diff --git a/backend/app.go b/backend/app.go
index 1eae20e..53d7f18 100644
--- a/backend/app.go
+++ b/backend/app.go
@@ -558,6 +558,12 @@ func (a *App) checkFlagsAndSendIPCMsg(cli *ipc.Client) error {
 		return cli.SeekSeconds(SeekToCLIArg)
 	case SeekByCLIArg != 0:
 		return cli.SeekBySeconds(SeekByCLIArg)
+	case PlayAlbumCLIArg != "":
+		return cli.PlayAlbum(PlayAlbumCLIArg, FirstTrackCLIArg, *FlagShuffle)
+	case PlayPlaylistCLIArg != "":
+		return cli.PlayPlaylist(PlayPlaylistCLIArg, FirstTrackCLIArg, *FlagShuffle)
+	case PlayTrackCLIArg != "":
+		return cli.PlayTrack(PlayTrackCLIArg)
 	default:
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/backend/cmdlineoptions.go b/backend/cmdlineoptions.go
index c7252ed..883431d 100644
--- a/backend/cmdlineoptions.go
+++ b/backend/cmdlineoptions.go
@@ -7,10 +7,14 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	VolumeCLIArg    int     = -1
-	SeekToCLIArg    float64 = -1
-	SeekByCLIArg    float64 = 0
-	VolumePctCLIArg float64 = 0
+	VolumeCLIArg       int     = -1
+	SeekToCLIArg       float64 = -1
+	SeekByCLIArg       float64 = 0
+	VolumePctCLIArg    float64 = 0
+	PlayAlbumCLIArg    string  = ""
+	PlayPlaylistCLIArg string  = ""
+	PlayTrackCLIArg    string  = ""
+	FirstTrackCLIArg   int     = 0
 
 	FlagPlay           = flag.Bool("play", false, "unpause or begin playback")
 	FlagPause          = flag.Bool("pause", false, "pause playback")
@@ -19,6 +23,7 @@ var (
 	FlagNext           = flag.Bool("next", false, "seek to next track")
 	FlagStartMinimized = flag.Bool("start-minimized", false, "start app minimized")
 	FlagShow           = flag.Bool("show", false, "show minimized app")
+	FlagShuffle        = flag.Bool("shuffle", false, "shuffle the tracklist (to be used with either -play-album or -play-playlist)")
 	FlagVersion        = flag.Bool("version", false, "print app version and exit")
 	FlagHelp           = flag.Bool("help", false, "print command line options and exit")
 )
@@ -48,6 +53,24 @@ func init() {
 		VolumePctCLIArg = v
 		return err
 	})
+
+	flag.Func("play-album", "start playing the given album (ID)", func(s string) error {
+		PlayAlbumCLIArg = s
+		return nil
+	})
+	flag.Func("play-playlist", "start playing the given playlist (ID)", func(s string) error {
+		PlayPlaylistCLIArg = s
+		return nil
+	})
+	flag.Func("play-track", "start playing the given track (ID)", func(s string) error {
+		PlayTrackCLIArg = s
+		return nil
+	})
+	flag.Func("first-track", "start playing from given track (positive integer, to be used with either -play-album or -play-playlist)", func(s string) error {
+		v, err := strconv.Atoi(s)
+		FirstTrackCLIArg = v
+		return err
+	})
 }
 
 func HaveCommandLineOptions() bool {
diff --git a/backend/ipc/api.go b/backend/ipc/api.go
index f53a4a4..266a815 100644
--- a/backend/ipc/api.go
+++ b/backend/ipc/api.go
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ import "fmt"
 const (
 	PingPath         = "/ping"
 	PlayPath         = "/transport/play"
+	PlayAlbumPath    = "/transport/play-album"    // ?id=<album ID>&t=<firstTrack>&s=<shuffle>
+	PlayPlaylistPath = "/transport/play-playlist" // ?id=<playlist ID>&t=<firstTrack>&s=<shuffle>
+	PlayTrackPath    = "/transport/play-track"    // ?id=<track ID>
 	PlayPausePath    = "/transport/playpause"
 	PausePath        = "/transport/pause"
 	StopPath         = "/transport/stop"
@@ -37,3 +40,15 @@ func SeekToSecondsPath(secs float64) string {
 func SeekBySecondsPath(secs float64) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s?s=%0.2f", SeekByPath, secs)
 }
+
+func BuildPlayAlbumPath(id string, firstTrack int, shuffle bool) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s?id=%s&t=%d&s=%t", PlayAlbumPath, id, firstTrack, shuffle)
+}
+
+func BuildPlayPlaylistPath(id string, firstTrack int, shuffle bool) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s?id=%s&t=%d&s=%t", PlayPlaylistPath, id, firstTrack, shuffle)
+}
+
+func BuildPlayTrackPath(id string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s?id=%s", PlayTrackPath, id)
+}
diff --git a/backend/ipc/client.go b/backend/ipc/client.go
index fbc6737..4c0a22e 100644
--- a/backend/ipc/client.go
+++ b/backend/ipc/client.go
@@ -44,6 +44,18 @@ func (c *Client) Pause() error {
 	return c.sendRequest(PausePath)
 }
 
+func (c *Client) PlayAlbum(id string, firstTrack int, shuffle bool) error {
+	return c.sendRequest(BuildPlayAlbumPath(id, firstTrack, shuffle))
+}
+
+func (c *Client) PlayPlaylist(id string, firstTrack int, shuffle bool) error {
+	return c.sendRequest(BuildPlayPlaylistPath(id, firstTrack, shuffle))
+}
+
+func (c *Client) PlayTrack(id string) error {
+	return c.sendRequest(BuildPlayTrackPath(id))
+}
+
 func (c *Client) PlayPause() error {
 	return c.sendRequest(PlayPausePath)
 }
diff --git a/backend/ipc/server.go b/backend/ipc/server.go
index 8de46ad..5d688ae 100644
--- a/backend/ipc/server.go
+++ b/backend/ipc/server.go
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ type PlaybackHandler interface {
 	SeekBySeconds(float64)
 	Volume() int
 	SetVolume(int)
+	PlayAlbum(string, int, bool) error
+	PlayPlaylist(string, int, bool) error
+	PlayTrack(string) error
 }
 
 type IPCServer interface {
@@ -86,6 +89,13 @@ func (s *serverImpl) createHandler() http.Handler {
 		vol = vol + int(float64(vol)*(pct/100))
 		s.pbHandler.SetVolume(vol) // will clamp to range for us
 	}))
+	m.HandleFunc(PlayAlbumPath, s.makeTracklistEndpointHandler(s.pbHandler.PlayAlbum))
+	m.HandleFunc(PlayPlaylistPath, s.makeTracklistEndpointHandler(s.pbHandler.PlayPlaylist))
+	m.HandleFunc(PlayTrackPath, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		id := r.URL.Query().Get("id")
+		s.pbHandler.PlayTrack(id)
+		s.writeOK(w)
+	})
 	return m
 }
 
@@ -108,6 +118,25 @@ func (s *serverImpl) makeFloatEndpointHandler(queryParam string, f func(float64)
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *serverImpl) makeTracklistEndpointHandler(f func(string, int, bool) error) func(http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request) {
+	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		query := r.URL.Query()
+		id := query.Get("id")
+		firstTrack, err := strconv.Atoi(query.Get("t"))
+		if err != nil {
+			s.writeErr(w, err)
+			return
+		}
+		shuffle, err := strconv.ParseBool(query.Get("s"))
+		if err != nil {
+			s.writeErr(w, err)
+			return
+		}
+		f(id, firstTrack, shuffle)
+		s.writeOK(w)
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *serverImpl) writeOK(w http.ResponseWriter) (int, error) {
 	var r Response
 	b, err := json.Marshal(&r)