Playlist

The Playlist tab of the database app is used to view and edit the playlists that are stored in the database. Typically, these playlists are generated by the music scheduler and then loaded into the playout, e.g. through an event with the Append database playlist action. Before they go on air, you can review them here and make manual changes: replace songs, add jingles or spots, move items around, record voice tracks, or fine-tune the transitions.

Database playlists are organized by hour: there is one playlist for each hour of each day, for each station and sub-playlist.

The library tree and item list are displayed on the left hand side of the Playlist tab, so you can drag items from the library into the playlist (see Library). The playlist itself is displayed on the right.

Use the following controls to select the playlist to be edited:

  • Station tabs: If the database contains more than one station, select the station from the tabs at the top of the window.
  • Date and hour: Select the date and hour from the controls in the playlist toolbar.
  • Previous and Next: Go to the previous or next hour.
  • Hour navigation buttons: A row of buttons (one per hour of the day) lets you jump to any hour of the selected day with a single click. Now jumps to the current hour. The buttons can be shown or hidden through View → Hour Navigation Buttons.
  • Go To…: Opens a dialog that lists all existing playlists, along with their duration and the result of the error check. Select a playlist and click OK to open it. The context menu of the list lets you check the selected playlists for errors, update their advertising, or delete them.
  • Sub-playlist tabs: If more than one sub-playlist is set up, select it from the tabs above the playlist.

If you leave a playlist that has unsaved changes, mAirList asks whether you want to save it.

Editing the Playlist

Adding Items

  • Drag items from the library item list to the desired position in the playlist.
  • Use the Insert menu of the toolbar to insert other kinds of items, e.g. a stream, a live feed, a container, a command, silence, or a dummy item. The item’s Properties dialog opens, and the item is inserted at the current position after you click OK.
  • Set the click mode in the library toolbar to Insert into playlist, and double-click an item in the library to insert it at the current position.
  • Use Paste in the context menu to insert items from the clipboard, e.g. items copied from another hour.

Rearranging and Deleting Items

Items can be moved by dragging them with the mouse. To delete items, select them and click Delete in the toolbar, or use Delete from the context menu. Cut, Copy and Paste are available in the context menu as well.

Customizing Items

To change the properties of an item in the playlist, right-click it and select Customize Properties…, or double-click it while the Edit click mode is selected. To change several items at once, select them and choose Mass Edit.

Changing an item in the playlist does not affect the item in the library. Instead, the playlist item is marked as customized. When the playlist is saved, a full copy of each customized item is stored in the playlist, rather than a link to the library item. Customized items are also created when you edit the transitions in the Mix Editor.

To undo the customization, right-click the item and select Reset. The item is then replaced with the current version from the library.

The state of each item is indicated by a colored dot in the number column of the playlist:

  • Green: The item is linked to the library and has not been customized.
  • Orange: The item has been customized, either manually or by Auto Mix. A full copy of the item is stored in the playlist.
  • Blue: The item is not part of this database’s library, e.g. an item that was imported from a playlist file and could not be found in the library, or an item from another database.

Items inside containers do not have a dot; their state is indicated by the container.

Context Menu

Besides the commands described above, the context menu of the playlist contains:

  • Mix Editor: Opens the Mix Editor with the selected items, or with the item and its neighbors.
  • Auto Mix: Commands for the Auto Mix feature, which places sweepers or voice tracks on the ramps of music items automatically:
    • Update when playlist changes: Run Auto Mix automatically every time the playlist is changed.
    • Mix Selection and Mix Entire Playlist: Run Auto Mix on the selected items, or on the whole playlist.
    • Reset Selection and Reset Entire Playlist: Undo the changes made by Auto Mix.
    • Lock Selection and Unlock Selection: Locked items are left untouched by Auto Mix.
  • Mixdown selection: Mixes the selected items down into a single audio file.
  • Create Container and Create Hook Container: Combine the selected items into a container or a hook container.
  • Skip and Recycle: Mark items as skipped, so that they are not played, or restore skipped or played items.
  • Auto Float: Moves floating items (items without a fixed position) to fill underruns and to resolve overflows in front of fixed-time items.
  • Check playlist for errors: Runs an error check on the playlist, e.g. to find missing files.

Playlist Attributes

Playlist attributes are values that apply to the whole hour, e.g. the name of the show or the presenter (see Playlist Attributes). They are displayed in the attribute bar of the Playlist tab. Click Edit Attributes… to change them. The attribute bar can be shown or hidden through View → Playlist Attributes.

Saving

Click Save in the toolbar to save the playlist to the database. Enable Auto Save Playlist to save all changes automatically, every two seconds.

If the playlist was changed by another user since you opened it, mAirList tries to merge the two versions automatically. If both of you have changed the same items, a dialog shows who made the other changes and when, and lets you choose how to proceed:

  • Save anyway: Keep your version, and discard the changes of the other person.
  • Discard my changes: Keep the other person’s version.
  • Keep both changes: Include both versions of the conflicting items.
  • View changes and resolve manually: Opens a dialog in which you can decide for each item.
  • Cancel: Do not save.

The playback state of the items (played, skipped) is always taken from the database version, so that changes made by the playout are not lost.

Other Functions

The playlist toolbar provides access to the following functions:

  • Mix Editor: Opens the Mix Editor with the selected items.
  • VT: Opens the voice tracking recorder for the selected position in the playlist.
  • Generate:
    • Scheduler: Opens the music scheduler to generate playlists for several hours or days.
    • This Playlist…: Generates the current hour only. Select the hour, music and transition templates to use. The result replaces the contents of the playlist; it is not saved until you click Save.
    • Insert Advertising: Inserts the advertising blocks for this hour.
    • Update Advertising: Fills the advertising containers of the playlist with the current content from the advertising schedule.
  • Import:
    • Single Playlist…: Replaces the current playlist with the contents of a playlist file.
    • Multiple Playlists…: Imports several playlist files, and distributes them across consecutive hours, starting at a specified day and hour. The playlists can be split into hours, and saved into a particular sub-playlist.
    • Playlist Contents…: Imports playlist files from a third-party scheduler. The date and hour are determined from the filenames, and a preview is shown before the playlists are saved.
  • Export:
    • This Playlist…: Saves the current playlist to a file.
    • Multiple Playlists…: Exports the playlists of a range of days and hours into a folder, using a configurable file name and file format.

The columns displayed in the playlist can be selected through View → Select Playlist Columns….

Permissions

Users with a user level below DJ can view playlists, but cannot edit them (see User Management).