M3U Playlist Format

The M3U Playlist format is a simple text file containing a list of audio file paths. PlayIt Live supports importing M3U files as playout logs via the Import Playout Log window.

Hour markers

To separate the playlist into hours, use a # Hour: comment to indicate which hour the following tracks belong to:

# Hour: 00:00
C:\Music\Jingles\Station ID.mp3
C:\Music\Songs\Artist - Title.mp3
C:\Music\Songs\Artist - Another Title.mp3
# Hour: 01:00
C:\Music\Jingles\Promo.mp3
C:\Music\Songs\Artist - Song.mp3

File paths can be absolute or relative. When using relative paths, Base Audio Folder

Special items

Special items - fixed time markers, break notes, voice tracks, URLs, aux inputs, and advert blocks - are added using comment lines that start with #, followed by the item type and a list of Field=value settings.

Field syntax: separate fields with a semicolon (;). Wrap any value that contains spaces in double quotes (for example Notes="News on the hour"); values without spaces do not need quotes.

Duration format: durations are written as minutes and/or seconds - 3m (3 minutes), 5s (5 seconds), or 3m02s (3 minutes 2 seconds). Seconds may include a decimal, such as 1m1.5s.

Fixed time markers

Type can be Hard, Soft, or NotBefore, and TargetTime is the time past the start of the hour.

# Fixed Time Marker: Type=Hard; TargetTime=3m02s
# Fixed Time Marker: Type=Soft; TargetTime=3m
# Fixed Time Marker: Type=NotBefore; TargetTime=5s

Type=Hard; TargetTime=3m02s is a Hard fixed time marker at 3 minutes 2 seconds past the hour.
Type=Soft; TargetTime=3m is a Soft fixed time marker at 3 minutes past the hour.
Type=NotBefore; TargetTime=5s is a Not Before fixed time marker at 5 seconds past the hour.

Break notes

# Break Note: Duration=1m1s; Notes="News on the hour"

This is a break note lasting 1 minute and 1 second with the notes "News on the hour".

Voice track placeholders

# Voice Track Placeholder: Duration=1m

This is an empty voice track placeholder lasting 1 minute, ready for a presenter to record into.

To import a voice track that already has a recording, use the Voice Track form and point it at the recorded audio file:

# Voice Track: PlaceholderDuration=1m; RecordingDuration=55s; RecordingPath="C:\Recordings\VT_0900.wav"

PlaceholderDuration is the length reserved in the log.
RecordingDuration (optional) is the length of the recorded audio.
RecordingPath (optional) is the path to the recorded audio file.

Remote URLs

# URL: Duration=1m; Title="News"; URL="https://example.com/news.mp3"; Type=File
# URL: Duration=60m; Title="Simulcasted show"; URL="https://example.com/live"; Type=Live

Type=File plays a remote audio file for the given Duration (the first line above).
Type=Live connects to a live stream (the second line above). LiveStream is also accepted.

Aux inputs

# Aux Input: Duration=2m; Title="Sky News"; DeviceName="Microphone (USB Audio Codec)"

This is an aux input lasting 2 minutes from the named audio device. Set DeviceName to the device's display name exactly as it appears in PlayIt Live.

# Advert Block: StartTime=15m; Duration=3m; Slots=6

An advert block scheduled at StartTime past the hour, lasting Duration, with Slots advert slots reserved.