If the playback device determines, based on detected movements of the user, that the user may be approaching the playback device to enter a playback related command (such as play, forward, or backward, for example), the playback device may begin to pre-cache audio content that the user may wish to cause the playback device to render via an anticipated command input. At block 804, the method 800 involves retrieving audio content by the playback device in response to the detected approach of the user and prior to receiving a command from the user to play the audio content.

In one case, the audio content may be retrieved from a local audio source, such as a local storage memory of the playback device. In another case, the audio content may be retrieved from a networked audio source. The networked audio sources may be a storage memory accessible over a local network, such as a network drive, or a storage memory of another playback device accessible by the playback device over the local network. The networked audio source may also be part of a cloud network, such as the cloud 710 as described above in connection to FIG. 7. In such a case, retrieving the audio content may involve accessing the audio content over the network.

Retrieving audio content by the playback device may also involve determining the audio content to be retrieved. In one example, the audio content to be retrieved may be determined based on a current playback mode of the playback device. As such, retrieving audio content may also involve determining the current playback mode of the playback device, and responsively determining the audio content to retrieve based on the current playback mode of the playback device.