)
         {
             return;
         }
@@ -265,19 +335,29 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
             // we're playing a transcoded stream that starts at the seek position.
             // Add the seek offset to get the actual track position.
             var positionTicks = (long)(status.Time * TimeSpan.TicksPerSecond) + _seekOffsetTicks;
-            var isPaused = status.Mode == "pause";
+            var lmsIsPaused = status.Mode == "pause";
 
-            // Update our local state from LMS
+            // Sync state machine with LMS state (handles external pause/play)
-            IsPaused = isPaused;
+            if (lmsIsPaused && currentState == PlaybackState.Playing)
+            {
+                _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Paused, "LMS reported pause");
+            }
+            else if (!lmsIsPaused && status.Mode == "play" && currentState == PlaybackState.Paused)
+            {
+                _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Playing, "LMS reported play");
+            }
 
             // Check if playback has stopped on LMS side (track ended)
-            // Only advance if we're not paused - LMS can briefly report "stop" during transitions
+            if (status.Mode == "stop" && currentState == PlaybackState.Playing)
-            if (status.Mode == "stop" && !IsPaused)
             {
-                // Double-check by getting status again after a brief delay to avoid false positives
+                // Confirm stop with a quick poll instead of fixed delay
-                await Task.Delay(500).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                var stillStopped = await _statusPoller.WaitForModeAsync(
-                var confirmStatus = await _lmsClient.GetPlayerStatusAsync(_player.MacAddress).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                    _player.MacAddress,
-                if (confirmStatus?.Mode != "stop")
+                    "stop",
+                    TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(500),
+                    _cancellationTokenSource.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+                if (!stillStopped)
                 {
                     _logger.LogDebug("LMS mode changed from stop, ignoring");
                     return;
@@ -307,7 +387,7 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
             {
                 ItemId = CurrentItemId.Value,
                 SessionId = _session.Id,
-                IsPaused = isPaused,
+                IsPaused = _stateMachine.CurrentState == PlaybackState.Paused,
                 PositionTicks = positionTicks,
                 PlayMethod = PlayMethod.DirectStream,
                 CanSeek = true,
@@ -343,8 +423,7 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
             _logger.LogInformation("Reporting playback stopped for item {ItemId}", CurrentItemId.Value);
             await _sessionManager.OnPlaybackStopped(stopInfo).ConfigureAwait(false);
 
-            IsPlaying = false;
+            _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Stopped, "Playback stopped");
-            IsPaused = false;
             CurrentItemId = null;
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
@@ -378,29 +457,28 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
             case PlaystateCommand.Pause:
                 var pauseResult = await _lmsClient.PauseAsync(_player.MacAddress).ConfigureAwait(false);
                 _logger.LogInformation("Pause command result: {Result}", pauseResult);
-                IsPaused = true;
+                _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Paused, "Pause command");
                 break;
 
             case PlaystateCommand.Unpause:
                 var playResult = await _lmsClient.PlayAsync(_player.MacAddress).ConfigureAwait(false);
                 _logger.LogInformation("Unpause/Play command result: {Result}", playResult);
-                IsPaused = false;
+                _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Playing, "Unpause command");
                 break;
 
             case PlaystateCommand.PlayPause:
-                // Toggle play/pause - check current state first
+                // Toggle play/pause based on current state
-                var currentState = await _lmsClient.GetPlayerStatusAsync(_player.MacAddress).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                if (_stateMachine.CurrentState == PlaybackState.Playing)
-                if (currentState?.Mode == "play")
                 {
                     var togglePauseResult = await _lmsClient.PauseAsync(_player.MacAddress).ConfigureAwait(false);
                     _logger.LogInformation("PlayPause toggle (pause) result: {Result}", togglePauseResult);
-                    IsPaused = true;
+                    _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Paused, "PlayPause toggle to pause");
                 }
                 else
                 {
                     var togglePlayResult = await _lmsClient.PlayAsync(_player.MacAddress).ConfigureAwait(false);
                     _logger.LogInformation("PlayPause toggle (play) result: {Result}", togglePlayResult);
-                    IsPaused = false;
+                    _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Playing, "PlayPause toggle to play");
                 }
 
                 break;
@@ -415,21 +493,83 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
                 if (playstateRequest.SeekPositionTicks.HasValue && CurrentItemId.HasValue)
                 {
                     var positionTicks = playstateRequest.SeekPositionTicks.Value;
+                    var positionSeconds = (double)(positionTicks / TimeSpan.TicksPerSecond);
 
+                    // Transition to Seeking state (state machine remembers previous state)
+                    _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Seeking, "Seek command");
+
+                    // Check if we're using direct file path mode - if so, LMS can seek natively
+                    if (CanSeekNatively())
+                    {
+                        // Use native LMS seeking - much smoother!
+                        _logger.LogInformation("Seeking natively to {Seconds}s using LMS time command", positionSeconds);
+                        await _lmsClient.SeekAsync(_player.MacAddress, positionSeconds).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+                        // Wait for seek to complete
+                        var seekTimeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(Config.SeekTimeoutSeconds);
+                        var seekComplete = await _statusPoller.WaitForSeekCompleteAsync(
+                            _player.MacAddress,
+                            positionSeconds,
+                            toleranceSeconds: 2.0,
+                            seekTimeout,
+                            _cancellationTokenSource.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+                        // No seek offset needed - LMS handles position tracking natively
+                        _seekOffsetTicks = 0;
+
+                        // Restore previous state
+                        var previousState = _stateMachine.StateBeforeSeek;
+                        if (seekComplete)
+                        {
+                            _stateMachine.TryTransition(previousState, "Seek completed");
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            _logger.LogWarning("Seek may not have completed within timeout, restoring state anyway");
+                            _stateMachine.TryTransition(previousState, "Seek timeout - restoring state");
+                        }
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
                         // For HTTP streams, LMS can't seek directly - we need to restart with startTimeTicks
-                    // Build a new URL with the seek position and restart playback
+                        // This is essentially a new playback, so transition to Loading
+                        _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Loading, "HTTP stream seek - restarting");
+
                         var streamUrl = BuildStreamUrlWithPosition(CurrentItemId.Value, positionTicks);
                         _logger.LogInformation(
                             "Seeking by restarting stream at position {Seconds}s: {Url}",
-                        positionTicks / TimeSpan.TicksPerSecond,
+                            positionSeconds,
                             streamUrl);
 
                         await _lmsClient.PlayUrlAsync(_player.MacAddress, streamUrl).ConfigureAwait(false);
 
+                        // Wait for playback to start
+                        var loadingTimeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(Config.LoadingTimeoutSeconds);
+                        var started = await _statusPoller.WaitForPlaybackStartAsync(
+                            _player.MacAddress,
+                            loadingTimeout,
+                            _cancellationTokenSource.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
                         // Track the seek offset so we report the correct position
-                    // The transcoded stream starts at 0, but we need to report the actual track position
                         _seekOffsetTicks = positionTicks;
-                    _logger.LogInformation("Set seek offset to {Ticks} ticks ({Seconds}s)", positionTicks, positionTicks / TimeSpan.TicksPerSecond);
+
+                        if (started)
+                        {
+                            _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Playing, "HTTP stream seek completed");
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            _lastError = new PlaybackErrorInfo
+                            {
+                                ErrorType = PlaybackErrorType.Timeout,
+                                Message = "Stream restart after seek failed to start",
+                                OccurredAt = DateTime.UtcNow
+                            };
+                            _stateMachine.TryTransition(PlaybackState.Error, "HTTP stream seek failed");
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    _logger.LogInformation("Seek offset is now {Ticks} ticks ({Seconds}s)", _seekOffsetTicks, _seekOffsetTicks / TimeSpan.TicksPerSecond);
                 }
                 else
                 {
@@ -532,6 +672,87 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
         }
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Builds the playback URL or file path for the given item.
+    /// Returns a tuple of (url/path, isDirectFilePath).
+    /// </summary>
+    private (string Url, bool IsDirectPath) BuildPlaybackUrl(Guid itemId, long startPositionTicks)
+    {
+        var config = Plugin.Instance?.Configuration;
+
+        // Check if direct file path mode is enabled
+        if (config?.UseDirectFilePath == true && _currentItem?.Path != null)
+        {
+            // Try each path mapping until one matches
+            foreach (var mapping in config.GetAllPathMappings())
+            {
+                var directPath = BuildDirectFilePath(_currentItem.Path, mapping.JellyfinPath, mapping.LmsPath);
+                if (directPath != null)
+                {
+                    _logger.LogDebug(
+                        "Using direct file path with mapping '{JellyfinPath}' -> '{LmsPath}': {OriginalPath} -> {MappedPath}",
+                        mapping.JellyfinPath,
+                        mapping.LmsPath,
+                        _currentItem.Path,
+                        directPath);
+                    return (directPath, true);
+                }
+            }
+
+            _logger.LogWarning(
+                "Direct file path mode enabled but no path mapping matched for: {Path}",
+                _currentItem.Path);
+        }
+
+        // Fall back to HTTP streaming
+        return (BuildStreamUrlWithPosition(itemId, startPositionTicks), false);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Checks if the current item can use native LMS seeking (direct file path mode).
+    /// </summary>
+    private bool CanSeekNatively()
+    {
+        var config = Plugin.Instance?.Configuration;
+        if (config?.UseDirectFilePath != true || _currentItem?.Path == null)
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // Check if any mapping matches the current item's path
+        foreach (var mapping in config.GetAllPathMappings())
+        {
+            var normalizedPath = _currentItem.Path.Replace('\\', '/');
+            var normalizedPrefix = mapping.JellyfinPath.TrimEnd('/', '\\').Replace('\\', '/');
+            if (normalizedPath.StartsWith(normalizedPrefix, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Maps a Jellyfin file path to an LMS file path using the configured path prefixes.
+    /// </summary>
+    private static string? BuildDirectFilePath(string jellyfinPath, string jellyfinPrefix, string lmsPrefix)
+    {
+        // Normalize path separators for comparison
+        var normalizedPath = jellyfinPath.Replace('\\', '/');
+        var normalizedJellyfinPrefix = jellyfinPrefix.TrimEnd('/', '\\').Replace('\\', '/');
+        var normalizedLmsPrefix = lmsPrefix.TrimEnd('/', '\\').Replace('\\', '/');
+
+        if (!normalizedPath.StartsWith(normalizedJellyfinPrefix, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        // Replace the prefix
+        var relativePath = normalizedPath[normalizedJellyfinPrefix.Length..];
+        return normalizedLmsPrefix + relativePath;
+    }
+
     private string BuildStreamUrl(Guid itemId)
     {
         return BuildStreamUrlWithPosition(itemId, 0);
@@ -549,7 +770,9 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
         {
             // For seeking, we need to use transcoding (static=true doesn't support startTimeTicks)
             // Use MP3 transcoding with the start position
-            url = $"{jellyfinUrl}/Audio/{itemId}/stream.mp3?audioCodec=mp3&audioBitRate=320000&startTimeTicks={startPositionTicks}";
+            // Add a cache-busting parameter to ensure we get a fresh stream on each seek
+            var cacheBuster = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.ToUnixTimeMilliseconds();
+            url = $"{jellyfinUrl}/Audio/{itemId}/stream.mp3?audioCodec=mp3&audioBitRate=320000&startTimeTicks={startPositionTicks}&_={cacheBuster}";
         }
         else
         {
@@ -585,7 +808,14 @@ public class LmsSessionController : ISessionController, IDisposable
 
         if (disposing)
         {
+            // Cancel any pending operations
+            _cancellationTokenSource.Cancel();
+            _cancellationTokenSource.Dispose();
+
             StopProgressTimer();
+
+            // Reset state machine
+            _stateMachine.Reset();
         }
 
         _disposed = true;

Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/Services/LmsSessionManager.cs

@@ -1,313 +0,0 @@
-using System;
-using System.Collections.Concurrent;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.Linq;
-using System.Threading;
-using System.Threading.Tasks;
-using Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Configuration;
-using Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Models;
-using MediaBrowser.Controller.Library;
-using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
-using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
-
-namespace Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Services;
-
-/// <summary>
-/// Manages active playback sessions between Jellyfin and LMS.
-/// </summary>
-public class LmsSessionManager : IHostedService
-{
-    private readonly ILogger<LmsSessionManager> _logger;
-    private readonly ILmsApiClient _lmsClient;
-    private readonly LmsPlayerManager _playerManager;
-    private readonly ILibraryManager _libraryManager;
-    private readonly ConcurrentDictionary<string, LmsPlaybackSession> _sessions = new();
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="LmsSessionManager"/> class.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="logger">The logger instance.</param>
-    /// <param name="lmsClient">The LMS API client.</param>
-    /// <param name="playerManager">The player manager.</param>
-    /// <param name="libraryManager">The Jellyfin library manager.</param>
-    public LmsSessionManager(
-        ILogger<LmsSessionManager> logger,
-        ILmsApiClient lmsClient,
-        LmsPlayerManager playerManager,
-        ILibraryManager libraryManager)
-    {
-        _logger = logger;
-        _lmsClient = lmsClient;
-        _playerManager = playerManager;
-        _libraryManager = libraryManager;
-    }
-
-    private PluginConfiguration Config => Plugin.Instance?.Configuration ?? new PluginConfiguration();
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Gets all active sessions.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <returns>List of active sessions.</returns>
-    public List<LmsPlaybackSession> GetActiveSessions()
-    {
-        return _sessions.Values.Where(s => s.State != PlaybackState.Stopped).ToList();
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Gets a session by ID.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <returns>The session, or null if not found.</returns>
-    public LmsPlaybackSession? GetSession(string sessionId)
-    {
-        return _sessions.GetValueOrDefault(sessionId);
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Starts playback of a Jellyfin item on LMS players.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="itemId">The Jellyfin item ID.</param>
-    /// <param name="playerMacs">The LMS player MAC addresses.</param>
-    /// <param name="userId">Optional user ID.</param>
-    /// <returns>The created session.</returns>
-    public async Task<LmsPlaybackSession?> StartPlaybackAsync(
-        Guid itemId,
-        IEnumerable<string> playerMacs,
-        Guid? userId = null)
-    {
-        var macList = playerMacs.ToList();
-        if (macList.Count == 0)
-        {
-            _logger.LogWarning("No players specified for playback");
-            return null;
-        }
-
-        var item = _libraryManager.GetItemById(itemId);
-        if (item == null)
-        {
-            _logger.LogWarning("Item {ItemId} not found", itemId);
-            return null;
-        }
-
-        // Build the audio stream URL
-        var streamUrl = BuildStreamUrl(itemId);
-
-        var session = new LmsPlaybackSession
-        {
-            ItemId = itemId,
-            ItemName = item.Name,
-            PlayerMacs = macList,
-            State = PlaybackState.Playing,
-            StreamUrl = streamUrl,
-            UserId = userId,
-            RuntimeTicks = item.RunTimeTicks ?? 0
-        };
-
-        // If multiple players, sync them first
-        if (macList.Count > 1)
-        {
-            var masterMac = macList[0];
-            var slaveMacs = macList.Skip(1);
-            await _playerManager.CreateSyncGroupAsync(masterMac, slaveMacs).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        }
-
-        // Start playback on the first player (others will sync)
-        var targetMac = macList[0];
-        var success = await _lmsClient.PlayUrlAsync(targetMac, streamUrl, item.Name).ConfigureAwait(false);
-
-        if (!success)
-        {
-            _logger.LogError("Failed to start playback on player {Mac}", targetMac);
-            return null;
-        }
-
-        _sessions[session.SessionId] = session;
-        _logger.LogInformation(
-            "Started playback session {SessionId} for {Item} on {Count} players",
-            session.SessionId,
-            item.Name,
-            macList.Count);
-
-        return session;
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Pauses a playback session.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <returns>True if successful.</returns>
-    public async Task<bool> PauseSessionAsync(string sessionId)
-    {
-        if (!_sessions.TryGetValue(sessionId, out var session))
-        {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        // Pause the master player (synced players will follow)
-        var success = await _lmsClient.PauseAsync(session.PlayerMacs[0]).ConfigureAwait(false);
-
-        if (success)
-        {
-            session.State = PlaybackState.Paused;
-        }
-
-        return success;
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Resumes a paused playback session.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <returns>True if successful.</returns>
-    public async Task<bool> ResumeSessionAsync(string sessionId)
-    {
-        if (!_sessions.TryGetValue(sessionId, out var session))
-        {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        var success = await _lmsClient.PlayAsync(session.PlayerMacs[0]).ConfigureAwait(false);
-
-        if (success)
-        {
-            session.State = PlaybackState.Playing;
-        }
-
-        return success;
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Stops a playback session.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <returns>True if successful.</returns>
-    public async Task<bool> StopSessionAsync(string sessionId)
-    {
-        if (!_sessions.TryGetValue(sessionId, out var session))
-        {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        var success = await _lmsClient.StopAsync(session.PlayerMacs[0]).ConfigureAwait(false);
-
-        if (success)
-        {
-            session.State = PlaybackState.Stopped;
-
-            // Unsync players if there were multiple
-            if (session.PlayerMacs.Count > 1)
-            {
-                await _playerManager.DissolveSyncGroupAsync(session.PlayerMacs[0]).ConfigureAwait(false);
-            }
-        }
-
-        // Remove the session
-        _sessions.TryRemove(sessionId, out _);
-
-        return success;
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Seeks to a position in the playback session.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <param name="positionTicks">The position in ticks.</param>
-    /// <returns>True if successful.</returns>
-    public async Task<bool> SeekAsync(string sessionId, long positionTicks)
-    {
-        if (!_sessions.TryGetValue(sessionId, out var session))
-        {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        var positionSeconds = positionTicks / TimeSpan.TicksPerSecond;
-        var success = await _lmsClient.SeekAsync(session.PlayerMacs[0], positionSeconds).ConfigureAwait(false);
-
-        if (success)
-        {
-            session.PositionTicks = positionTicks;
-        }
-
-        return success;
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Sets the volume for all players in a session.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <param name="volume">The volume level (0-100).</param>
-    /// <returns>True if successful.</returns>
-    public async Task<bool> SetVolumeAsync(string sessionId, int volume)
-    {
-        if (!_sessions.TryGetValue(sessionId, out var session))
-        {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        var success = true;
-        foreach (var mac in session.PlayerMacs)
-        {
-            if (!await _lmsClient.SetVolumeAsync(mac, volume).ConfigureAwait(false))
-            {
-                success = false;
-            }
-        }
-
-        return success;
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Updates the session state from LMS.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID.</param>
-    /// <returns>A task representing the operation.</returns>
-    public async Task RefreshSessionStateAsync(string sessionId)
-    {
-        if (!_sessions.TryGetValue(sessionId, out var session))
-        {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        var status = await _lmsClient.GetPlayerStatusAsync(session.PlayerMacs[0]).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        if (status == null)
-        {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        session.PositionTicks = (long)(status.Time * TimeSpan.TicksPerSecond);
-        session.State = status.Mode switch
-        {
-            "play" => PlaybackState.Playing,
-            "pause" => PlaybackState.Paused,
-            _ => PlaybackState.Stopped
-        };
-    }
-
-    private string BuildStreamUrl(Guid itemId)
-    {
-        var baseUrl = Config.JellyfinServerUrl.TrimEnd('/');
-        // Direct stream URL - LMS will pull audio from Jellyfin
-        return $"{baseUrl}/Audio/{itemId}/stream.mp3";
-    }
-
-    /// <inheritdoc />
-    public Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
-    {
-        _logger.LogInformation("LMS Session Manager started");
-        return Task.CompletedTask;
-    }
-
-    /// <inheritdoc />
-    public Task StopAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
-    {
-        _logger.LogInformation("LMS Session Manager stopping");
-
-        // Stop all active sessions
-        foreach (var sessionId in _sessions.Keys.ToList())
-        {
-            _ = StopSessionAsync(sessionId);
-        }
-
-        return Task.CompletedTask;
-    }
-}

Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/Services/LmsStatusPoller.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,228 @@
+using System;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Configuration;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+
+namespace Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Services;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Polls LMS player status to confirm state transitions.
+/// </summary>
+public class LmsStatusPoller
+{
+    private readonly ILmsApiClient _lmsClient;
+    private readonly ILogger _logger;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="LmsStatusPoller"/> class.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="lmsClient">The LMS API client.</param>
+    /// <param name="logger">The logger instance.</param>
+    public LmsStatusPoller(ILmsApiClient lmsClient, ILogger logger)
+    {
+        _lmsClient = lmsClient;
+        _logger = logger;
+    }
+
+    private static PluginConfiguration Config => Plugin.Instance?.Configuration ?? new PluginConfiguration();
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Waits for LMS to report that playback has started (mode="play").
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="playerMac">The player's MAC address.</param>
+    /// <param name="timeout">Maximum time to wait.</param>
+    /// <param name="cancellationToken">Cancellation token.</param>
+    /// <returns>True if playback started within the timeout.</returns>
+    public async Task<bool> WaitForPlaybackStartAsync(
+        string playerMac,
+        TimeSpan timeout,
+        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        return await WaitForModeAsync(playerMac, "play", timeout, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Waits for LMS to report a specific playback mode.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="playerMac">The player's MAC address.</param>
+    /// <param name="expectedMode">The expected mode ("play", "pause", "stop").</param>
+    /// <param name="timeout">Maximum time to wait.</param>
+    /// <param name="cancellationToken">Cancellation token.</param>
+    /// <returns>True if the expected mode was detected within the timeout.</returns>
+    public async Task<bool> WaitForModeAsync(
+        string playerMac,
+        string expectedMode,
+        TimeSpan timeout,
+        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        var pollInterval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(Config.TransitionPollIntervalMs);
+        var startTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
+
+        _logger.LogDebug(
+            "Waiting for player {Mac} to reach mode '{Mode}' (timeout: {Timeout}s)",
+            playerMac,
+            expectedMode,
+            timeout.TotalSeconds);
+
+        while (DateTime.UtcNow - startTime < timeout)
+        {
+            cancellationToken.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
+
+            try
+            {
+                var status = await _lmsClient.GetPlayerStatusAsync(playerMac).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                if (status?.Mode == expectedMode)
+                {
+                    _logger.LogDebug(
+                        "Player {Mac} reached mode '{Mode}' after {Elapsed}ms",
+                        playerMac,
+                        expectedMode,
+                        (DateTime.UtcNow - startTime).TotalMilliseconds);
+                    return true;
+                }
+
+                _logger.LogDebug(
+                    "Player {Mac} current mode: '{CurrentMode}', waiting for '{ExpectedMode}'",
+                    playerMac,
+                    status?.Mode ?? "unknown",
+                    expectedMode);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                _logger.LogWarning(ex, "Error polling player {Mac} status", playerMac);
+            }
+
+            await Task.Delay(pollInterval, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+
+        _logger.LogWarning(
+            "Timeout waiting for player {Mac} to reach mode '{Mode}' after {Timeout}s",
+            playerMac,
+            expectedMode,
+            timeout.TotalSeconds);
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Waits for LMS to report a position within tolerance of the target.
+    /// Used to confirm seek operations completed.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="playerMac">The player's MAC address.</param>
+    /// <param name="targetPositionSeconds">The target position in seconds.</param>
+    /// <param name="toleranceSeconds">Acceptable tolerance (default 2 seconds).</param>
+    /// <param name="timeout">Maximum time to wait.</param>
+    /// <param name="cancellationToken">Cancellation token.</param>
+    /// <returns>True if the position was reached within the timeout.</returns>
+    public async Task<bool> WaitForSeekCompleteAsync(
+        string playerMac,
+        double targetPositionSeconds,
+        double toleranceSeconds,
+        TimeSpan timeout,
+        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        var pollInterval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(Config.TransitionPollIntervalMs);
+        var startTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
+
+        _logger.LogDebug(
+            "Waiting for player {Mac} to seek to {Target}s (tolerance: {Tolerance}s, timeout: {Timeout}s)",
+            playerMac,
+            targetPositionSeconds,
+            toleranceSeconds,
+            timeout.TotalSeconds);
+
+        while (DateTime.UtcNow - startTime < timeout)
+        {
+            cancellationToken.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
+
+            try
+            {
+                var status = await _lmsClient.GetPlayerStatusAsync(playerMac).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                if (status != null)
+                {
+                    var positionDiff = Math.Abs(status.Time - targetPositionSeconds);
+                    if (positionDiff <= toleranceSeconds)
+                    {
+                        _logger.LogDebug(
+                            "Player {Mac} reached position {Position}s (target: {Target}s) after {Elapsed}ms",
+                            playerMac,
+                            status.Time,
+                            targetPositionSeconds,
+                            (DateTime.UtcNow - startTime).TotalMilliseconds);
+                        return true;
+                    }
+
+                    _logger.LogDebug(
+                        "Player {Mac} at position {Position}s, waiting for {Target}s (diff: {Diff}s)",
+                        playerMac,
+                        status.Time,
+                        targetPositionSeconds,
+                        positionDiff);
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                _logger.LogWarning(ex, "Error polling player {Mac} status during seek", playerMac);
+            }
+
+            await Task.Delay(pollInterval, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+
+        _logger.LogWarning(
+            "Timeout waiting for player {Mac} to seek to {Target}s after {Timeout}s",
+            playerMac,
+            targetPositionSeconds,
+            timeout.TotalSeconds);
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Executes an action with automatic retry on failure.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="action">The async action to execute.</param>
+    /// <param name="maxRetries">Maximum number of retries.</param>
+    /// <param name="onRetry">Optional callback when retrying.</param>
+    /// <param name="cancellationToken">Cancellation token.</param>
+    /// <returns>True if the action succeeded within retry limit.</returns>
+    public async Task<bool> ExecuteWithRetryAsync(
+        Func<Task<bool>> action,
+        int maxRetries,
+        Action<int>? onRetry = null,
+        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        var retryCount = 0;
+        var baseDelayMs = 500;
+
+        while (retryCount <= maxRetries)
+        {
+            cancellationToken.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
+
+            try
+            {
+                if (await action().ConfigureAwait(false))
+                {
+                    return true;
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex) when (retryCount < maxRetries)
+            {
+                _logger.LogWarning(ex, "Action failed, will retry ({Retry}/{Max})", retryCount + 1, maxRetries);
+            }
+
+            retryCount++;
+            if (retryCount <= maxRetries)
+            {
+                onRetry?.Invoke(retryCount);
+
+                // Exponential backoff: 500ms, 1000ms, 2000ms, etc.
+                var delayMs = baseDelayMs * (int)Math.Pow(2, retryCount - 1);
+                _logger.LogDebug("Retrying in {Delay}ms (attempt {Retry}/{Max})", delayMs, retryCount, maxRetries);
+                await Task.Delay(delayMs, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+}

Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/Services/PlaybackStateMachine.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,234 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Models;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+
+namespace Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.Services;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Event args for state transitions.
+/// </summary>
+public class StateTransitionEventArgs : EventArgs
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the state before the transition.
+    /// </summary>
+    public PlaybackState FromState { get; init; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the state after the transition.
+    /// </summary>
+    public PlaybackState ToState { get; init; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the reason for the transition.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string? Reason { get; init; }
+}
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Manages playback state transitions with validation.
+/// </summary>
+public class PlaybackStateMachine
+{
+    private readonly object _lock = new();
+    private readonly ILogger? _logger;
+    private PlaybackState _currentState = PlaybackState.Idle;
+    private PlaybackState _stateBeforeSeek = PlaybackState.Idle;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Valid state transitions. Key is the current state, value is the array of valid next states.
+    /// </summary>
+    private static readonly Dictionary<PlaybackState, PlaybackState[]> ValidTransitions = new()
+    {
+        [PlaybackState.Idle] = [PlaybackState.Loading, PlaybackState.Stopped],
+        [PlaybackState.Loading] = [PlaybackState.Playing, PlaybackState.Error, PlaybackState.Stopped],
+        [PlaybackState.Playing] = [PlaybackState.Paused, PlaybackState.Seeking, PlaybackState.Loading, PlaybackState.Stopped, PlaybackState.Error],
+        [PlaybackState.Paused] = [PlaybackState.Playing, PlaybackState.Seeking, PlaybackState.Loading, PlaybackState.Stopped, PlaybackState.Error],
+        [PlaybackState.Seeking] = [PlaybackState.Playing, PlaybackState.Paused, PlaybackState.Error, PlaybackState.Stopped],
+        [PlaybackState.Error] = [PlaybackState.Loading, PlaybackState.Idle, PlaybackState.Stopped],
+        [PlaybackState.Stopped] = [PlaybackState.Idle, PlaybackState.Loading]
+    };
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="PlaybackStateMachine"/> class.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="logger">Optional logger for state transitions.</param>
+    public PlaybackStateMachine(ILogger? logger = null)
+    {
+        _logger = logger;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Fired when the state changes.
+    /// </summary>
+    public event EventHandler<StateTransitionEventArgs>? StateChanged;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the current playback state.
+    /// </summary>
+    public PlaybackState CurrentState
+    {
+        get
+        {
+            lock (_lock)
+            {
+                return _currentState;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the state before the current seek operation (if in Seeking state).
+    /// Used to restore the correct state after seeking completes.
+    /// </summary>
+    public PlaybackState StateBeforeSeek
+    {
+        get
+        {
+            lock (_lock)
+            {
+                return _stateBeforeSeek;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets a value indicating whether playback is active (Playing or Paused).
+    /// </summary>
+    public bool IsPlaybackActive
+    {
+        get
+        {
+            lock (_lock)
+            {
+                return _currentState == PlaybackState.Playing
+                    || _currentState == PlaybackState.Paused
+                    || _currentState == PlaybackState.Seeking
+                    || _currentState == PlaybackState.Loading;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Attempts to transition to a new state.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="newState">The target state.</param>
+    /// <param name="reason">Optional reason for the transition (for logging).</param>
+    /// <returns>True if the transition was valid and completed.</returns>
+    public bool TryTransition(PlaybackState newState, string? reason = null)
+    {
+        lock (_lock)
+        {
+            if (_currentState == newState)
+            {
+                return true; // Already in this state
+            }
+
+            if (!IsValidTransition(_currentState, newState))
+            {
+                _logger?.LogWarning(
+                    "Invalid state transition attempted: {From} -> {To} (reason: {Reason})",
+                    _currentState,
+                    newState,
+                    reason ?? "none");
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            // Store state before seek for restoration
+            if (newState == PlaybackState.Seeking)
+            {
+                _stateBeforeSeek = _currentState;
+            }
+
+            var oldState = _currentState;
+            _currentState = newState;
+
+            _logger?.LogInformation(
+                "State transition: {From} -> {To} (reason: {Reason})",
+                oldState,
+                newState,
+                reason ?? "none");
+
+            // Fire event outside the lock to prevent deadlocks
+            var args = new StateTransitionEventArgs
+            {
+                FromState = oldState,
+                ToState = newState,
+                Reason = reason
+            };
+
+            try
+            {
+                StateChanged?.Invoke(this, args);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                _logger?.LogError(ex, "Error in StateChanged event handler");
+            }
+
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Forces a state change without validation. Use with caution.
+    /// Intended for error recovery scenarios.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="newState">The target state.</param>
+    /// <param name="reason">Reason for the forced transition.</param>
+    public void ForceState(PlaybackState newState, string reason)
+    {
+        lock (_lock)
+        {
+            var oldState = _currentState;
+            _currentState = newState;
+
+            _logger?.LogWarning(
+                "Forced state transition: {From} -> {To} (reason: {Reason})",
+                oldState,
+                newState,
+                reason);
+
+            var args = new StateTransitionEventArgs
+            {
+                FromState = oldState,
+                ToState = newState,
+                Reason = $"FORCED: {reason}"
+            };
+
+            try
+            {
+                StateChanged?.Invoke(this, args);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                _logger?.LogError(ex, "Error in StateChanged event handler");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Resets the state machine to Idle.
+    /// </summary>
+    public void Reset()
+    {
+        ForceState(PlaybackState.Idle, "Reset");
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Checks if a transition from one state to another is valid.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="from">The current state.</param>
+    /// <param name="to">The target state.</param>
+    /// <returns>True if the transition is valid.</returns>
+    public static bool IsValidTransition(PlaybackState from, PlaybackState to)
+    {
+        if (!ValidTransitions.TryGetValue(from, out var validTargets))
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return Array.IndexOf(validTargets, to) >= 0;
+    }
+}

README.md

@@ -2,6 +2,20 @@
 
 A Jellyfin plugin that bridges audio playback to Logitech Media Server (LMS) for multi-room synchronized playback.
 
+## Quick Install
+
+Add the following repository URL to your Jellyfin server to install JellyLMS directly from the plugin catalog:
+
+```
+https://gitea.tourolle.paris/dtourolle/jellyLMS/raw/branch/master/manifest.json
+```
+
+**Steps:**
+1. Go to **Dashboard** → **Plugins** → **Repositories**
+2. Click **Add** and paste the URL above
+3. Go to **Catalog** and find "JellyLMS"
+4. Click **Install** and restart Jellyfin
+
 ## Overview
 
 JellyLMS enables Jellyfin to stream audio to LMS, which acts as a multi-room speaker system. The architecture is:
@@ -18,14 +32,14 @@ JellyLMS enables Jellyfin to stream audio to LMS, which acts as a multi-room spe
 │  │  (Audio)  │  │         │                 │         │  │  (Zones)  │  │
 │  └───────────┘  │         │  ┌───────────┐  │         │  └───────────┘  │
 │                 │         │  │  Session  │  │         │                 │
-│  ┌───────────┐  │         │  │ Manager   │  │         │  ┌───────────┐  │
+│  ┌───────────┐  │         │  │Controller │  │         │  ┌───────────┐  │
-│  │   Queue   │──┼────────►│  └───────────┘  │────────►│  │  Sync     │  │
+│  │   Queue   │──┼────────►│  │  (State   │  │────────►│  │  Sync     │  │
-│  │           │  │         │                 │         │  │  Groups   │  │
+│  │           │  │         │  │  Machine) │  │         │  │  Groups   │  │
-│  └───────────┘  │         │  ┌───────────┐  │         │  └───────────┘  │
+│  └───────────┘  │         │  └───────────┘  │         │  └───────────┘  │
-│                 │         │  │ REST API  │  │         │                 │
+│                 │         │                 │         │                 │
-│  ┌───────────┐  │         │  │Controller │  │         │                 │
+│  ┌───────────┐  │         │  ┌───────────┐  │         │                 │
-│  │ Playback  │──┼────────►│  └───────────┘  │         │                 │
+│  │ Playback  │──┼────────►│  │ REST API  │  │         │                 │
-│  │ Controls  │  │         │                 │         │                 │
+│  │ Controls  │  │         │  └───────────┘  │         │                 │
 │  └───────────┘  │         └─────────────────┘         └─────────────────┘
 └─────────────────┘
 ```
@@ -34,8 +48,9 @@ JellyLMS enables Jellyfin to stream audio to LMS, which acts as a multi-room spe
 
 - **Player Discovery**: Automatically discovers all LMS players/zones
 - **Multi-Room Sync**: Create and manage sync groups for synchronized playback across multiple rooms
-- **Playback Control**: Play, pause, stop, seek, and volume control forwarded to LMS
+- **Playback Control**: Play, pause, stop, seek, and volume control via Jellyfin's "Play On" (cast) interface
 - **Stream Bridging**: Generates audio stream URLs from Jellyfin for LMS to consume
+- **Robust State Machine**: Ensures proper sequencing of playback operations with automatic retry and timeout handling
 
 ## Screenshots
 
@@ -62,9 +77,62 @@ Create and manage synchronized playback groups for multi-room audio:
 ## Requirements
 
 - Jellyfin Server 10.10.0 or later
-- .NET 8.0 Runtime
+- .NET 9.0 Runtime
 - Logitech Media Server (LMS) with JSON-RPC API enabled (default on port 9000)
 
+## Playback Architecture
+
+JellyLMS uses Jellyfin's native "Play On" (cast) interface to control LMS players. When you select an LMS player from Jellyfin's cast menu, playback is managed through a robust state machine that ensures reliable operation.
+
+### State Machine
+
+The playback controller uses a state machine to ensure proper sequencing of operations:
+
+```
+                    ┌────────┐
+                    │  Idle  │  (device connected, no media)
+                    └───┬────┘
+                        │ Play command
+                        ▼
+                    ┌────────┐
+              ┌────►│Loading │◄────┐
+              │     └───┬────┘     │
+              │         │          │ Seek (HTTP streaming
+              │   LMS confirms     │ restarts stream)
+              │   mode="play"      │
+              │         ▼          │
+┌───────┐     │     ┌────────┐     │
+│ Error │◄────┼─────│Playing │─────┘
+└───┬───┘     │     └───┬────┘
+    │         │         │ Pause
+  retry       │         ▼
+    │         │     ┌────────┐
+    └─────────┼─────│ Paused │
+              │     └───┬────┘
+              │         │ Seek (native LMS)
+              │         ▼
+              │     ┌────────┐
+              └─────│Seeking │
+                    └────────┘
+
+From any state: Stop → Stopped
+```
+
+### How Playback Works
+
+1. **Cast Request**: User selects an LMS player from Jellyfin's "Play On" menu
+2. **Loading**: Plugin sends play command to LMS and transitions to Loading state
+3. **Confirmation**: Plugin polls LMS until playback is confirmed (mode="play")
+4. **Playing**: Playback is active; progress is synced between Jellyfin and LMS
+5. **Controls**: Play, pause, seek, and volume commands are forwarded to LMS
+
+### Error Handling
+
+The state machine includes automatic retry with exponential backoff:
+- **Timeout errors**: Auto-retry up to 2 times (500ms → 1s delay)
+- **Network errors**: Auto-retry up to 2 times
+- **LMS errors**: No retry, transition to Error state
+
 ## Installation
 
 ### Manual Installation
@@ -87,7 +155,7 @@ cd jellyLMS
 dotnet build Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.sln -c Release
 
 # The DLL will be in:
-# Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/bin/Release/net8.0/
+# Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/bin/Release/net9.0/
 ```
 
 ## Configuration
@@ -102,41 +170,45 @@ dotnet build Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.sln -c Release
 | Connection Timeout | Timeout for LMS API calls (seconds) | `10` |
 | Enable Auto Sync | Automatically sync players when creating groups | `true` |
 | Default Player | MAC address of the default player | (none) |
+| Use Direct File Path | Enable direct file access instead of HTTP streaming | `false` |
+
+### Advanced Settings (State Machine)
+
+| Setting | Description | Default |
+|---------|-------------|---------|
+| Loading Timeout | Max time to wait for LMS to start playback (seconds) | `5` |
+| Seek Timeout | Max time to wait for seek to complete (seconds) | `3` |
+| Transition Poll Interval | How often to poll LMS during state transitions (ms) | `300` |
+| Max Auto Retries | Number of automatic retries for transient failures | `2` |
 
 3. Click "Test Connection" to verify connectivity to LMS
 4. Use "Discover Players" to see available LMS players
 
 ## API Endpoints
 
-The plugin exposes REST API endpoints under `/JellyLms/`:
+The plugin exposes REST API endpoints under `/JellyLms/` for player and sync group management.
+
+**Note:** Playback control (play, pause, seek, volume) is handled through Jellyfin's native "Play On" (cast) interface, not through REST endpoints.
 
 ### Players
 
 - `GET /JellyLms/Players` - List all LMS players
 - `GET /JellyLms/Players/{mac}` - Get specific player details
-- `POST /JellyLms/Players/Refresh` - Refresh player list from LMS
+- `POST /JellyLms/Players/{mac}/PowerOn` - Power on a player
+- `POST /JellyLms/Players/{mac}/PowerOff` - Power off a player
+- `POST /JellyLms/Players/{mac}/Volume` - Set player volume
 
 ### Sync Groups
 
 - `GET /JellyLms/SyncGroups` - List all sync groups
 - `POST /JellyLms/SyncGroups` - Create a new sync group
 - `DELETE /JellyLms/SyncGroups/{masterMac}` - Dissolve a sync group
-- `DELETE /JellyLms/SyncGroups/{masterMac}/Players/{slaveMac}` - Remove player from group
+- `DELETE /JellyLms/SyncGroups/Players/{mac}` - Remove player from its sync group
 
-### Sessions
+### Utilities
 
-- `GET /JellyLms/Sessions` - List active playback sessions
-- `POST /JellyLms/Sessions` - Start a new playback session
-- `POST /JellyLms/Sessions/{id}/Pause` - Pause playback
-- `POST /JellyLms/Sessions/{id}/Resume` - Resume playback
-- `POST /JellyLms/Sessions/{id}/Stop` - Stop playback
-- `POST /JellyLms/Sessions/{id}/Seek` - Seek to position
-- `POST /JellyLms/Sessions/{id}/Volume` - Set volume
-
-### Status
-
-- `GET /JellyLms/Status` - Get LMS connection status
 - `POST /JellyLms/TestConnection` - Test LMS connectivity
+- `GET /JellyLms/DiscoverPaths` - Discover file paths for direct file access configuration
 
 ## LMS Setup
 
@@ -168,6 +240,30 @@ The plugin communicates with LMS using the `slim.request` JSON-RPC method.
 2. Check that audio files are in a format supported by your LMS players
 3. Ensure players are powered on (plugin can auto-power-on if configured)
 
+## Known Limitations
+
+### Seeking with HTTP Streaming
+
+When using HTTP streaming (the default), LMS cannot seek within audio streams. To work around this, when you seek or cast from a specific position, JellyLMS restarts playback with a new transcoded stream that begins at the requested position. This means:
+
+- **Seeking triggers a brief audio restart** rather than a smooth jump
+- **Starting playback mid-track** uses transcoding (MP3 320kbps) instead of direct streaming
+- **Playback from the beginning** uses direct/static streaming for best quality
+
+This is a fundamental limitation of how LMS handles HTTP streams.
+
+### Solution: Direct File Access
+
+If your Jellyfin and LMS servers can both access the same storage (e.g., a NAS), you can enable **Direct File Access** mode in the plugin settings. This allows LMS to read files directly from disk, enabling:
+
+- **Native smooth seeking** - no audio restart when scrubbing
+- **Full quality playback** - no transcoding needed
+- **Better performance** - no HTTP overhead
+
+To configure, set the path mappings in the plugin settings:
+- **Jellyfin Media Path**: The path prefix as Jellyfin sees your library (e.g., `/media/music`)
+- **LMS Media Path**: The same location as LMS sees it (e.g., `/mnt/music` or `//nas/music`)
+
 ## Development
 
 ### Project Structure
@@ -180,15 +276,17 @@ Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/
 │   ├── PluginConfiguration.cs   # Plugin settings
 │   └── configPage.html          # Dashboard configuration UI
 ├── Api/
-│   └── JellyLmsController.cs    # REST API endpoints
+│   └── JellyLmsController.cs    # REST API endpoints (players, sync groups)
 ├── Services/
 │   ├── ILmsApiClient.cs         # LMS API interface
 │   ├── LmsApiClient.cs          # LMS JSON-RPC client
 │   ├── LmsPlayerManager.cs      # Player discovery & sync
-│   └── LmsSessionManager.cs     # Playback session management
+│   ├── LmsSessionController.cs  # Playback control (ISessionController)
+│   ├── PlaybackStateMachine.cs  # State machine for playback lifecycle
+│   └── LmsStatusPoller.cs       # Polls LMS to confirm state transitions
 └── Models/
     ├── LmsPlayer.cs             # Player model
-    ├── LmsPlaybackSession.cs    # Session state model
+    ├── LmsPlaybackSession.cs    # Session state (incl. PlaybackState enum)
     └── LmsApiModels.cs          # JSON-RPC DTOs
 ```
 
@@ -199,7 +297,7 @@ Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/
 dotnet build Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.sln
 
 # Copy to Jellyfin plugins directory
-cp Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/bin/Debug/net8.0/Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.dll \
+cp Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS/bin/Debug/net9.0/Jellyfin.Plugin.JellyLMS.dll \
    ~/.local/share/jellyfin/plugins/JellyLMS/
 
 # Restart Jellyfin to load the plugin

manifest.json

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+[
+  {
+    "guid": "a5b8c9d0-1e2f-3a4b-5c6d-7e8f9a0b1c2d",
+    "name": "JellyLMS",
+    "description": "Stream Jellyfin audio to Logitech Media Server (LMS) for multi-room playback",
+    "overview": "Bridges Jellyfin audio playback to LMS for synchronized multi-room playback across Squeezebox players",
+    "owner": "dtourolle",
+    "category": "Music",
+    "versions": [
+      {
+        "version": "1.0.0",
+        "changelog": "Release 1.0.0",
+        "targetAbi": "10.10.0.0",
+        "sourceUrl": "https://gitea.tourolle.paris/dtourolle/jellyLMS/releases/download/v1.0.0/jellylms_1.0.0.0.zip",
+        "checksum": "b6194d5ceb5ec0ea711a48f6d34a290d",
+        "timestamp": "2025-12-20T13:54:14Z"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+]