# PlayIt Manager - User Guide
**Version 1.22**
## Contents
**Getting Started**
- [Installation](#getting-started-installation)
- [Upgrading versions](#getting-started-upgrading-versions)
- [Uninstallation](#getting-started-uninstallation)
- [Activation](#getting-started-activation)
- [Activating Online](#getting-started-activating-online)
- [Activating Offline](#getting-started-activating-offline)
- [Renewing License](#getting-started-renewing-licence)
- [Configure PlayIt Manager Server](#getting-started-configure-server)
- [Advanced Settings](#getting-started-advanced-settings)
- [Setting Up External Access](#getting-started-setting-up-external-access)
**Overview**
- [Overview](#overview-overview)
- [Common Page Elements](#overview-common-page-elements)
**Tracks**
- [Overview](#tracks-overview)
- [Listing Tracks](#tracks-listing)
- [Adding New Tracks](#tracks-adding)
- [Editing Tracks](#tracks-editing)
- [Bulk Editing Tracks](#tracks-bulk-editing)
**Track Groups**
- [Overview](#track-groups-overview)
- [Listing Track Groups](#track-groups-listing)
- [Listed Track Groups](#track-groups-listed)
- [Filtered Track Groups](#track-groups-filtered)
- [Grouped Track Groups](#track-groups-grouped)
- [Move Tracks](#track-groups-move-tracks)
**Multiple Artist Splits**
- [Overview](#artist-splits-overview)
- [Listing Multiple Artist Splits](#artist-splits-listing)
- [Editing Multiple Artist Splits](#artist-splits-editing)
**Related Artists**
- [Overview](#related-artists-overview)
- [Listing Related Artists](#related-artists-listing)
- [Editing Related Artists](#related-artists-editing)
**Monitored Folders**
- [Overview](#monitored-folders-overview)
- [Listing Monitored Folders](#monitored-folders-listing)
- [Monitored Folders Status](#monitored-folders-status)
- [Editing Monitored Folders](#monitored-folders-editing)
**Playout Policies**
- [Overview](#playout-policies-overview)
- [Listing Playout Policies](#playout-policies-listing)
- [Editing Track/Artist Separation](#playout-policies-edit-track-artist-separation)
- [Editing Daypart Separation](#playout-policies-edit-daypart-separation)
- [Editing Track Set Separation](#playout-policies-edit-track-set-separation)
**Playout Pattern**
- [Overview](#playout-pattern-overview)
- [Editing Playout Pattern](#playout-pattern-editing)
**Clocks**
- [Overview](#clocks-overview)
- [Listing Clocks](#clocks-listing)
- [Editing Clock](#clocks-editing)
- [Scheduling Clocks](#clocks-scheduling)
- [Legacy (Calendar)](#clocks-legacy-calendar)
**Playout Log**
- [Overview](#playout-log-overview)
- [Selecting Date Range](#playout-log-selecting-date-range)
- [Editing Playout Log](#playout-log-editing)
- [Importing Playout Log](#playout-log-importing)
- [PlayIt Playout Log Format](#playout-log-playit-format)
- [M3U Playlist Format](#playout-log-m3u-format)
**Logged Tracks**
- [Logged Tracks](#logged-tracks-overview)
- [Exporting Logged Tracks](#logged-tracks-export)
**Adverts**
- [Overview](#adverts-overview)
- [Advert Campaigns](#adverts-campaigns)
- [Editing Advert Campaigns](#adverts-edit-campaign)
- [Editing Adverts](#adverts-edit-advert)
- [Advert Log](#adverts-log)
**Users**
- [Overview](#users-overview)
- [Listing Users](#users-listing)
- [Editing Users](#users-editing)
**Priority Streams**
- [Overview](#priority-streams-overview)
- [Edit Priority Stream](#priority-streams-editing)
**Connect PlayIt Live**
- [Connect PlayIt Live](#connect-connect-playit-live)
**Remote Voice Tracking**
- [Remote Voice Tracking](#voice-tracking-remote-voice-tracking)
**Remote Studio**
- [Remote Studio](#studio-remote-studio)
**Settings**
- [Overview](#settings-overview)
- [General](#settings-general)
- [Scheduling](#settings-scheduling)
- [Voice Tracking](#settings-voice-tracking)
- [Security](#settings-security)
- [Audio Storage](#settings-audio-storage)
**Tools**
- [Overview](#tools-overview)
- [Duplicate Track File Analysis](#tools-duplicate-track-file-analysis)
- [Missing Track File Analysis](#tools-missing-track-file-analysis)
- [Track Play Count Analysis](#tools-track-play-count-analysis)
- [Backup](#tools-backup)
- [Database Clean-up](#tools-database-cleanup)
- [Loudness Analysis](#tools-loudness-analysis)
- [Remote Access](#tools-remote-access)
---
# Installation
PlayIt Manager is a browser based server application enabling the remote management and data synchronization of PlayIt Live data.
To install PlayIt Manager, download the latest version from the [PlayIt Software website](https://www.playitsoftware.com/Products/Manager).
See also: [Upgrading versions](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/upgrading-versions) and [Uninstallation](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/uninstallation).
## Installation Steps[](#installation-steps "Copy link to this section")
### Download the installer
Visit [playitsoftware.com/Products/Manager](https://www.playitsoftware.com/Products/Manager) and click the **Try for Free** button to download the latest version.
### Run the installer
Once the download is complete, run the downloaded **.exe** file.
### Accept the license agreement
You will first be presented with the software license agreement. Once you have read and agree to these terms, click **I Agree**.
### Choose components
Choose the components to install. Here you can select whether to install Start Menu and Desktop shortcuts. Click **Next** to continue.
### Choose install location
Choose the location to install the software. By default, this is in **Program Files**, but can be changed to your preference. Click **Install** to begin installation.
### Launch PlayIt Manager
Check **Start PlayIt Manager** and click **Finish** to launch PlayIt Manager. If PlayIt Manager does not launch, type **PlayIt Manager** from the Start Menu.
### Allow elevated privileges
On first run, PlayIt Manager requires elevated privileges (Administrator mode) in order to manage the HTTP configuration for the application. For advanced users, the scripts it will run are:
```
netsh http add urlacl url=http://localhost:25432/
netsh http add urlacl url=http://+:25432/
```
The User Account Control window will look like this:
User Account Control prompt showing the request for elevated privileges
Click **Yes** to continue.
## Accessing PlayIt Manager[](#accessing-playit-manager "Copy link to this section")
PlayIt Manager will start up and launch a browser window so you can start using PlayIt Manager. While PlayIt Manager is running, it can be found in the Notification Area (System Tray). Double click the icon to show the [Configure PlayIt Manager Server](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/configure-server) window, where you can configure advanced settings and enable external access.
The next required step is [Activation](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/activation).
---
# Upgrading versions
New versions of PlayIt Manager are regularly available from [playitsoftware.com](https://www.playitsoftware.com). It is important to back up your data before you install any new versions. Data and logs for PlayIt Manager are stored in the Windows `ProgramData` folder.
```
C:\ProgramData\PlayIt Manager
```
To back up your data, simply copy this folder to an alternative location, such as an external hard drive.
When a new version is installed, or an old version is uninstalled, the data in the location above will not be removed.
> **NOTE:** If you receive an error saying "Error opening file for writing" when installing, ensure you have stopped PlayIt Manager.
---
# Uninstallation
When installed, PlayIt Manager will include an **Uninstall** shortcut in the Start Menu.
If you chose not to add Start Menu shortcuts, the Uninstaller can be found at (by default):
```
C:\Program Files (x86)\PlayIt Manager\uninstall.exe
```
or
```
C:\Program Files\PlayIt Manager\uninstall.exe
```
Please ensure you have stopped PlayIt Manager before attempting to uninstall.
Double click the icon to start the uninstall process.
Check the checkbox to **Delete application database and settings** if you no longer wish to use PlayIt Manager in future. Click **Next**.
Click **Uninstall** to remove PlayIt Manager.
---
# Activation
The first time you run PlayIt Manager you will be prompted to activate the software.
The simplest way to activate the software is to [activate online](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/activating-online) by logging in to your PlayIt Software account. Alternatively you can [activate offline](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/activating-offline) if your PlayIt Manager server machine is not connected to the internet.
- [Activating Online](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/activating-online)
- [Activating Offline](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/activating-offline)
- [Renewing License](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/renewing-licence)
---
# Activating Online
Activating online is the simplest way to start using PlayIt Manager.
From the **Settings > License** page, click the **Log in to your PlayIt Software account** button.
### License Information
Your license details appear here once activation completes.
### Log in to your PlayIt Software account
Click this button to start the online activation flow.
You will be prompted to enter your PlayIt Software account username and password. If you do not have an account, click **Create an account** and a new window will open for you to create an account. Return to the log in window once you have created an account.
Click the **Log In** button to get your PlayIt Manager license. The window will close and the license information will be populated after a short period of time.
### Active License
A green confirmation banner appears once your license has been applied successfully.
### License Information
The License Information section is populated with the account name, email, and machine code tied to your subscription.
You are now ready to use PlayIt Manager. Click **Get started!** to start.
PlayIt Manager will attempt to automatically keep your license up to date based on your PlayIt Manager subscription.
If your server is not connected to the internet, see [Activating Offline](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/activating-offline).
---
# Activating Offline
If the computer on which you have installed PlayIt Manager is not connected to the internet, it is possible to activate offline.
From the **Settings > License** page, click the **Server not connected to the Internet?** link.
### Server not connected to the Internet?
Click this link to reveal the offline activation form.
A new section will be displayed with instructions to activate offline. Follow these instructions to generate a license for PlayIt Manager.
### Offline activation form
Note the **Computer Name** and **Machine Code** displayed here. You will need these to generate a license on the PlayIt Software website.
Once you have generated a license from the PlayIt Software website, paste the license text in the box and click **Apply**. Alternatively, if you have downloaded the license file from the website, click the box to select the license file and then click the **Apply License File** button.
The page will be updated with the license information populated.
### Active License
A green confirmation banner appears once your license has been applied successfully.
### License Information
The License Information section is populated with the account name, email, and machine code tied to your subscription.
You are now ready to use PlayIt Manager. Click **Get started!** to start.
If your server is connected to the internet, see [Activating Online](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/activating-online) for the simpler activation flow.
---
# Renewing License
When a license has expired, synchronizing with PlayIt Live instances will cease to function until a new valid license has been applied. While you remain logged in to your PlayIt Software account, PlayIt Manager renews your license automatically for as long as your subscription is active, so you should rarely need to renew manually. With an active subscription you can also apply a license with the previous activation steps.
See also: [Activating Online](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/activating-online) and [Activating Offline](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/activating-offline).
---
# Configure PlayIt Manager Server
Double-click the PlayIt Manager icon in the notification area (system tray) to show the Configure PlayIt Manager Server window. Here you can stop and start the server if necessary or access the [Advanced](/PlayItManager/122/getting-started/advanced-settings) or [External Access](/PlayItManager/122/getting-started/setting-up-external-access) sections.
The **Open remote management in browser** link opens the PlayIt Manager web interface in your default browser.
For more detail, see [Advanced Settings](/PlayItManager/122/getting-started/advanced-settings) and [Setting Up External Access](/PlayItManager/122/getting-started/setting-up-external-access).
---
# Advanced Settings
If you find these settings are disabled, you must first stop the server by clicking the **Stop Server** button in the top section.
> **Note:** Ensure you have licensed PlayIt Manager via the web interface. This is required to enable a hostname for the Hostname registration section.
### Server port
The port used by the remote access server. By default, this is `25432`. This should not need to be changed unless you require a specific port number.
### Use HTTPS
With HTTPS, data between you and the connecting user will be encrypted. Without it, a "Not Secure" message will be shown in the web browser. Due to browser restrictions, HTTPS is required to use Remote Voice Tracking and Remote Studio in the web browser.
**Technical detail:** When HTTPS is enabled, an SSL certificate for the registered hostname will be generated for you by PlayIt Software and installed on your machine. A self-signed certificate will also be generated for `localhost` to be used on the local computer.
### Hostname
The hostname used to allow other users to access your remote access server with a static (and potentially memorable) address. Leave the hostname and access code boxes blank before starting the server to use a random address. You can register your own custom address using the link. Once you have registered the hostname, enter the hostname and access code provided to you into the corresponding boxes.
Custom hostnames are only available to customers who have an active premium module subscription or lifetime purchase.
### Detected IP address
Shows the detected external IP address. This address is used to automatically map your hostname to your IP. If your IP changes, your hostname remains the same. If you wish to override the detected IP address, click **Override**, enter the IP address, and click **Save**.
### Status
Shows the status of the SSL certificate registration and IP address publishing. Typically SSL certificate registration and IP address (DNS) registration takes around 10 minutes after starting the server.
### Disable Updates
PlayIt Manager normally keeps your hostname's IP address and SSL certificate registration up to date automatically. Click **Disable Updates** to turn this off and manage the registration yourself; the button then reads **Enable Updates** so you can switch automatic updates back on. While updates are disabled, your hostname may stop resolving if your external IP address changes.
See also [Setting Up External Access](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/setting-up-external-access).
---
# Setting Up External Access
The **Help me set up external access** section provides some assistance to allow others outside your network to access your computer.
Typically, this requires creating a firewall rule to allow connections to the remote access server port. Click the **Create rule...** button to automatically add this to the Windows Defender firewall. If you are using another firewall, e.g. McAfee, refer to its documentation to allow connections through the server port.
For home or small office networks, you will need to set up port forwarding rules on your network router to route incoming traffic on the remote access server port to your PlayIt Manager computer. The TCP port you need to forward, along with the name of your computer and its internal IP address, are shown in this window. As each router is different it is not possible to give specific instructions. We recommend referring to [PortForward.com](https://portforward.com/router.htm) for instructions for many brands of router.
For corporate or school networks, please speak with your IT administrator.
Once you have set up your system correctly for external access, the **Try again?** check will pass and the window will indicate that PlayIt Manager is reachable at your public hostname.
See also [Advanced Settings](/PlayItManager/122/getting-started/advanced-settings) for hostname registration and HTTPS configuration.
---
# Overview
PlayIt Manager is a browser-based server application enabling the remote management and data synchronization of PlayIt Live data. You can manage Track and Track Group data as well as schedule data such as Clocks and Playout Log for synchronization with PlayIt Live.
The software is designed to run as a separate application storing a single source of data. PlayIt Live instances on different computers can connect to PlayIt Manager via a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) and receive updates from the server. The URL to use is the base URL found in the address bar when using PlayIt Manager from a browser, such as **[http://server:25432/](http://server:25432/)**. PlayIt Live 1.11 or later is required to synchronize all data with PlayIt Manager. For more information, see [Connect PlayIt Live](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/connect/connect-playit-live).
## System Requirements[](#system-requirements "Copy link to this section")
PlayIt Manager requires the .NET Framework 4.7.1 which is automatically downloaded and installed via the installer. To install this framework requires at least Windows 10 or Windows 11; or Windows Server 2016 or later, with all Windows updates applied.
## Supported Browsers[](#supported-browsers "Copy link to this section")
PlayIt Manager is supported on the latest desktop versions of:
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Edge
- Mozilla Firefox
---
# Common Page Elements
### Menu
Navigate to different sections of PlayIt Manager:
- **[Tracks](/PlayItManager/122/tracks/overview)**: Manage tracks
- **[Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/track-groups/overview)**: Manage track groups
- **[Multiple Artist Splits](/PlayItManager/122/artist-splits/overview)**: Manage multiple artist splits
- **[Related Artists](/PlayItManager/122/related-artists/overview)**: Manage related artists
- **[Monitored Folders](/PlayItManager/122/monitored-folders/overview)**: Manage monitored folders that automatically import new tracks
- **[Logged Tracks](/PlayItManager/122/logged-tracks/overview)**: View, edit and export the tracks that have been played
- **[Playout Policies](/PlayItManager/122/playout-policies/overview)**: Manage playout policies
- **[Playout Pattern](/PlayItManager/122/playout-pattern/overview)**: Manage the playout pattern
- **[Clocks](/PlayItManager/122/clocks/overview)**: Manage clocks
- **[Playout Log](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/overview)**: Manage the playout log
- **[Advert Campaigns](/PlayItManager/122/adverts/campaigns)**: Manage advert campaigns
- **[Advert Log](/PlayItManager/122/adverts/log)**: Manage the advert log
- **[Users](/PlayItManager/122/users/overview)**: Manage users
- **[Priority Streams](/PlayItManager/122/priority-streams/overview)**: Manage priority streams
- **[Connect PlayIt Live](/PlayItManager/122/connect/connect-playit-live)**: Information on how to connect PlayIt Live to PlayIt Manager
- **[Settings](/PlayItManager/122/settings/general)**: Configure PlayIt Manager, including [track path substitutions](/PlayItManager/122/settings/general#track-path-substitutions)
- **Tools**: Run database cleanup, file analysis and other maintenance tools
### Log out button
Log the current user out so another user can log in. This button is hidden when login is not required.
### Breadcrumbs
A trail of links to the previous pages navigated to reach the current page. Click any breadcrumb to return to that page.
---
# Track Management
Tracks are references to audio files that can be uploaded to PlayIt Manager. When synchronized to PlayIt Live they appear on the Track List on the right hand side of the interface and are used for playing audio content.
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Listing Tracks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tracks/listing)
- [Adding New Tracks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tracks/adding)
- [Editing Tracks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tracks/editing)
---
# Listing Tracks
### Track group filter
Filter the track list by track group.
### Search
Filter the track list to the artist or title entered into the text box.
### Add New Tracks button
[Add new tracks](/PlayItManager/122/tracks/adding) to PlayIt Manager by uploading audio files.
### Export to CSV button
Export the current track list view to a CSV file for printing or review.
### Track list
Lists tracks added to PlayIt Manager. The Artist and Title of each track is shown along with the following action buttons:
- A drop down with all available options for the track.
- An **Edit** button that opens the [edit track page](/PlayItManager/122/tracks/editing).
- A **Delete** button that prompts for confirmation before removing the track.
By default the track list shows the **Artist - Title** and **Duration** columns. You can add, remove and reorder columns to suit the way you work. For example, add the **Track Groups** column to see at a glance which categories a track belongs to, or show the **Year** and **Genre** columns when programming music.
Click the **Select Track List Columns** button above the list (next to **Export to CSV**) to open the column picker.
### Column list
**Tick or untick** a column to show or hide it in the track list. **Select a column** by clicking its row to move it (see the reorder buttons). Columns are shown left to right in the order they are listed here.
The columns you can choose from include **Artist - Title**, **Artist**, **Title**, **Duration**, **Album**, **Intro**, **Early Out**, **Year**, **Path**, **Type**, **Out Cue**, **Genre**, **Tags**, **Comments**, **Sweeper**, **ISRC**, **Record Label**, **Gain (dB)**, **Last Played**, **Hook Start**, **Hook End**, **Track Groups** and **Track ID**.
### Reorder buttons
The **Move Up** and **Move Down** buttons change the position of the selected column. Select a column in the list, then use these buttons to change where it appears.
### Save and Cancel
Click **Save** to apply your changes, or **Cancel** to discard them.
Your column choices, their order and any widths you set by dragging a column border are remembered in your browser, so the list looks the same the next time you open it on the same computer. Because the settings are stored per browser, a different computer or browser starts from the default columns.
---
# Adding New Tracks
Tracks can be added to PlayIt Manager from this page. Uploaded files are stored in the **Audio Store** folder inside the PlayIt Manager **ProgramData** folder. By default this is `C:\ProgramData\PlayIt Manager\AudioStore\`.
The page has three source tabs at the top which let you choose where the tracks come from:
- **Upload to Server**: drag and drop files from your computer, or click to browse for them.
- **Files on Server**: select existing audio files that already live on the PlayIt Manager server.
- **Folder on Server**: point PlayIt Manager at a folder on the server and add every audio file inside.
## Queueing tracks for upload[](#queueing-tracks-for-upload "Copy link to this section")
The first screenshot shows the **Upload to Server** tab with 24 audio files queued and ready to upload.
### Drag and drop box
Drag audio files into this box to queue them, or click anywhere inside the box to open a file picker. Dropping or selecting files appends them to the existing queue (it does not replace what is already there).
### Queue summary
Once tracks are queued the summary line appears showing the current state (**Ready to upload**), the number of files in the queue, and the total size on disk. The **Clear list?** link removes every queued file so you can start over before uploading.
### Queue file list
The first ten queued files are listed by name. If more than ten files are queued an additional line shows the count of files that are not visible (for example **\+ 14 more files**). An empty progress bar appears beside each file and starts to fill once the upload begins.
### Analyze tracks for cue in and out points
Tick this box to automatically analyze each track for silence at the start and end and set its cue in / cue out points after upload.
### Add to listed track group
Optionally add every uploaded track to a listed track group. Pick an existing group from the dropdown, or choose **** and give the new group a name to create it as part of the upload.
### Upload button
Starts uploading the queued files. While files are uploading the button is replaced by a red **Stop** button that cancels any uploads that have not yet completed.
## Uploading in progress[](#uploading-in-progress "Copy link to this section")
After clicking **Upload**, PlayIt Manager uploads up to five files at a time. The next screenshot shows the page partway through an upload, with most files completed, one file in error and the remainder in flight.
### Queue summary (uploading)
While uploads are running the state text changes to **Uploading...**, the file count and total size still reflect the original queue, and the **Clear list?** link is hidden so the queue cannot be cleared mid-upload.
### Overall progress bar
Tracks the overall upload progress across the queue, treating every finished file (success or error) as one unit complete.
### In-flight files and errors
Shows up to ten files that are currently in flight, each with its own per-file progress bar. If more files are still queued an additional line shows the count (for example **\+ 1 more files**). Any file that failed to upload is listed separately below with its filename and a red error icon; failed files are not retried automatically.
### Stop button
Replaces the Upload button while uploads are running. Clicking **Stop** cancels any uploads that have not yet started; uploads already in flight continue to completion.
## Viewing the tracks you just added[](#viewing-the-tracks-you-just-added "Copy link to this section")
When every upload has finished, a green confirmation banner appears reading **Your track files have finished being added.** It carries two links: **Track List** and **Track Groups**.
The **Track List** link opens the list filtered to show only the tracks that were added during this upload session. This lets you confirm at a glance that everything imported, and quickly open any track whose metadata needs tidying up.
For example, after uploading 20 tracks you can click **Track List** to see exactly those 20 tracks, check the artist and title are correct, and click **Edit** on any that need their details completing, without having to search the whole library to find them.
### Recently added banner
The blue information banner reading **Showing recently added tracks.** that appears above the list when it is filtered to a recent upload.
### Clear filter button
The **Clear filter** button inside the banner that removes the filter and returns to the full track list.
---
# Editing Tracks
The Edit Track page lets you view and edit every property of a track stored in PlayIt Manager. Open it from the [track list](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tracks/listing) by clicking **Edit** next to a track. Changes you make here are saved back to PlayIt Manager and synchronized to any connected PlayIt Live installations.
### Track navigation
The **<** and **\>** buttons step backwards and forwards through the current track list without leaving the page, so you can edit several tracks in a row. The buttons respect the search and track group filter that was active when you opened the editor.
### Customize view
Click **Customize View** to choose which fields are shown on this page. Tick the fields you want visible and untick the ones you don't use. The choice is remembered for your user.
### Server Path
The full path to the audio file on the PlayIt Manager server. This is set automatically when the track is uploaded and is read-only.
### Client Path
The path that connected PlayIt Live installations will use to read the audio file. This is calculated automatically by applying the [track path substitutions](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/settings/general#track-path-substitutions) configured in Settings to the server path, so that each client reaches the file by the correct UNC or local path.
### Artist
The performer of the track. This is typically read from the file's metadata tags when the track is first uploaded, but can be edited at any time.
### Title
The title of the track, typically read from the file's metadata tags when uploaded.
### Type
The track type: Song, Station ID, Promo, Commercial, News, Bed or Station ID + Bed. PlayIt Live uses the type to apply different scheduling and playback behavior. Leave this set to **\-- Inferred --** to let PlayIt Live determine the type automatically from the track's tags, artist, title and duration.
### Track ID
A unique identifier used when integrating with external music scheduling software or playout logging systems. Most stations can leave this blank.
### Out Cue
The Out Cue can be the style of the track's ending, such as **Fade Out** or **Sustain**, or the last spoken words in the track, so presenters know when to talk over the end of the track.
### Album
The album the track was released on. Read from the file's metadata tags when available.
### Genre
The genre of the track. Type the genre into the text box.
### Year
The four-digit release year of the track.
### Tags
Free-form tags used for categorizing the track. Tags can be used by [filtered track groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/filtered) and by the Inferred Type rules. Type a tag and press **Enter** to add it; click the **×** beside a tag to remove it.
### Comments
Free-text notes about the track: usage instructions, presenter notes or background information.
### Sweeper / No Fade flags
- **Sweeper?**: allows the playout system to play this track over the intro of the next song (before the Intro point), or over the end of the previous song (after the Early Out point). It is typically used for sweepers, which are short clips that identify the station or show, and are usually dry (no background music) so they do not clash with the track they are playing over.
- **No Fade?**: prevents the track from being faded out when the next track begins. Use it for tracks with a natural ending that should not be cut short.
### Disabled
Tick **Disabled** to stop the track from being scheduled. Disabled tracks remain in your library but won't be scheduled automatically.
### Valid From
Tick the box and choose a date to make the track available for scheduling only from that date onwards. Before the date the track is ignored by the scheduler.
### Expires
Tick the box and choose a date after which the track should no longer be scheduled. After the expiry date the track is ignored by the scheduler.
When both Valid From and Expires are set, an **Ignore year on dates** option appears. Tick it to ignore the year part of both dates so the track recurs every year between the same day and month, for example a Christmas track that returns to the schedule each festive season without the dates needing to be updated.
### ISRC
The 12-character International Standard Recording Code for the track. Included on music reports for royalty tracking.
### Record label
The record label that released the track. Included on music reports.
### Adjust Tempo (%)
Changes the playback speed of the track as a percentage. Use small positive or negative values to nudge a track a little faster or slower to fit a time slot. Leave blank for normal speed.
### Gain (dB)
Adjusts the playback volume of the track in decibels. Use positive values to boost a quiet track or negative values to bring down a loud one.
### Dayparting
Restrict the track to specific days and hours of the week.
- Tick **Enabled** to switch on dayparting for this track.
- In the grid, click each hour-of-day / day-of-week cell and enter **Y** to allow the track during that hour or **N** to block it.
When dayparting is enabled the track will only be scheduled inside the cells you marked **Y**.
### Track Groups
Shows the [Listed Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listed) the track currently belongs to. Filtered and grouped track groups that automatically include this track aren't shown here: only the groups you've manually added it to.
Click **Add Track Group** to add the track to another listed group, or use the row actions to remove it from a group.
### Cue Points
The cue points define key positions in the track. Each point has **Set**, **Test** and **×** buttons:
- **Set** captures the current waveform playback position as the cue point value.
- **Test** plays the track from the cue point.
- **×** clears the cue point back to its default.
Cue point
Purpose
**Cue In**
The position at which the track is started by the player.
**Intro**
The position where the vocals start, so the previous track can run up to it.
**Hook Start**
The start of the track's hook, used by hook sequences.
**Hook End**
The end of the hook, used by hook sequences when the full hook is played.
**Early Out**
A point near the end of the track where the next track can be started or a sweeper can be inserted.
**Cue Out**
The position at which the track is considered finished. The player begins fading and starts the next track when this point is reached.
Click **Analyze** to detect the **Cue In** and **Cue Out** automatically from the silence at each end of the track.
### Waveform
The waveform shows the volume of the audio across the full duration of the track. Cue point markers are overlaid using the following colors:
Cue point
Color
Cue In
Green
Intro
Blue
Hook
Hot pink
Early Out
Orange
Cue Out
Red
Click the waveform to jump playback to that position. Use the mouse wheel while hovering over the waveform to zoom in for fine cue point adjustment.
### Playback buttons
**Play** starts playback from the current waveform position. **Stop** halts playback.
### Save / Cancel / Delete
- **Save** saves all changes and returns to the track list.
- **Cancel** discards any unsaved changes and returns to the track list.
- **Delete** prompts for confirmation, then removes the track from PlayIt Manager.
---
# Bulk Editing Tracks
Bulk editing lets you change a property on many tracks in a single operation, instead of opening and saving each track one at a time. It is useful whenever a group of tracks needs the same change, such as correcting a misspelled artist name across a whole album, setting the **Genre** on a batch of newly uploaded songs, or marking a set of dated promos as **Disabled**.
You select the tracks you want on the [track list](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tracks/listing), open the bulk edit page, tick only the fields you want to change, enter the new values, and save. Changes are written back to PlayIt Manager and synchronized to any connected PlayIt Live installations, just like a normal edit.
## Selecting tracks[](#selecting-tracks "Copy link to this section")
Each row in the track list has a checkbox on the left. Tick the rows you want to edit, or use the checkbox in the column header to select every track currently shown. Use the [search box and track group filter](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tracks/listing) first to narrow the list down to the tracks you care about before selecting.
When one or more tracks are selected, a button bar appears with an **Edit** button (showing how many tracks are selected) and a **Delete** button. Click **Edit** to continue. If you have only a single track selected, this opens the normal [Edit Track page](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tracks/editing); with two or more selected it opens the bulk edit page described below.
### Row checkboxes
The left-hand column shows a checkbox on each row; four rows are ticked.
### Select-all checkbox
The header checkbox at the top of that column selects or clears every row currently shown.
### Selection bar
With tracks selected, a selection bar appears over the grid header containing a blue **Edit 4 tracks** button and a red **Delete 4 tracks** button.
## The bulk edit page[](#the-bulk-edit-page "Copy link to this section")
The bulk edit page looks like the [Edit Track page](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tracks/editing) but with a checkbox beside every field and a heading reading **Bulk Edit 4 Tracks**. Each field is pre-filled with the value shared by all the selected tracks; where the selected tracks have different values the field is left blank.
Tick the checkbox next to a field to include it in the update, then set the value you want. **Only ticked fields are applied.** Every field left unticked is untouched on all the selected tracks, so the change is precise and you never overwrite values you didn't mean to. Click **Save** to apply the changes to all the selected tracks, or **Cancel** to discard them and return to the track list.
The following fields can be set in bulk: **Artist**, **Title**, **Type**, **Track ID**, **Out Cue**, **Album**, **Genre**, **Year**, **Tags**, **Comments**, the **Sweeper**, **No Fade** and **Disabled** flags, **Valid From**, **Expires**, **Ignore year on dates**, **ISRC**, **Record label**, **Adjust Tempo** and **Gain**. **Track groups** cannot be changed here, and cue points are handled by the **Analyze All** action rather than by entering values (see below).
### Page heading
At the top is the heading **Bulk Edit 4 Tracks**, showing how many tracks the changes will be applied to.
### Ticked field
This example shows the **Genre** field with its checkbox ticked. The field is set to "Pop", so the genre is changed across every selected track. Every other field works the same way: tick its checkbox to include it in the update, or leave it unticked to keep it untouched.
### Unticked field
This example shows the **Album** field with its checkbox unticked, so it will be unchanged on all the selected tracks. Fields whose selected tracks shared a common value are pre-filled with that value; fields whose values differ are left blank.
### Save and Cancel
The **Save** and **Cancel** buttons appear at the bottom. Click **Save** to apply the ticked fields, or **Cancel** to discard the changes.
### Example: setting a genre on a batch of uploads[](#example-setting-a-genre-on-a-batch-of-uploads "Copy link to this section")
Suppose you have just uploaded fifty new songs and want them all filed under the **Pop** genre. On the track list, tick all fifty (filter or search first to isolate them, then use the header checkbox), and click **Edit**. On the bulk edit page, tick the **Genre** checkbox, type `Pop`, and click **Save**. All fifty tracks are updated in one step and every other property is left exactly as it was.
## Editing tags in bulk[](#editing-tags-in-bulk "Copy link to this section")
The **Tags** field works a little differently because tracks usually have several tags and you rarely want to discard the ones already set. When you tick **Tags**, an operation dropdown appears with three choices that control how the tags you enter are combined with each track's existing tags:
- **Overwrite**: replaces all existing tags on the selected tracks with the tags you enter. Any tags the tracks already had are removed.
- **Add**: adds the tags you enter to each track without removing any existing tags. Use this to supplement the current tags.
- **Remove**: removes only the tags you enter from each track, leaving all other tags intact. Use this to clean up tags that are no longer relevant.
Type the tags to apply into the tag box, where each tag appears as a removable label. The tags you enter are then combined with each track's existing tags according to the operation you chose. In the example below, two tags are entered ready to be added to every selected track.
The Tags field with its checkbox ticked, the operation dropdown set to Add, and two tags entered as removable labels ready to be added to every selected track.
## Bulk analyzing cue points[](#bulk-analyzing-cue-points "Copy link to this section")
Cue points can't be typed in across many tracks, but you can detect them automatically for the whole selection. Click **Analyze All** in the **Cue Points** section to run cue point detection on every selected track in turn, finding the **Cue In** and **Cue Out** from the silence at each end. The detected cue points are applied when you **Save**. This saves opening and analyzing each track individually on the [Edit Track page](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tracks/editing).
The **Cue Points** section shows an **Analyze All** button. Click it to detect the **Cue In** and **Cue Out** for every selected track in one pass; the detected cue points are written to the tracks when you click **Save**.
## Track groups[](#track-groups "Copy link to this section")
Track group membership cannot be changed from the bulk edit page; the **Track Groups** section shows a note explaining this. To change the track groups of several tracks, edit them individually on the [Edit Track page](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tracks/editing).
---
# Track Group Management
As the name suggests, track groups group tracks based on certain criteria. There are three different types of track group: **Listed**, **Filtered** and **Grouped**.
- **Listed:** Manually group tracks by selecting them from a list. See [Listed Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listed).
- **Filtered:** Group tracks based on properties on tracks, such as artist, title, genre or year. See [Filtered Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/filtered).
- **Grouped:** Combine multiple track groups into another track group. See [Grouped Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/grouped).
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Listing Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listing)
- [Listed Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listed)
- [Filtered Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/filtered)
- [Grouped Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/grouped)
- [Move Tracks Between Listed Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/move-tracks)
---
# Listing Track Groups
### Search
Filter track groups to the name entered in the text box.
### Add New Track Group button
Add a new track group to PlayIt Manager. A popup is displayed to choose the type of track group:
- **Listed**: manually choose tracks from a list. See [Listed Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/track-groups/listed).
- **Filtered**: match tracks by their properties such as artist, title, genre or year. See [Filtered Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/track-groups/filtered).
- **Grouped**: combine multiple existing track groups. See [Grouped Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/track-groups/grouped).
### Move Tracks button
[Move tracks between listed track groups](/PlayItManager/122/track-groups/move-tracks).
### Track group list
Lists track groups added to PlayIt Manager. It shows the name of each track group, the type of the track group and the number of tracks in the track group. The following action buttons are available:
- A drop down with all available options for the track group.
- An **Edit** button that opens the relevant edit page (Listed, Filtered or Grouped).
- A **Delete** button that prompts for confirmation before removing the track group.
---
# Listed Track Groups
Listed track groups are used to group manually chosen tracks together. This is useful when you have simple categories of tracks you want to group, such as Power, Recurrents and Gold.
### Track Group Name
The name of the track group. This is shown in the track group dropdown in PlayIt Live to filter by track group.
### Tracks in this track group
Shows the list of tracks chosen for this track group. Use the trash icon to remove a track from the track group.
### Add More Tracks button
Opens a popup to choose more tracks. Select the tracks with the checkboxes and click **Add Selected Tracks** to add them to the group.
### Hide this track group
Check this box to hide the track group from the track group selector on the PlayIt Live main window.
### Color
Check the **Color** checkbox to show a color for any tracks in this track group when they appear on the playout log on the PlayIt Live main interface. Click the color dropdown to change the color.
### Icon
Check the **Icon** checkbox to show an icon for any tracks in this track group when they appear on the playout log on the PlayIt Live main interface. Click the icon dropdown to change the icon.
### Priority
Priority is used to decide which track group is shown on the playout log when a track belongs to more than one group. The track group with the highest priority wins for displaying the color or icon.
### Track group operations
- Use the **Save** button to save the track group to the database.
- Use the **Cancel** button to discard all changes and return to the [track group list](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listing).
- Use the **Delete** button to remove the track group from the database. A confirmation prompt is shown first.
---
# Filtered Track Groups
Filtered track groups gather tracks that match a set of rules on track properties such as artist, title, genre or year. Tracks join or leave the group automatically as their properties change, so a filtered group always reflects the current library.
### Track Group Name
The name of the track group. This is shown in the track group dropdown in PlayIt Live to filter by track group.
### Filter rules
Build the filter that selects which tracks belong to the group. Each row matches one rule:
- **Field**: the track property to test (Artist, Title, Type, Genre, Year, Path, Intro, Active Duration and others).
- **Operation**: the comparison such as `=`, `!=`, `<`, `<=`, `>`, `>=`, `CONTAINS`, `DOES NOT CONTAIN`, `STARTS WITH`, `ENDS WITH`.
- **Value**: the value to compare against.
Add more rows with the **Add** button and combine them with **And** / **Or** to create more complex filters. Use parentheses to control grouping.
The example shown filters tracks of Type `Song` released in the year 2010 or later.
### Hide this track group
Check this box to hide the track group from the track group selector on the PlayIt Live main window.
### Color, icon and priority
See [Listed Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listed) for a description of these controls.
### Track group operations
- Use the **Save** button to save the track group to the database.
- Use the **Cancel** button to discard all changes and return to the [track group list](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listing).
- Use the **Delete** button to remove the track group from the database. A confirmation prompt is shown first.
---
# Grouped Track Groups
Grouped track groups combine multiple existing track groups into one. They are useful when you want to treat several groups as a single set, for example a Daytime Rotation that includes both your Power and Recurrents groups.
### Track Group Name
The name of the track group. This is shown in the track group dropdown in PlayIt Live to filter by track group.
### Invert group list
Check this box to exclude the selected track groups instead of including them. When inverted, tracks belonging to any of the selected groups are removed from the result.
### Track group list
Check the check box beside each track group you want to include in (or exclude from, when [Invert group list](#invert) is on) this track group.
### Hide this track group
Check this box to hide the track group from the track group selector on the PlayIt Live main window.
### Color, icon and priority
See [Listed Track Groups](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listed) for a description of these controls.
### Track group operations
- Use the **Save** button to save the track group to the database.
- Use the **Cancel** button to discard all changes and return to the [track group list](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listing).
- Use the **Delete** button to remove the track group from the database. A confirmation prompt is shown first.
---
# Move Tracks Between Listed Track Groups
This page is used to quickly move tracks from one listed track group to another. This is useful if you regularly move tracks between playlists. Move Tracks works with **listed track groups** only.
### Track group A
Use the dropdown to choose the first listed track group to move tracks between. The list of tracks in that group appears underneath the dropdown.
### Track group B
Use the dropdown to choose the second listed track group. The list of tracks in that group appears underneath the dropdown. The two dropdowns cannot point at the same group, and a notice is shown if you pick the same group on both sides.
### Move a track
Click and hold the drag handle on the left of a track row, then drag the row onto the other track group's list to move the track between the two groups. Drag tracks one at a time to move several.
### Operation buttons
- Click **Apply Changes** to save both track groups with the new sets of tracks.
- Click **Cancel** to discard any changes and return to the [track group list](/PlayItManager/122/track-groups/listing).
---
# Multiple Artist Split Management
Multiple Artist Splits are used to define text that is used to separate multiple artists that might appear in the Artist field of a track.
For example, an artist of a track might be **Take That feat. Lulu**. By using a Split with the text **feat.** this will separate Take That and Lulu as separate artists.
When scheduling against Playout Policies, PlayIt Manager can prevent tracks from **Take That** or **Lulu** being played too close to **Take That feat. Lulu**.
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Listing Multiple Artist Splits](/PlayItManager/122/artist-splits/listing)
- [Editing Multiple Artist Splits](/PlayItManager/122/artist-splits/editing)
---
# Listing Multiple Artist Splits
### Search
Filter multiple artist splits by Split Text.
### Add New Multiple Artist Split button
[Add a new multiple artist split](/PlayItManager/122/artist-splits/editing) to PlayIt Manager.
### Multiple artist split list
Lists multiple artist splits added to PlayIt Manager. The Split Text and Disabled status are shown along with three per-row action buttons covered below.
A drop down with all available options for the multiple artist split.
Opens the [edit page](/PlayItManager/122/artist-splits/editing) for the multiple artist split.
Prompts for confirmation, then removes the multiple artist split.
---
# Editing Multiple Artist Splits
### Split Text
The text used to separate a Track Artist into multiple artists. Include spaces either side of the text if you want to split by a word. For example, **with** on its own could match George Michael **with** Elton John but also Bill **With**ers.
### Matched Artists
This table shows all artists in your library whose Artist field is split by the entered Split Text. Use it to confirm the split text is having the desired effect.
### Disabled
Tick this checkbox to disable this Multiple Artist Split so it is not considered by the scheduler.
---
# Related Artist Management
Related Artists are used to associate artists with each other so they are considered as the same artist when scheduling with playout policies. For example, you may not want a solo singer in a band to be played close to a song by that band, e.g. **Robbie Williams** and **Take That**.
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Listing Related Artists](/PlayItManager/122/related-artists/listing)
- [Editing Related Artists](/PlayItManager/122/related-artists/editing)
---
# Listing Related Artists
### Search
Filter related artists by name.
### Add New Related Artist button
[Add a new related artist pair](/PlayItManager/122/related-artists/editing) to PlayIt Manager.
### Related artist list
Lists related artist pairs added to PlayIt Manager. The two artists and Disabled status are shown along with three per-row action buttons covered below.
A drop down with all available options for the related artist.
Opens the [edit page](/PlayItManager/122/related-artists/editing) for the related artist.
Prompts for confirmation, then removes the related artist.
---
# Editing Related Artists
### Artist 1
The first artist in the Related Artist. It does not matter in which order artists are entered.
### Artist 2
The second artist in the Related Artist. It does not matter in which order artists are entered.
### Disabled
Check this checkbox to disable this Related Artist so it is not considered by the scheduler.
---
# Monitored Folders
Monitored Folders can watch the state of a Windows folder (and optionally its sub-folders) for new, updated or deleted track files.
When a file is added to the folder, it will be added to the PlayIt Manager database if it is a valid track file. The track file can also be automatically analyzed for cue points and added to a track group.
When a file is updated in the folder, it will be updated in the PlayIt Manager database, updating the duration, cue points and any file metadata contained within the file if desired.
When a file is deleted from the folder, it will be deleted from the PlayIt Manager database.
Monitored folders work by periodically scanning for changes in the folder. Folders with a large number of files or sub-folders will take longer to scan. For this reason, do not use `C:\` as the folder to scan for changes to every file on your computer. This will likely never complete. Choose a folder where you know audio files are.
Use Monitored Folders if you have dynamic content, e.g. news or weather, from a folder such as Dropbox. Create a Monitored Folder with a Path to the shared Dropbox folder to pick up changes from the Dropbox folder.
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Listing Monitored Folders](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/monitored-folders/listing)
- [Editing Monitored Folders](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/monitored-folders/editing)
---
# Listing Monitored Folders
### Search
Filter monitored folders by Path.
### Add New Monitored Folder button
[Add a new monitored folder](/PlayItManager/122/monitored-folders/editing) to PlayIt Manager.
### Monitored Folders Status
Opens the [Monitored Folders Status](/PlayItManager/122/monitored-folders/status) page where you can see when each folder was last scanned and any errors that have occurred.
### Monitored folder list
Lists monitored folders added to PlayIt Manager. The Path is shown along with three per-row action buttons covered below.
A drop down with all available options for the monitored folder.
Opens the [edit page](/PlayItManager/122/monitored-folders/editing) for the monitored folder.
Prompts for confirmation, then removes the monitored folder.
---
# Monitored Folders Status
The Monitored Folders Status page shows what PlayIt Manager's [Monitored Folders](/PlayItManager/122/monitored-folders/overview) feature is doing right now. The upper list summarises every monitored folder and its current scanning state, while the lower **Recent events** log records the individual actions taken as files are added, changed or removed.
Use this page to confirm that files you have added to a monitored folder were actually imported, and to diagnose why a particular file did not appear in the track library. Where the [folder list](/PlayItManager/122/monitored-folders/listing) tells you that a folder exists, this page tells you when it was last scanned, what that scan found and exactly which files were affected.
To open this page, click **Monitored Folders Status** on the [Listing Monitored Folders](/PlayItManager/122/monitored-folders/listing) page. You need the **Can add, edit and delete monitored folders** permission to see it.
### Rescan All
At the top of the page is a button bar containing a single **Rescan All** button, used to scan every monitored folder immediately, without waiting for the automatic countdown. This is the quickest way to confirm that a file you have just added or fixed is now being picked up. New activity appears in the **Recent events** log for the selected folder as the scan runs.
### Monitored folder list
The monitored folder list is a grid with one row per monitored folder. Select a row to show that folder's activity in the **Recent events** log below. The columns are:
Column
What it shows
**Path**
The folder being monitored.
**Status**
The folder's current state: **Idle** (waiting for the next scan), **Scanning** (a scan is in progress) or **Disabled** (the folder has been [disabled](/PlayItManager/122/monitored-folders/editing) and is not monitored).
**File Count**
The number of files found in the folder during the last scan.
**Last Scan Duration**
How long the last scan took, for example `5.123s`, or with a minutes part such as `1m 2.500s` for a longer scan.
**Last Scan Summary**
What the last scan found, for example `2 new track(s); 1 changed track(s)`, or `No changes` if nothing changed.
**Next Scan In**
A countdown to the next automatic scan, in seconds.
### Recent events
Below the folder list is a log of the individual actions taken for the selected folder as files are added, changed or removed. Where the folder list tells you the *summary* of the last scan, the events log tells you exactly *which* files were affected and what happened to each one.
Select a folder in the upper list to see its events; a folder is selected automatically when the page opens. The log shows the most recent events for that folder, newest first, and updates automatically as new activity occurs. If the selected folder has no recorded activity yet, the log reads **No recent events for this folder.** The columns are:
Column
What it shows
**Time**
The date and time the event occurred, shown in your server's time zone.
**Type**
The severity of the event: **Info**, **Warning** or **Error**.
**Message**
A description of what happened, usually naming the file involved.
The **Type** of each entry tells you how it went:
- **Info**: a normal monitoring action completed successfully. Examples: `Adding track from file: `, `Updating track from file: ` and `Deleting track: `.
- **Warning**: something was skipped or needs your attention, but monitoring continues. Examples: `New file is not a track: ` and `Changed file is not a track: `, meaning the file could not be loaded as an audio track.
- **Error**: a scan failed. The message includes the underlying error, for example `Scan failed`.
The page refreshes automatically while it is open: the status data is reloaded every few seconds, and the **Next Scan In** countdown ticks down each second.
A folder scan can repeatedly report new files. This happens when a folder contains files that are not valid audio tracks: because they are never added to the track library, each scan treats them as new again. The **Recent events** log makes these files easy to spot. Look for **Warning** entries such as `New file is not a track`.
The events log lists only recent activity for live troubleshooting; it is not a permanent audit trail. Only the most recent events for each folder are kept.
## Example: finding out why a file did not import[](#example-finding-out-why-a-file-did-not-import "Copy link to this section")
Suppose a presenter copies a new jingle into a monitored folder but it never appears in the track library. Open the Monitored Folders Status page and select that folder in the upper list. In the **Recent events** log you might see a **Warning** entry reading `New file is not a track: jingle-final.wav`.
That tells you the file *was* detected, but PlayIt Manager could not load it as a track, usually because the audio is corrupt, the format is unsupported, or the file is still being copied. You can then re-export or re-copy the file and click **Rescan All** to try again, watching the log for an **Info** entry such as `Adding track from file: jingle-final.wav` to confirm it imported.
---
# Editing Monitored Folders
### Path
The path to the folder you want to monitor. If the **Include sub-folders** checkbox is checked, sub-folders of the folder will also be scanned. Avoid folders with a large number of sub-folders as this will take a long time to scan.
### Analyze cue points
If checked, when a track file is added the cue points of the track will be analyzed.
### Re-analyze cue points
If checked, when a track file is updated the cue points of the track will be re-analyzed. Do not use this option if you manually set cue points as these will be overwritten.
### Update track fields
If checked, when a track file is updated the fields of the track will be updated from the file. Do not use this option if you manually change the track fields as these will be overwritten.
### Delete track when a track file is deleted
If checked, a track will be deleted if the track file is deleted. A track file is determined to be deleted if it is not found after scanning the folder.
If a network folder or external drive is used in a monitored folder and this folder is disconnected or the drive is unplugged, PlayIt Manager will pause monitoring of the folder and warn that it is no longer accessible. Tracks will not be deleted in this case.
If this folder is regularly updated where a file is deleted and subsequently replaced with a file of the same name, you should switch this option off. Clocks and the playout log will maintain the original reference and use the new track file.
### Add new tracks to track group
If checked, new tracks will be added to the selected track group. Tracks will not be re-added to this track group if they are subsequently removed from the group.
### Disabled
If checked, the monitored folder will be disabled and will not be monitored.
---
# Playout Policy Management
Playout policies define a set of rules to ensure the correct tracks are played. Playout policies restrict artists and tracks from being repeated too often. They can be filtered by track group.
There are three types of playout policy: **Track / Artist / Title Separation Playout Policy**, **Daypart Separation Playout Policy** and **Track Set Separation Playout Policy**.
With **Track / Artist / Title Separation Playout Policy**, it is possible to ensure that tracks in a track group of Songs are not repeated for at least 2 hours while ensuring tracks in a track group of Jingles are not repeated for only at least 10 minutes.
With **Daypart Separation Playout Policy**, it is possible to ensure that a track in the track group Songs is not repeated again in the same Daypart (e.g. Breakfast) for a period of days. This means regular listeners to the Breakfast show will not hear the same song repeated during the times when they regularly listen. Daypart Separation Playout Policies require the **Advanced Scheduling** Module.
With **Track Set Separation Playout Policy**, it is possible to ensure that any track in the same set is not played again for a specified period of time. Track sets can be defined by track group, tag, or filter. This policy is useful for ensuring variety within specific categories of content. For example, you can ensure "Local Artists" tagged tracks are separated by at least 1 hour to spread local content throughout the day, or for rock formats, ensure "Classic Rock" filtered tracks are separated by at least 30 minutes from other classic rock content. Track Set Separation Playout Policies require the **Advanced Scheduling** Module.
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Listing Playout Policies](/PlayItManager/122/playout-policies/listing)
- [Editing Track/Artist Separation Playout Policies](/PlayItManager/122/playout-policies/edit-track-artist-separation)
- [Editing Daypart Separation Playout Policies](/PlayItManager/122/playout-policies/edit-daypart-separation)
- [Editing Track Set Separation Policies](/PlayItManager/122/playout-policies/edit-track-set-separation)
---
# Listing Playout Policies
### Search
Filter playout policies to the name entered in the text box.
### Add New Playout Policy button
Add a new playout policy to PlayIt Manager. A pop-up is shown to select which type of playout policy to add: [Track / Artist / Title Separation Playout Policy](/PlayItManager/122/playout-policies/edit-track-artist-separation), [Daypart Separation Playout Policy](/PlayItManager/122/playout-policies/edit-daypart-separation) or [Track Set Separation Playout Policy](/PlayItManager/122/playout-policies/edit-track-set-separation).
### Playout policy list
Lists playout policies added to PlayIt Manager. It shows the name of each policy along with three per-row action buttons covered below.
A drop down with all available options for the playout policy.
Opens the edit page for the playout policy.
Prompts for confirmation, then removes the playout policy.
---
# Editing Track/Artist Separation Playout Policies
### Playout policy name
The name of the playout policy. This is used for your reference.
### Track separation
The minimum amount of time to wait before playing a track again.
### Artist separation
The minimum amount of time to wait before playing a track by the same artist again.
### Title separation
The minimum amount of time to wait before playing a track with the same title again.
**What is the difference between track separation and title separation?**
Track separation ensures that the same recording isn't played too frequently by recognizing each track instance as unique.
Title separation deals with different songs that share the same title, such as Christmas songs. For example, multiple artists might have their own versions of "Silent Night". Bear in mind this will also separate completely different songs that happen to have the same title, such as 'Hello' by Adele and 'Hello' by Lionel Richie, or 'The Power of Love' by Jennifer Rush, 'The Power of Love' by Frankie Goes to Hollywood and 'The Power of Love' by Huey Lewis and the News.
### Apply to specific track groups checkbox
Check this checkbox to apply this playout policy to only tracks in the selected track groups below.
### Playout policy operations
Use the **Save** button to save the playout policy to the database.
Use the **Cancel** button to discard all changes.
Use the **Delete** button to remove the playout policy from the database. A confirmation box will be shown.
---
# Editing Daypart Separation Playout Policies
### Playout policy name
The name of the playout policy. This is used for your reference.
### Track separation
The minimum amount of time to wait before playing a track again within the selected daypart.
### Daypart
The daypart for this policy. If no dayparts are shown, click the **Manage Dayparts** link to open a new tab to add a new daypart. Click the refresh icon after adding a daypart to refresh the list.
### Apply to specific track groups checkbox
Check this checkbox to apply this playout policy to only tracks in the selected track groups below.
### Playout policy operations
Use the **Save** button to save the playout policy to the database.
Use the **Cancel** button to discard all changes.
Use the **Delete** button to remove the playout policy from the database. A confirmation box will be shown.
---
# Editing Track Set Separation Policies
### Name
The name of the playout policy. This is used for your reference.
### Track separation
The minimum amount of time to wait before playing another track from this set of tracks.
### Set type and selection
Choose how to define the track set for this policy:
**Track Group:** Select a track group to use a set with all the tracks within that group.
**Tag:** Select a tag to use a set with all tracks that have been tagged with the selected tag.
**Custom Filter:** Click "Select filter..." to choose a custom filter to use a set with all tracks matching the filter criteria.
### Specific track groups filter
Check the checkbox to ensure this playout policy is only applied to tracks in the selected track groups. Leave the checkbox unchecked to apply the policy to all tracks regardless of track group. This allows you to fine-tune which tracks are subject to the separation rule.
### Disabled
Disable a playout policy so it is not considered by the scheduler.
### Playout policy operations
Use the **Save** button to save the playout policy to the database.
Use the **Cancel** button to discard all changes.
---
# Playout Pattern Management
The playout pattern is the repeating sequence of track groups that the playout log scheduler uses as a basis for the playout log. For example, a playout pattern can be configured with the following track groups:
- Songs
- Jingles
- Promos
This results in Songs, Jingles and Promos being scheduled back to back, repeating over each hour. The scheduler fills each hour by cycling through the pattern, selecting a track from each group in turn.
You can override the playout pattern for individual hours using [Clocks](/PlayItManager/122/clocks/editing#playout-pattern).
To configure the playout pattern, see [Editing Playout Pattern](/PlayItManager/122/playout-pattern/editing).
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Editing Playout Pattern](/PlayItManager/122/playout-pattern/editing)
---
# Editing Playout Pattern
### Track Group list
Click the chevron button on a row in this list to send the selected track group to the end of the playout pattern. The same track group can be added multiple times.
### Playout Pattern list
The playout pattern itself, in playback order. Click the remove button on a row to take that entry out of the pattern. Rows can also be dragged within this list to reorder them.
### Playout pattern operations
Use the **Save** button to save the playout pattern to the database.
Use the **Revert** button to revert the playout pattern to the last saved state.
---
# Clock Management
Clocks are hour-long templates used to define how an hour of playout content should sound. When a clock is scheduled, the playout log will generate items to schedule based on the clock item. The clock can have a number of clock item types:
- **Track:** The playout log scheduler will always insert the selected track in this position in the playout log.
- **Track Group:** The playout log scheduler will randomly choose a track from the selected track group to insert in this position in the playout log. When scheduling the playout log, any playout policies will be taken into account.
- **Fixed Time Marker:** The playout log scheduler will insert a fixed time marker in this position in the playout log.
- **Break Note:** The playout log scheduler will insert a break note to include in this position in the playout log.
- **Voice Track:** A voice recording played between tracks to give the impression that the show is live. Voice tracks can be recorded via PlayIt Live.
- **Remote URL:** Plays a remote file or live stream in PlayIt Live.
- **Advert Block:** Schedules a block of adverts in PlayIt Live, drawn from the advert log.
- **Hook Sequence:** Plays only the hooks of several tracks back to back as a short montage, for example to promote songs coming up in the next hour or songs from a specific track group.
Once you have built your clocks, schedule them to hours of the week so the playout log scheduler uses them. PlayIt Manager offers two scheduling modes, chosen on the [Scheduling Settings](/PlayItManager/122/settings/scheduling) page: the modern **Clock Grids** view (where a single grid is the simple case and layering multiple grids is the Advanced Scheduling workflow) and the older [Legacy (Calendar)](/PlayItManager/122/clocks/legacy-calendar) view. See [Scheduling Clocks](/PlayItManager/122/clocks/scheduling) for the recommended Clock Grids workflow.
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Listing Clocks](/PlayItManager/122/clocks/listing)
- [Editing Clock](/PlayItManager/122/clocks/editing)
- [Scheduling Clocks](/PlayItManager/122/clocks/scheduling)
- [Legacy (Calendar)](/PlayItManager/122/clocks/legacy-calendar)
---
# Listing Clocks
### Search
Filter clocks to the name entered in the text box.
### Add New Clock button
Add a new clock to PlayIt Manager.
### Schedule Clocks button
Opens the clock scheduler to schedule clocks to hours in the schedule to be used by the playout log.
### Clock list
Lists clocks added to PlayIt Manager. It shows the name of each clock along with four per-row action buttons covered below.
A drop down with all available options for the clock.
Opens the edit page for the clock.
Creates a duplicate of the clock.
Prompts for confirmation, then removes the clock.
---
# Editing Clock
Clocks are used as hour long templates to generate events in the playout log.
### Clock Name
The name of the clock. This is for your reference.
### Clock Type
The type of clock:
- **Standard:** A normal hour-long clock that fills the whole hour. Standard clocks can override the station's playout pattern on the **Playout Pattern** tab.
- **Partial:** A shorter sequence of clock items that does not fill a whole hour, intended to be inserted into the schedule rather than used on its own. Partial clocks do not have a Playout Pattern tab. Using partial clocks requires the **Advanced Scheduling** module; without it a warning is shown above the form.
### Clock Color
The color of the clock as shown on the [clock schedule](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/scheduling) page.
### Clock item list
The clock item list shows each of the event items that belong to the clock in order. There are four columns:
**Play Time:**
The approximate play time of a clock item is determine from the sum of the all the previous item durations. The duration of each item varies on the choice of settings - the duration of a track group item is determined from the average duration of all the tracks in the group. A fixed time marker will cause the play time to reset to the fixed time.
**Type:**
The clock item type. To change the clock item type, click the text and you will be presented with a dropdown. Choose from Track, Track Group, Fixed Time Marker, Voice Track or Break Note.
**Settings:**
The settings of the clock item. This is dependent on the type you have selected. Click the settings text to change the settings.
### Track[](#track "Copy link to this section")
**Track:** Choose a fixed track to play in this slot. Clicking the settings text opens the same track picker used by the playout-log [Replace Track](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/playout-log/editing) flow. Its heading reads **Replace Track** when the item already references a track (so you are swapping it) or **Select Track** when the row is still empty:
Pick the track you wish to play:
- **Original track:** when you are replacing an existing track, this shows the track currently in the slot with its artist, title and duration.
- The track-group dropdown at the top limits the candidates to a single [track group](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listing), or **All Tracks** to consider every track. When the item was already scheduled from a track group, the dropdown is preselected to that group.
- The **Search** box filters the candidates by artist or title.
- The list shows each candidate's **Artist & Title** and **Duration**. When you are replacing an existing track a **Diff** column is also shown: how much longer (`+`) or shorter (`-`) each candidate is than the original, so you can pick a replacement of a similar length.
Select a candidate and click **Select** (or double-click it) to use that track. Click **Discard** to close the picker without changing the item.
Playout-policy **violation checking** (the **Advanced** section with its **Check playout policy violations** option, the **Highlight** / **Hide** choices and the amber **Violates playout policy** highlighting) is only offered when [editing the playout log](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/playout-log/editing), where each item has a scheduled time to evaluate policies against. It is **not** shown when building or editing a clock: a clock item has no fixed target time, so the picker here is a plain library pick with no violation evaluation, row highlighting or Advanced control.
### Track Group[](#track-group "Copy link to this section")
**Track Group:** Choose the track group you wish to play. The PlayIt Manager scheduler will choose a track using the selected scheduling strategy and that adheres to the playout policies you have configured:
Pick the track group, then choose the **Strategy** the scheduler should use to pick a track from the group.
**Default from settings:** Use the scheduling strategy as defined in [Settings](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/settings/scheduling).
**Smart Selection:** Selects a track using a weighted random algorithm. A track played longer ago is given a larger weight, increasing its chance of being selected.
**Random:** Select a track entirely at random from the track group.
**Most Rested:** Selects the track from the track group that was played longest ago.
### Fixed Time Marker[](#fixed-time-marker "Copy link to this section")
**Fixed Time Marker:** A fixed time marker ensures time keeping within the hour. If you want a particular event to happen at a certain time within the hour, please a fixed timer marker before that event. There are 3 types of fixed time markers:
- **Hard:** The item immediately following this fixed time marker will start at the selected time. The preceded item will fade out and stop at this time.
- **Soft:** The item immediately following this fixed time marker will start only once the preceding item has finished after the selected time.
- **Not Before:** This type of fixed time marker ensures that items following the fixed time marker will not play until at least the selected time has passed.
Set the target **Time** in minutes and seconds past the top of the hour, then choose the **Type** of fixed time marker.
### Break Note[](#break-note "Copy link to this section")
**Break Note:** A 'silent' track used to signify a block of time when something happens. This could be used to play commercial spots from the cartwall on PlayIt Live.
Set the **Duration** of the break and add a free-text note describing what the break is for.
### Voice Track[](#voice-track "Copy link to this section")
**Voice Track:** A voice recording track used to play between tracks in order to give the impression that the radio show is live. Voice tracks can be recorded via PlayIt Live.
Set the **Placeholder Duration** used when the voice track has not yet been recorded, and add a short **Description** so the presenter knows what the link is for.
### Remote URL[](#remote-url "Copy link to this section")
**Remote URL:** A remote URL item is used to play a remote file or live stream in PlayIt Live.
Enter a **Title** for the item, the **URL** to fetch, the **Type** (File or Live Stream), and the **Duration** of the item.
A File URL typically refers to a static file located on a server which is downloaded by PlayIt Live when it is loaded into a player. Remote files are intended to be a fixed length duration and this must be provided in order to ensure the item is scheduled with the correct length (as this is not known until load time).
A Live Stream URL typically refers to an audio stream provided by a streaming media server such as Icecast or Shoutcast and could be an internet radio station or a remote DJ stream. PlayIt Live assumes the live stream will run forever so will attempt to restart the stream if the connection is dropped. PlayIt Live will play the live stream until the specified duration has elapsed. Live streams can also be stopped manually, or by using a hard fixed time marker.
### Advert Block[](#advert-block "Copy link to this section")
**Advert Block:** An advert block is used to schedule a block of adverts in PlayIt Live. The Start Time indicates the corresponding block in the advert log to schedule the adverts. Duration indicates the maximum length of all the adverts in the advert block. Slots indicates the maximum number of adverts that will play in the advert block.
Set the **Start Time** within the hour, the maximum **Duration** of the block, and the maximum number of **Slots** (adverts). Optionally pick an **Opener Track** and **Closer Track** that bookend the advert block.
### Hook Sequence[](#hook-sequence "Copy link to this section")
**Hook Sequence:** A hook sequence will play only the hooks of tracks back to back within a short clip. This allows you to promote songs that will be playing within the next hour or just songs from a specific track group.
Give the sequence a **Name**, choose the **Number of songs** to include and the **Target duration** of the whole sequence in seconds.
Pick the **Type**:
- **Track Group Random** picks the hooks at random from the chosen track group.
- **Coming Up**, **Coming Up (Reversed)** and **Coming Up (Random)** pick the hooks from the songs that will be playing in the next *N* minutes or songs, in order, reverse order, or at random.
**In Track**, **Transition Track** and **Out Track** are optional bookend items inserted before, between and after the hooks. Pick a specific track or a track group from which the scheduler will choose.
### Other columns[](#other-columns "Copy link to this section")
**Segue?**
Signals if the scheduled item will segue into the next item.
**Segue Style**
The segue style to use for the log item. See PlayIt Live documentation for how segue style is used.
**Protected?**
When this checkbox is checked the scheduled playout log item will have the same protected status. In PlayIt Live, protected items will not be dropped by Fixed Time Markers or the Auto Adjust feature. Use this for items that must be played during an hour, for example, advert blocks.
### Per-row actions[](#per-row-actions "Copy link to this section")
**Clone button**
Clones the selected item to the next row. This is useful if you want to easily duplicate an item.
**Delete button**
Deletes the item row from the clock.
**Reorder handle**
Use the  icon to reorder the clock items.
Each clock item is shown in color: a solid stripe runs down the leftmost edge of the row and the whole row is given a faint tint of the same color, making it easy to see at a glance what kind of item it is. **Track Group** items take the [track group's](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listing) configured color, while other item types are tinted with a default color for their type.
## Playout Pattern[](#playout-pattern "Copy link to this section")
Premium Feature · Advanced Scheduling
AS [Purchase →](https://www.playitsoftware.com/Account/Subscription/AdvancedScheduling)
Overriding a clock's playout pattern requires the **Advanced Scheduling** module. You can try the module out by going to **Settings > License** and choosing to enable the Advanced Scheduling module.
The clock editor has two tabs: **Clock Items** (described above) and **Playout Pattern**. The Playout Pattern tab lets a single clock override the station's global [playout pattern](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/playout-pattern/overview) with its own. Most clocks should leave this alone so they follow the global pattern, but it is useful when one part of the schedule needs a different rotation from the rest of the station: for example, a dance show clock that overrides the station pattern so the hour is built from dance track groups rather than the station's usual rotation.
Open the **Playout Pattern** tab to control which playout pattern this clock uses.
**Override playout pattern:** When this checkbox is left unticked, the clock follows the station's global [playout pattern](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/playout-pattern/overview) and the picker below is disabled. Tick it to give this clock its own pattern; the picker becomes editable and pre-populated with the current global pattern as a starting point, which you can then adjust.
The pattern picker works exactly like the [global playout pattern editor](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/playout-pattern/editing): send track groups from the **Track Groups** source list into the clock's **Playout Pattern** list, remove entries, and reorder them.
Overriding the playout pattern requires the **Advanced Scheduling** module. Without it the override is ignored and the global playout pattern is used instead; a warning is shown above the checkbox in that case.
The Playout Pattern tab is not available for partial clocks.
### Add Clock Item button
Adds a blank clock item to the end of the clock.
### Clock operations
Use the **Save** button to save the clock to the database.
Use the **Cancel** button to discard all changes.
Use the **Delete** button to remove the clock from the database. A confirmation box will be shown.
---
# Scheduling Clocks
Clocks must be scheduled in the schedule grid to be considered by the playout log scheduler.
This page describes the **Clock Grids** scheduling mode, the recommended way to schedule clocks in PlayIt Manager. Stations that still use the older calendar-based mode can refer to [Legacy (Calendar)](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/legacy-calendar) for documentation of that mode, or follow [Migrating to Clock Grids](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/legacy-calendar#migrating-to-clock-grids) to switch to the modern workflow. The active mode is chosen on the Scheduling Settings page and only one mode is shown at a time.
The Scheduling Clocks page has two views: a **Clock Grids** view for building reusable weekly templates, and a **Schedule View** that shows the resolved schedule on a calendar and lets you apply one-off overrides. Switch between the two views with the toggle at the top of the page.
## Clock Grids view[](#clock-grids-view "Copy link to this section")
The Clock Grids view is where you build and edit the weekly templates that drive the schedule. Each grid assigns a clock to each hour of the week and may be limited to specific date ranges or week recurrence rules. Multiple grids can be stacked using the **Layer** value, with higher-layer grids overlaying lower-layer grids; the lowest layer acts as the base template.
### Single grid vs. Advanced Scheduling[](#single-grid-vs-advanced-scheduling "Copy link to this section")
A **single clock grid** is the simple case: one weekly template covers every hour of the week, and a single grid can always be used regardless of license.
Stacking **multiple grids** in layers is the **Advanced Scheduling** workflow. You build a base weekly grid and then add additional grids on top for special periods. For example, a base **Weekday** grid at the lowest layer covers the normal week, while a **Christmas Day** grid on a higher layer fills only the hours of 25 December and is limited to that date range; every other hour falls through to the base grid. Layering grids this way requires a license with the **Advanced Scheduling** module.
> **Note:** Without the Advanced Scheduling module only a single clock grid takes effect. If more than one grid exists, only one stays active to keep the week fully covered, the others are shown as inactive, and a banner explains how to enable the rest.
### View toggle
Switch between the **Clock Grids** view and the **Schedule View**. The Clock Grids view is for editing weekly templates; the Schedule View shows the resolved schedule on a calendar and is where one-off overrides are made.
### Clock grids list
Lists every clock grid in PlayIt Manager. Select a grid to edit it in the panel on the right. The number on the right of each row is the grid's **Layer**: lower-numbered layers form the base of the schedule, and higher-numbered layers stack on top of the layers beneath them, overlaying any hours they cover. Each row also shows the grid's active date range, or *Always Active* when it has none. Use the button in the panel header to sort the list by layer.
When Advanced Scheduling is not licensed and more than one grid exists, the inactive grids are dimmed with a struck-through date range and a "no entry" icon whose tooltip explains that Advanced Scheduling is required to use more than one grid.
Use the **Add** button to create a new grid, **Clone** to duplicate the selected grid, and **Delete** to remove it.
### Weekly grid editor
Assign a clock to the grid by dragging it from the clock picker on the right and dropping it onto a cell. To fill several hours at once, select a block of cells first (drag across them, or hold **Ctrl** and click), then drop a clock onto the selection, or right-click and choose **Assign** to apply the clock currently selected in the picker. Use **Week starts on** to choose which day of the week the grid begins. Use **Repeat every N weeks** with **Date Ranges** to limit the grid to specific weeks (for example, every other week, or only within a date range).
When you add or edit a date range you can tick **Ignore year on dates** to make it repeat every year. Only the day and month are matched, so a Christmas grid set to 23 December to 2 January switches on automatically each festive season, including across the new year, without the dates needing to be updated. Recurring ranges are shown by day and month only.
Cells you leave empty in a higher-layer grid let the lower layer beneath show through, so an overlay grid only has to specify the hours it changes.
You can always check the effect of your combined grids in the **Schedule View**, which shows the resolved schedule for the week.
### Assigned cell
The color and label of an assigned cell come from the clock set on the [editing clocks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/editing) page.
### When Advanced Scheduling is not licensed[](#when-advanced-scheduling-is-not-licensed "Copy link to this section")
If your license does not include the Advanced Scheduling module and you have more than one clock grid, the Clock Grids view shows a banner above the list, and the grids that are not taking effect are marked inactive in the list.
## Schedule View[](#schedule-view "Copy link to this section")
The Schedule View shows the resolved schedule as it will be evaluated by the playout log scheduler, with the active clock for every hour of the visible week. Hours can also be overridden one at a time without changing the underlying grids; overrides take precedence over every grid layer and are shown with a pin indicator.
### View toggle
Switch back to the **Clock Grids** view to edit the templates that drive the schedule.
### Date selector
Select the week you wish to view. Click **Today** to return to the current week. Use the **arrows** to step back and forward one week at a time. Click the week-of date label to open a calendar  for picking a specific date.
### Weekly schedule grid
Shows the resolved clock for every hour of the visible week, taking every active clock grid and any one-off overrides into account.
**Double click** an empty cell to create a new override and pick a clock for that hour. **Double click** an existing entry to change it, and use the context menu to clear an override and let the underlying clock grid take over again. You can also drag a clock across a block of cells to override several hours at once. Cell colors come from the clock set on the [editing clocks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/editing) page.
### Existing schedule entry
An hour cell shows the clock that will be used for that hour. The highlighted cell is driven by a one-off override, shown with a small pin so you can tell it apart from cells driven by a clock grid. Double click the cell to change its override, or use the right-click context menu to clear it and let the underlying clock grid take over again.
---
# Legacy (Calendar)
**[Clock Grids](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/scheduling) is the recommended way to schedule clocks in PlayIt Manager.** The Legacy (Calendar) mode documented on this page is the older view, kept for stations that have not yet moved to Clock Grids. New installations default to Clock Grids and most stations should use the modern editor described on the [Scheduling Clocks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/scheduling) page.
To switch your station to the modern view, see [Migrating to Clock Grids](#migrating-to-clock-grids) below. The migration wizard converts your existing legacy schedule into a set of clock grids and keeps the original schedule stored so you can switch back if you need to. In Clock Grids mode a single weekly grid can always be used; layering multiple grids for special periods is the Advanced Scheduling workflow described on the [Scheduling Clocks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/scheduling#single-grid-vs-advanced-scheduling) page.
---
Clocks must be scheduled in the schedule grid to be considered by the playout log scheduler.
The Legacy (Calendar) view is shown when **Scheduling Settings > Clock Scheduling Mode** is set to **Legacy (Calendar)**. The schedule is presented as a weekly calendar with one row per hour and one column per day of the week. Schedule entries are placed by double-clicking an empty cell or edited by double-clicking an existing entry.
### Date selector
Select the date range you wish to schedule clocks for. Click **Today** to go to the week or day for today. Use the **arrows** to advance weeks or days depending on the view. Click the calendar  icon to select a specific date range.
### View selector
Select how you wish to view the schedule. Choose **Day** if **Week** does not fit your screen.
### New schedule entry
**Double click** an empty space in the schedule grid to create a new schedule entry. The [Edit Schedule Item](#editing-a-schedule-item) dialog opens with the start time pre-filled from the cell you clicked, ready for you to pick a clock and, if needed, set up a recurrence.
### Existing schedule entry
**Double click** an existing schedule entry in the schedule grid to edit it in the [Edit Schedule Item](#editing-a-schedule-item) dialog. Click the **X** on the entry to delete the schedule entry. The color of the schedule item is determined by the color set on the clock when [editing clocks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/editing).
## Editing a schedule item[](#editing-a-schedule-item "Copy link to this section")
Double-click an existing entry in the schedule, or double-click an empty cell to create a new entry, to open the **Edit Schedule Item** dialog. For a recurring entry you will first be asked whether you want to edit only this occurrence, this and all future occurrences, or every occurrence; this dialog appears once you have made that choice.
The dialog lets you change which clock is scheduled, when the entry starts, and, when **Repeat...** is ticked, the full recurrence rule (period, frequency, allowed days and hours, and end date).
### Scheduled Clock
The clock you wish to schedule in this time slot. Pick from the list of standard clocks defined on the [editing clocks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/editing) page.
### Start date and time
The scheduled date and time of the schedule entry. The **End** time updates automatically because clocks are always scheduled for one hour.
### Repeat checkbox
Tick this box to repeat the schedule entry on a regular pattern in the future. The repeat options below appear only when this box is ticked.
### Repeats dropdown
Select how often the schedule entry should repeat. The options are **Daily**, **Weekly**, **Monthly**, and **Yearly**.
### Repeats every
Select how frequently the schedule entry should repeat. For a fortnightly clock choose **Weekly** in the dropdown above and set this field to **2** weeks.
### Repeat options
When **Daily** is selected, choose which hours of the day the clock should repeat on.
When **Weekly** is selected, choose which day-and-hour cells the clock should repeat on. Click a cell and type **Y** to include it or **N** to exclude it.
### Repeats until
Pick when the recurrence should end. **Forever** keeps the schedule entry repeating indefinitely. **This Time:** stops the recurrence at the chosen date and time (inclusive).
### Operations
**Delete** removes the schedule entry from the database after a confirmation prompt. For a recurring entry the confirmation lets you choose whether to delete only this occurrence, this and all future occurrences, or every occurrence.
**Save Changes** saves the schedule entry. **Cancel** discards the changes and closes the dialog.
## Migrating to Clock Grids[](#migrating-to-clock-grids "Copy link to this section")
Clock Grids is the modern, recommended way to schedule clocks in PlayIt Manager. It replaces the weekly calendar of the Legacy (Calendar) view described above with reusable weekly templates that can be stacked in layers, limited to date ranges, and combined with one-off overrides from the Schedule View.
If your station is still on Legacy (Calendar), the in-app migration wizard converts your existing schedule into a set of clock grids, switches the station to Clock Grids mode, and keeps the original legacy schedule stored in case you want to switch back. Nothing is deleted.
### Why migrate[](#why-migrate "Copy link to this section")
Clock Grids gives you several capabilities that the Legacy (Calendar) view does not:
- **Layered grids.** Build a base weekly template, then stack overlays on top for special weeks (festive periods, sports seasons, outside-broadcast days). Higher layers override lower ones only for the cells they fill. Layering multiple grids this way is the Advanced Scheduling workflow and needs a license with the **Advanced Scheduling** module; a single grid can always be used. See [Single grid vs. Advanced Scheduling](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/scheduling#single-grid-vs-advanced-scheduling).
- **Reusable templates.** Each grid is a named weekly template that can be limited to specific date ranges or to every Nth week. The same template can apply for months at a time without re-entering it.
- **Schedule View with overrides.** A separate Schedule View shows the resolved week and lets you pin a one-off clock to a single hour without changing the underlying templates.
- **A modern editor.** The Clock Grids editor edits a whole grid at a glance rather than one schedule entry at a time.
See [Scheduling Clocks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/scheduling) for a full walk-through of the new editor.
### The Migrate to Clock Grids banner[](#the-migrate-to-clock-grids-banner "Copy link to this section")
When you open Scheduling Clocks while the station is still in Legacy (Calendar) mode, a banner appears above the weekly calendar offering to migrate.
The banner explains that Clock Grids is available and that nothing will be deleted. Your existing Legacy (Calendar) schedule is kept stored after migration so you can switch back at any time from **Settings > Scheduling**.
Click **Migrate and Switch** to open the migration wizard. The banner also offers **Switch Without Migrating** (move to an empty Clock Grids workspace without bringing your legacy schedule across) and **Dismiss** (hide the banner on this browser without changing anything).
The banner only appears in Legacy (Calendar) mode. If your station is already in Clock Grids mode, the banner is not shown.
### The migration wizard[](#the-migration-wizard "Copy link to this section")
Clicking **Migrate and Switch** opens the migration wizard. The first step analyses your legacy schedule to work out which weekly clock grids will best represent it.
The wizard runs in three steps: **Analyze Schedule**, **Review Grids**, and **Migration Complete**.
Choose how many weeks of your existing schedule to look at when building the clock grids. A larger horizon catches more variation (for example, an every-other-week pattern that only shows up after several weeks) but takes longer. The default of five weeks is a good starting point.
Click **Analyze** to build the proposed set of clock grids. The wizard then advances to the **Review Grids** step where each proposed grid is shown with its name, layer, recurrence, active dates, and the number of hours it covers, so you can confirm the conversion before applying it. **Cancel** closes the wizard without making any changes.
### What migration does[](#what-migration-does "Copy link to this section")
When you confirm the **Review Grids** step, the wizard:
1. Creates one or more clock grids that together reproduce the resolved schedule the playout log scheduler would have used from Legacy (Calendar). Grids that only apply on certain weeks or within certain date ranges are created with the matching recurrence and date range limits.
2. Marks every created grid as **migrated from legacy** so the editor labels them in the grid list. You can edit migrated grids like any other grid; the label is informational.
3. Switches the station to **Clock Grids** mode and reloads the Scheduling Clocks page so the new editor appears.
Grids the wizard creates stay active even if your license does not include the Advanced Scheduling module, so your migrated schedule keeps working whether or not Advanced Scheduling is licensed. Only **additional non-migrated** grids you build by hand require Advanced Scheduling. See [Single grid vs. Advanced Scheduling](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/scheduling#single-grid-vs-advanced-scheduling).
The original Legacy (Calendar) schedule is **kept stored** even after migration. It stops taking effect, but you can switch back to Legacy mode from **Settings > Scheduling > Clock Scheduling Mode** at any time and your previous schedule will be there as you left it.
If you have already migrated once and run the wizard again, the **Review Grids** step warns you how many existing migrated grids will be replaced. Any grids you have created by hand are left alone.
If a small number of hours in the legacy schedule do not fit any weekly pattern within the chosen horizon, the **Review Grids** step shows a warning telling you how many hours will be dropped. Increase the horizon to give the wizard more weeks to find a pattern, or accept the warning and add those hours back in the Clock Grids editor or add them as overrides in the Schedule View afterwards.
### After migration[](#after-migration "Copy link to this section")
After the wizard finishes, the Scheduling Clocks page reloads in Clock Grids mode. See [Scheduling Clocks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/scheduling) for the new editor and for the Schedule View where one-off overrides are applied.
---
# Playout Log Management
The playout log lists past and future events scheduled to take place from hour to hour. Based on the [clocks](/PlayItManager/122/clocks/scheduling) that have been scheduled, the playout log scheduler will generate playout log items matching each clock item. If a clock has not been scheduled for an hour, the [playout pattern](/PlayItManager/122/playout-pattern/overview) will be used to generate the playout log items.
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Selecting Date Range](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/selecting-date-range): pick the time window to view or edit.
- [Editing Playout Log](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/editing): edit, schedule, unschedule and save log items.
- [Importing Playout Log](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/importing): replace a date range from an external file in PlayIt, M3U or SS32 format.
- [PlayIt Playout Log Format](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/playit-format): reference for PlayIt's own `.pipl` export format.
- [M3U Playlist Format](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/m3u-format): reference for the M3U/M3U8 import format.
---
# Selecting Date Range
The Playout Log page opens scoped to the current hour by default. Adjust the **Start** and **End** date and time to view the scheduled log for any other range, then click **Start Editing Log** to arm the page for changes.
### Start date and time
The start of the time range to view. Click the **Now** button to jump the range to the current hour without typing.
### End date and time
The end of the time range to view. The range may span as many hours as you need but a wide range will take longer to schedule and may be slow to render.
### Start Editing Log button
Click this button to arm the page for editing. Until you click it, the **Schedule**, **Unschedule**, **Import...**, **Export...** and **Save** actions on the [editing playout log](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/editing) page are disabled and the date range fields stay editable. While editing, the date range is locked and the action buttons become enabled.
---
# Editing Playout Log
After picking a [date range](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/playout-log/selecting-date-range) and clicking **Start Editing Log**, the page enters editing mode. The action buttons at the top become enabled, the date range is locked, the item list becomes editable, and a Save / Revert row appears at the bottom.
### Editing notification
This banner is shown for the duration of an editing session. When the current hour falls within the selected date range, the banner switches to a red warning, reminding you that any change here can be disruptive to the operator running PlayIt Live live on air.
### Schedule, Unschedule, Import and Export
**Schedule** runs the playout log scheduler over the selected date range, generating items from the [clocks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/scheduling) that have been scheduled to those hours (or from the [playout pattern](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/playout-pattern/overview) when no clock is scheduled).
**Unschedule** clears every item in the selected date range. Use this when you want to reschedule the range from scratch. Changes are not applied until you click **Save**.
**Import** opens the [import dialog](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/playout-log/importing), which replaces the items in the selected date range with the contents of an external file (PlayIt, M3U or SS32 format).
**Export** downloads the items currently in the date range as a `.pipl` file in [PlayIt Playout Log Format](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/playout-log/playit-format), which can later be imported into a different time range.
### Playout log item list
The grid shows every item scheduled for the selected date range, grouped by hour and sorted by their position within the hour. Drag the handle in the leftmost column to reorder items.
The columns (**Play Time**, **Hour Pos.**, **Type**, **Settings**, **Segue?**, **Segue Style**, **Protected?**), the per-row **Clone** and **Delete** buttons, and the per-type settings editors (Track, Track Group, Fixed Time Marker, Break Note, Voice Track, Remote URL, Advert Block, Hook Sequence) are the same as on the clock item list. See [Editing Clock](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/editing) for the full reference.
Two columns specific to the playout log appear before **Type**:
**Played?** A tick is shown for items that have already been played by PlayIt Live.
**Hour Pos.** The position of the item within its hour. This is recalculated automatically when items are added, removed or reordered.
### Item color
Each log item is shown in color. A solid stripe runs down the leftmost edge of the row, and the whole row is given a faint tint of the same color, so you can scan the hour and tell items apart at a glance.
The highlighted row above is a **Track** taken from a red track group: it carries that group's [configured color](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/track-groups/listing). A fixed **Track** uses the color of the track group it was added from, while items that are not associated with a track group are tinted with a default color for their type. This matches the coloring shown on the [clock item list](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/editing).
### Add Item button
Adds a blank item to the end of the date range. Drag the new row using the handle in the leftmost column to move it to the position you want.
### Save and Revert
**Save** writes every change in the selected date range to the database and exits editing mode. PlayIt Live will pick up the new items the next time it polls the manager.
**Revert** discards every change and exits editing mode without writing to the database.
---
# Importing Playout Log
The **Import** button on the [editing playout log](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/editing) page opens the Import Playout Log popup, which replaces the entire selected date range with the contents of an external file. The button is disabled until you click **Start Editing Log**.
The importer supports three formats:
- **PlayIt Playout Log Format** (`.pipl`): see the [PlayIt Playout Log Format](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/playit-format) reference. This is the only format that round-trips every PlayIt item type, including voice tracks, fixed time markers, remote URLs and advert blocks.
- **M3U Playlist** (`.m3u`, `.m3u8`): see the [M3U Playlist Format](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/m3u-format) reference. This is a simple playlist format supported by most basic media players.
- **Scott Studios (SS32)**: supported for backward compatibility only. This format is deprecated and will be removed in a future update; please contact support if you rely on it.
When a file is imported, the existing items in the selected date range are cleared and replaced. The import is staged in the editing session and is only written to the database when you click **Save** on the [editing playout log](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/editing) page.
### Import file
The file to import. Files larger than 5 MB are rejected with a validation error.
### Format
The format of the file being imported. Pick **PlayIt Playout Log Format** for `.pipl` files exported from PlayIt Manager, **M3U Playlist** for `.m3u` / `.m3u8` files, or **Scott Studios (SS32)** for legacy SS32 exports.
### Base Audio Folder
Optional base folder used to resolve relative track paths in M3U and SS32 files. The folder is prepended to each relative path so PlayIt Live can locate the audio files. The PlayIt format always uses absolute paths so this field is ignored when importing `.pipl` files.
### Date Range
The destination date range. Defaults to the date range that was selected on the playout log page when the popup was opened. The duration of the import file content must match the duration of this range; if it does not, a validation message is shown when you click **Import**, along with a button to set the range to the expected end time.
### Import
Validates the file against the selected format and date range and stages the items into the editing session. If validation fails the popup stays open and a list of error messages appears below the date range fields.
### Close
Closes the popup without importing. The editing session is unaffected.
---
# PlayIt Playout Log Format
PlayIt Manager can export the contents of any date range from the [editing playout log](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/editing) screen as a `.pipl` file, and can import the same file back into a date range from the [importing playout log](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/importing) screen.
The full specification, together with an online validator that checks an exported log file against the specification, is hosted on a dedicated site:
[https://pipl.playitsoftware.com/](https://pipl.playitsoftware.com/)
Use the `.pipl` format when you want a round-trippable export of a PlayIt Manager log that preserves every item type, including fixed time markers, voice tracks, remote URLs and advert blocks. For interchange with third-party scheduling tools that only emit a playlist of tracks, use the [M3U Playlist Format](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/m3u-format) instead.
---
# M3U Playlist Format
The M3U playlist format is a simple list of audio file paths, one per line. PlayIt Manager extends the format with special `#` comment directives so the imported log can include fixed time markers, break notes, voice tracks, remote URLs and aux inputs alongside regular tracks.
## Hours[](#hours "Copy link to this section")
Tracks are grouped into hours using a `# Hour:` directive. The directive must appear on its own line and is followed by the start time of the hour in `HH:mm` format. Every track that follows the directive (until the next `# Hour:` directive) is placed in that hour:
```
# Hour: 00:00
G:\PlayIt User\Music\Jingles\Publicise Your Event ID.mp3
G:\PlayIt User\Music\Songs\Sam and the Womp - Bom Bom.mp3
G:\PlayIt User\Music\Songs\Fenech-Soler - All I Know.mp3
...
# Hour: 01:00
G:\PlayIt User\Music\Jingles\City Locations ID A.mp3
G:\PlayIt User\Music\Songs\Lianne La Havas - Is Your Love Big Enough.mp3
G:\PlayIt User\Music\Songs\Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound.mp3
G:\PlayIt User\Music\Jingles\Contact Studio On Text & Email ID.mp3
```
## Track paths[](#track-paths "Copy link to this section")
Track paths may be absolute or relative. When the paths are relative, the **Base Audio Folder** field on the [importing playout log](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/importing) screen is prepended to each path to produce an absolute path that PlayIt Live can resolve.
## Fixed time markers[](#fixed-time-markers "Copy link to this section")
Fixed time markers ensure time keeping within an hour. Use a `# Fixed Time Marker:` directive with `Type=` and `TargetTime=` parameters. The `Type` may be `Hard`, `Soft` or `NotBefore`, and the `TargetTime` is the position within the hour expressed as `ms`:
```
# Fixed Time Marker: Type=Hard; TargetTime=3m02s
# Fixed Time Marker: Type=Soft; TargetTime=3m
# Fixed Time Marker: Type=NotBefore; TargetTime=5s
```
See the [editing clock](/PlayItManager/122/clocks/editing) page for an explanation of how each fixed time marker type behaves at playout.
## Break notes[](#break-notes "Copy link to this section")
A break note inserts a silent placeholder of a known duration. Use a `# Break Note:` directive with `Duration=` and `Notes=` parameters. The `Notes` text appears in the log so the operator knows what the break is for:
```
# Break Note: Duration=1m1s; Notes="News on the hour"
```
## Voice tracks[](#voice-tracks "Copy link to this section")
A voice track placeholder reserves a slot for a recording that will be added later. Use a `# Voice Track Placeholder:` directive with a `Duration` parameter:
```
# Voice Track Placeholder: Duration 1m
```
## Remote URLs[](#remote-urls "Copy link to this section")
A remote URL plays a remote audio file or live stream in PlayIt Live. Use a `# URL:` directive with `Duration=`, `Title=`, `URL=` and `Type=` parameters. The `Type` is either `File` for a static file with a known duration, or `Live` for a continuous live stream:
```
# URL: Duration=1m; Title="News"; URL="http://www.mywebsite.com/news.mp3"; Type=File
# URL: Duration=60m; Title="Simulcasted show"; URL="http://www.mywebsite.com/live"; Type=Live
```
## Aux inputs[](#aux-inputs "Copy link to this section")
An aux input plays audio from a sound device attached to the PlayIt Live machine. Use a `# Aux Input:` directive with `Duration=`, `Title=` and `DeviceName=` parameters. The `DeviceName` must match the name of an input device configured in PlayIt Live:
```
# Aux Input: Duration=2m; Title="Sky News"; DeviceName="Microphone (USB Audio Codec)"
```
---
# Logged Tracks
The Logged Tracks list shows every track that has been played, each stored with the date and time it went to air. It is a permanent record of your output, often called a "proof of play" or "as-run" log, used mainly for royalty reporting and reconciliation.
### Date range buttons
Across the top of the page are four buttons that set the period the list covers. Click one to choose how far back the list reaches:
- **Past 24 hours** shows tracks played in the last 24 hours.
- **Past 7 days** shows tracks played in the last 7 days.
- **Past 30 days** shows tracks played in the last 30 days.
- **Custom** lets you choose your own start and end date and time.
The page opens on **Past 24 hours**, and the list refreshes automatically when you switch between the presets. When you choose **Custom**, a start and an end date and time input appear, separated by a **to** label, with a **Go** button; set the start and end points and click **Go** to reload the list for that range.
### Export to CSV button
The **Export to CSV...** button takes the record out of PlayIt Manager for a royalty submission, for reconciliation, or for your own analysis. It downloads the current date range as a spreadsheet file. See [Exporting Logged Tracks](/PlayItManager/122/logged-tracks/export) for the full process, including choosing which fields to include.
### Logged track list
The list shows one row per play, sorted with the most recent first. The **Played** column gives the date and time the track went to air and the **Track** column shows its artist and title.
A track is recorded here when it actually plays on air, so the list reflects what was genuinely broadcast rather than what was merely scheduled.
---
# Exporting Logged Tracks
The **Export to CSV...** button downloads the tracks for the date range you are viewing as a CSV (comma separated values) file, which opens in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets or any spreadsheet application.
## Exporting to CSV[](#exporting-to-csv "Copy link to this section")
A typical job is preparing a monthly royalty return. To export a full calendar month:
1. On the [Logged Tracks](/PlayItManager/122/logged-tracks/overview) page, set the date range to cover the month. Click **Custom**, set the start date and time to the first day of the month at `00:00` and the end date and time to the first day of the following month at `00:00`, then click **Go**. (For shorter periods you can use the **Past 7 days** or **Past 30 days** buttons instead.)
2. Click **Export to CSV...**. A dialog appears so you can choose which fields to include in the file.
3. Tick the fields you need, then click **Export**. The CSV file downloads to your browser, named after the date range, for example `logged-tracks-2026-05-01-000000-to-2026-06-01-000000.csv`.
The export always covers the date range currently selected on the page, so set the range before you export.
### Select All / Select None
Tick or clear every field at once with **Select All** and **Select None**.
### Field checklist
The available fields, each with a checkbox: **Played Time**, **Artist**, **Title**, **Album**, **ISRC**, **Record Label**, **Duration**, **Comments**, **Genre**, **File Path**, **Tags** and **Type**. **Played Time**, **Artist** and **Title** are ticked by default; the rest are unticked.
### Export button
**Export** downloads the file once at least one field is ticked; **Cancel** closes the dialog without exporting.
## Choosing which fields to export[](#choosing-which-fields-to-export "Copy link to this section")
The dialog lists every field that can be written to the CSV. By default **Played Time**, **Artist** and **Title** are ticked, which is enough for a basic proof-of-play return. PlayIt Manager remembers your selection in your browser, so the next time you export it offers the same set of fields.
Use **Select All** to tick every field or **Select None** to clear them, then tick the individual fields you want. The available fields are:
- **Played Time** - the date and time the track went to air.
- **Artist** and **Title** - the performer and track name.
- **Album** - the album the track is from.
- **ISRC** - the International Standard Recording Code, often required by royalty bodies to identify a specific recording.
- **Record Label** - the label that released the recording.
- **Duration** - the length of the track.
- **Comments** - any notes stored against the track.
- **Genre** - the track's genre.
- **File Path** - the location of the audio file.
- **Tags** - any tags applied to the track.
- **Type** - the kind of item, for example a song or a jingle.
For a royalty submission you would typically add fields such as **ISRC**, **Record Label**, **Album** and **Duration** alongside the defaults, because these are the details collection societies ask for.
The **Export** button is enabled as long as at least one field is ticked. Click it to download the file; the dialog closes and the CSV is saved by your browser. Each row in the file is one play, in the order it went to air, with one column per field you selected.
---
# Advert Scheduling
Premium Feature · Advanced Scheduling
AS [Purchase →](https://www.playitsoftware.com/Account/Subscription/AdvancedScheduling)
Purchasing the **Advanced Scheduling** module unlocks advert scheduling: building advert campaigns, scheduling the advert log and playing advert blocks in PlayIt Live. Without a valid Advanced Scheduling module applied it is not possible to schedule the advert log or play advert blocks. You can try the module out by going to Settings > License and choosing to enable the Advanced Scheduling module.
Advert scheduling allows the scheduling of adverts (also called spots, commercials or traffic). This is accomplished by setting up [advert campaigns](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/adverts/campaigns) containing adverts, then adding an advert block to the [playout log](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/playout-log/overview) and scheduling the [advert log](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/adverts/log) for that hour.
## Key concepts[](#key-concepts "Copy link to this section")
**Advert Campaign**
An advert campaign represents an advert sales order: a request from a customer to play a set of adverts a specified number of times, during certain times of the day, for a period of time. Advert campaigns in the same category will never be scheduled in the same block. See [Advert Campaigns](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/adverts/campaigns) and [Editing Advert Campaigns](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/adverts/edit-campaign).
**Advert**
An advert represents a cut of audio to play as part of an advert campaign. An advert also stores at what times of the day the audio will play, up to a maximum number of plays. Adverts feature a *duration* field which is used to schedule the advert. This is best kept to a multiple of 5, for example 10, 15 or 30 seconds, to ensure that adverts can be fitted into advert blocks of 1 minute, 2 minutes, and so on. See [Editing Adverts](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/adverts/edit-advert).
**Advert Block**
An advert block is a sequence of adverts that are played together as part of the advert log.
**Advert Log**
The historical log and future log of the adverts that have played and will play. See [Advert Log](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/adverts/log).
**Advert Block Item**
An advert block item can be added to a clock or the playout log in order to actually play out the adverts.
Adding an advert block item to the playout log instructs the playout engine to look up the adverts from the advert log for the specified hour and start time and load them into a player. Despite being multiple tracks, advert block items only take up one player: the same player is reused for each advert track.
Adding an advert block item to a clock will add the equivalent item to the playout log for any hour the clock is scheduled into.
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Advert Campaigns](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/adverts/campaigns): list campaigns and add new ones.
- [Editing Advert Campaigns](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/adverts/edit-campaign): set the name, dates, categories, adverts and scheduling rules for a campaign.
- [Editing Adverts](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/adverts/edit-advert): configure an individual advert's track, priority, dates, maximum plays and day/hour distribution.
- [Advert Log](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/adverts/log): view the scheduled advert plays for a date range, grouped by hour.
---
# Advert Campaigns
The advert campaigns page lists the advert campaigns currently in PlayIt Manager. Each campaign groups together the adverts for a customer or sales order. See [Advert Scheduling](/PlayItManager/122/adverts/overview) for how campaigns, adverts and the advert log fit together.
### New Advert Campaign
Click **New Advert Campaign** to create a campaign and open it in the [campaign editor](/PlayItManager/122/adverts/edit-campaign).
### Campaign list
The list shows each campaign by name. Click the pencil icon next to a campaign to open it in the [campaign editor](/PlayItManager/122/adverts/edit-campaign), where you can change its details and the adverts it contains.
---
# Editing Advert Campaigns
The campaign editor lets you set the details of an advert campaign and manage the adverts that belong to it. Open it from the [advert campaigns list](/PlayItManager/122/adverts/campaigns) by adding a new campaign or clicking the pencil icon next to an existing one.
### Name
The name of the campaign. This is displayed in the [campaign list](/PlayItManager/122/adverts/campaigns).
### Company
The name of the company or customer the campaign is for.
### Start Date
The start of the date range between which the advert scheduler will schedule this campaign. It is still possible to manually schedule the campaign outside this range.
### End Date
The end of the date range between which the advert scheduler will schedule this campaign.
### Categories
The categories (semi-colon separated) the campaign belongs to. Categories prevent adverts of the same kind being played in the same advert block: for example, you would not want two competing fast food restaurants in the same block. Adverts in campaigns that share a category will never be played in the same advert block.
### Adverts in this campaign
The adverts that belong to this campaign. An advert represents a cut of audio that can be played at specified times of the day or week up to a maximum number of plays. Use **Add Advert** to create one, or click the pencil icon to open the [advert editor](/PlayItManager/122/adverts/edit-advert).
### Disabled
Tick **Disabled** to stop the advert scheduler considering this campaign without deleting it.
### Save / Cancel / Delete
Click **Save** to save your changes and return to the list page. Click **Cancel** to discard any changes and return to the list page. Click **Delete** to remove the campaign.
---
# Editing Adverts
The advert editor opens within the [campaign editor](/PlayItManager/122/adverts/edit-campaign) when you add an advert or click the pencil icon next to one in the campaign's adverts list. An advert is a single cut of audio together with the rules that control when and how often it plays.
### Advert audio
The audio cut to play for the advert. Choose an existing track already added to PlayIt Manager, or enter the path to a file on the server.
### Duration
The duration of the advert, in whole seconds, used by the advert scheduler to ensure an advert block does not run over. This field is populated automatically when you choose a track or audio file. It is usually best kept to a multiple of 5 (for example 5, 10, 15 or 30 seconds) so the scheduler can fit adverts into whole minutes such as 1 minute or 2 minutes.
### Plays
The Plays grid shows how many times the advert should play at each hour of each day. To change the plays for a single day and hour, click the cell, type the number of plays and press Enter. Click a column heading to set every day for that hour, or a row heading to set every hour for that day.
### Max plays
The maximum number of times the advert will play across the campaign dates.
### Save / Cancel
Click **Save** to keep your changes, or **Cancel** to discard them and close the window.
---
# Advert Log
The advert log shows the adverts that have played and will play, grouped by hour. The advert scheduler fills the log from your [advert campaigns](/PlayItManager/122/adverts/campaigns) for any hour that has an advert block item in the [playout log](/PlayItManager/122/playout-log/overview).
### Date range
Choose the start and end of the period to view or edit. Click **Now** to jump the range to the current time.
### Advert log list
The log lists the scheduled advert plays grouped by hour and advert block, showing the campaign and advert for each play. The list is read-only until you click **Start Editing Log**. Once you are editing, each row gains a drag handle to reorder it and a **Clone** (copy icon) and **Delete** (trash icon) button: click **Clone** to duplicate an advert play, or **Delete** to remove one.
### Schedule actions
After you start editing, use **Schedule** to populate the log with adverts for the selected range. If the log does not fill, check that the playout log has advert block items for the hours you are scheduling. **Unschedule** clears the scheduled adverts for the range.
### Save / Revert
While editing, click **Save** to persist your changes to the advert log, or **Revert** to discard them and return to the read-only view.
---
# User Management
Users can be managed within PlayIt Manager to allow different people to log in and restrict them to certain permissions. For example, an administrator can log in and have the ability to manage all types of entities, such as tracks and clocks. Alternatively, a presenter can be restricted, preventing them from editing clocks.
## In this section[](#in-this-section "Copy link to this section")
- [Listing Users](/PlayItManager/122/users/listing): view the users that have been added, search for a user, add a new user and edit or delete an existing one.
- [Editing Users](/PlayItManager/122/users/editing): set a user's display name, username and password, and choose the permissions, remote voice tracking hours and other settings that apply to them.
---
# Listing Users
The users page lists everyone who has been added to PlayIt Manager. See [User Management](/PlayItManager/122/users/overview) for an overview of how users and permissions work.
### Search
Filter the list to users whose display name or username matches the text entered in the box.
### Add New User
Click **Add New User** to create a user and open it in the [user editor](/PlayItManager/122/users/editing).
### User list
Lists all users added to the system, showing each user's display name and username. Use the action icons on each row to edit a user with the pencil icon, or delete it (a confirmation is shown first). The dropdown icon reveals any additional options.
---
# Editing Users
The user editor is opened by adding a new user or editing an existing one from the [users list](/PlayItManager/122/users/listing). It controls who the user is, how they log in and what they are allowed to do.
### Display Name
The real name of the user. This is displayed on PlayIt Live on the main interface to show who is currently logged in.
### Username
The username used by the user to log in. This must be unique and cannot be used by any other user.
### Password
The password used by the user to log in. The password must be at least 6 characters long. When editing an existing user, leave this blank to keep the current password.
Tick **User must change password at next login** to require the user to set a new password they can remember the next time they log in.
Passwords are cryptographically hashed and stored in the database. The actual password is not stored, so it cannot be retrieved if forgotten. Please take care not to lock yourself out of the system.
### Permissions
Select what the user is allowed to do. Ticking **Is Admin?** lets the user use any feature and perform any action. Where a user does not have permission for a particular action, that section is disabled or hidden in the user interface.
### Remote Voice Tracking and Remote Studio Hours
Select hours here to give this user access to remotely voice track into the playout log at those hours.
### Playout Log Editing
Restrict what the user can do when remote voice tracking. You can allow them to edit the full playout log for the hours they have access to, or only allow them to record voice tracks and adjust their segues. The default for new users is set on the Voice Tracking tab.
### Disabled
Tick this box to disable the user, preventing them from logging in.
### Operations
Click **Save** to save the changes, **Cancel** to discard them, or **Delete** to remove the user.
---
# Priority Streams
Premium Feature · Advanced Scheduling
AS [Purchase →](https://www.playitsoftware.com/Account/Subscription/AdvancedScheduling)
Priority Streams requires the **Advanced Scheduling** module.
Priority Streams is a feature allowing you to bring in an external stream such as a remote presenter/DJ or outside broadcast. When a priority stream is **live**, normal live-assist playout stops and the priority stream takes over. If a priority stream is not connected, or if it is too quiet or silent, it will not **go live** and will not take over normal live-assist playout. The highest priority, **open**, **active** priority stream takes priority over normal live-assist playout.
Priority streams are managed centrally in PlayIt Manager and synchronized to your connected PlayIt Live instances, where they take effect against live-assist playout.
## How it works[](#how-it-works "Copy link to this section")
When a priority stream is **open**, PlayIt Live continuously tries to connect to a live URL (for Live URL streams) or checks for an incoming connection (for Direct Stream Connection streams). If a connection is made and the audio is loud enough (above the silence threshold), the priority stream is considered **active**. Normal live-assist playout fades and stops, or waits until the currently playing track finishes (depending on the live-assist settings), and then the priority stream **goes live**. If there are multiple **active** priority streams, the one with the highest priority goes live. If the priority is the same, the one that became **active** first goes live.
When the priority stream is no longer **active**, live-assist playout resumes its previous state.
To control the open state of a priority stream automatically, add a **Change Priority Stream Open State** scheduled event action to a clock or the playout log.
## Managing priority streams[](#managing-priority-streams "Copy link to this section")
The Priority Streams page lists the priority streams you have configured and lets you add, edit and delete them. Open it from the **Priority Streams** item in the menu.
### Add new
Click **Add New Priority Stream** to create a priority stream. This opens the [Edit Priority Stream](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/priority-streams/editing) page.
### Priority stream list
Lists the priority streams stored in PlayIt Manager. Each row shows the stream's name and its connection and open-state details. Click a row to edit that priority stream on the [Edit Priority Stream](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/priority-streams/editing) page.
## Terminology[](#terminology "Copy link to this section")
**Active:** An active priority stream is one that is **open**, is connected and has a volume level above the silence threshold. If a stream disconnects or falls below the silence threshold for a period of time, it is considered inactive.
**Go Live:** The priority stream with the highest priority that is **active** is faded up. Depending on the live-assist settings, normal playout fades and stops, or the current track finishes before the priority stream is faded up.
**Open:** PlayIt Live tries to connect to the live URL or checks for an incoming connection. Open streams can **go live**.
**Pre-Open:** As Open, but the stream will not **go live**. Use this to pre-buffer a stream before **opening** and **going live**.
**Closed:** PlayIt Live does not check for a connection for the priority stream and it will not **go live**.
## Related pages[](#related-pages "Copy link to this section")
- [Edit Priority Stream](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/priority-streams/editing)
---
# Edit Priority Stream
The Edit Priority Stream page is opened by adding a new priority stream or editing an existing one from the [Priority Streams](/PlayItManager/122/priority-streams/overview) page. For an explanation of how priority streams work, see the [Priority Streams overview](/PlayItManager/122/priority-streams/overview).
### Name
The name of the priority stream. This identifies the stream in the list and on the PlayIt Live interface when the stream is not Closed.
### Type
The type of the priority stream:
- **Live URL:** PlayIt Live connects out to a remote Icecast or SHOUTcast streaming server and pulls the audio. Enter the URL of the stream to connect to, for example `http://192.168.1.50:8000/stream`.
- **Direct Stream Connection:** PlayIt Live accepts an incoming connection from an Icecast-compatible encoder. Choose the [user](/PlayItManager/122/users/overview) who will log in and stream audio to activate this priority stream. The remote source authenticates as that user and sends MP3 audio.
### Priority
The priority of this stream. When more than one priority stream is active at the same time, the one with the highest priority goes live.
### Open State
The open state determines whether PlayIt Live checks for a connected stream:
- **Closed:** PlayIt Live does not check for a connected stream and this priority stream will never go live.
- **Pre-Open:** PlayIt Live checks for a connected stream but it will not go live. Use this to ensure a stream is loaded and buffered before opening.
- **Open:** PlayIt Live checks for a connected stream. If the stream is connected, has valid audio and is above the silence threshold, the stream goes live.
Click **Save** to store the priority stream, **Cancel** to discard your changes, or **Delete** to remove an existing priority stream.
---
# Connect PlayIt Live
To synchronize data with PlayIt Live you need to connect PlayIt Live to PlayIt Manager. In PlayIt Live, open the **File** menu and choose **Sync with a remote server…** to open the connection window.
To connect you need two things from PlayIt Manager: a **Server URL** and a **Sync Key**. Both are shown on the Connect page.
The PlayIt Manager Connect page.
### Server URL
The address PlayIt Live uses to reach PlayIt Manager. Use a local-network address when PlayIt Live is on the same network as PlayIt Manager, or the outside-network address when connecting from a different network. The addresses are best guesses based on your network setup, so you may need to adjust them. See [Setting up external access](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/setting-up-external-access) if connecting from outside your network.
### Sync Key
A secret key that restricts who can connect to PlayIt Manager. Treat it like a password. Click **Reveal** to show the key so you can copy it into the PlayIt Live sync window, and **Re-generate** to issue a new key. Re-generating invalidates the previous key, so any PlayIt Live instance still using the old key will need to be reconnected.
In the PlayIt Live sync window, enter the Server URL and Sync Key and click **Connect**. Once connected, PlayIt Live begins to synchronize data with PlayIt Manager. The first time it connects, PlayIt Live switches to a blank database which is then populated from the server. This is normal.
---
# Remote Voice Tracking
PlayIt Manager is automatically configured for remote voice tracking. This allows users to upload voice tracks from PlayIt VoiceTrack, or to remotely voice track using a web browser. Remote voice tracking users connect using the PlayIt Manager Server URL together with their Username and Password. Uploaded audio is stored in the usual Audio Store location.
For full voice tracking documentation, see the [PlayIt VoiceTrack documentation](https://www.playitsoftware.com/Products/VoiceTrack/Documentation), or, for browser-based voice tracking, the [Remote Voice Tracking section of the PlayIt Live documentation](https://www.playitsoftware.com/Products/Live/Documentation).
---
# Remote Studio
PlayIt Manager can be used with PlayIt Live Remote Studio to connect remote presenters to PlayIt Live. When a presenter connects to PlayIt Live Remote Studio via PlayIt Manager, PlayIt Manager notifies the connected PlayIt Live instances. The instance designated as the 'on air' instance then establishes a direct, real-time connection with the connecting user.
For full Remote Studio documentation, see the [Remote Studio section of the PlayIt Live documentation](https://www.playitsoftware.com/Products/Live/Documentation).
> **Note:** If you change a user's permissions while they are logged in via PlayIt Manager, the changes only take effect when the user logs out and logs back in again.
---
The **Settings** section is where you configure how PlayIt Manager behaves. It is divided into several pages:
- [General](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/settings/general): language, HTTP port and track path substitutions.
- [Scheduling](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/settings/scheduling): defaults for segues, scheduling strategy and fitting to time.
- [Voice Tracking](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/settings/voice-tracking): the default editing mode for remote voice tracking.
- [License](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/getting-started/activation): activate and manage your license.
- [Security](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/settings/security): require a login for local and remote access.
- [Audio Storage](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/settings/audio-storage): the audio store location and bulk path updates.
---
# General Settings
The General Settings page is where you can configure the application language, the HTTP port used to reach the web application, and track path substitutions.
The General Settings page.
### Language
The language used for the PlayIt Manager web application. Changing it updates the interface for your browser session.
### HTTP port number
The HTTP port used to reach the PlayIt Manager web application from a browser. Only change this if a different port is required. After saving, you must restart PlayIt Manager for the change to take effect.
### Track path substitutions
When PlayIt Live is connected to PlayIt Manager it uses the tracks added to PlayIt Manager. If PlayIt Manager is installed on a different machine to PlayIt Live, those track files are not present on the PlayIt Live machine. Track path substitutions solve this by replacing part of the file path on the server with a path the PlayIt Live machine can reach. In the example shown, the server path is replaced with a network share so PlayIt Live can open the files. Use **Add Another** to add more substitutions.
### Save
Save your changes.
---
# Scheduling Settings
The scheduling settings configure the defaults used when PlayIt Manager schedules your playout, including segue behavior and how tracks are chosen.
The Scheduling Settings page.
### Default segue type
The segue type applied by default when one track moves to the next, for example playing the next item automatically or pausing after the current item.
### Default sweeper segue style
The default style used when segueing into a sweeper, such as starting at the sweep start or the sweep intro.
### Default track scheduling strategy
The strategy used when choosing tracks for Track Group clock items or track groups in the Playout Pattern:
- **Smart Selection**: selects a track using a weighted random algorithm. A track played longer ago is given a larger weight, increasing its chance of being selected.
- **Random**: selects a track entirely at random from the track group.
- **Most Rested**: selects the track from the track group that was played longest ago.
### Clock Scheduling Mode
Chooses between the legacy clock calendar and the Clock Grids workflow. Switching mode changes how clocks are scheduled, so a confirmation is shown before the change is applied.
- **Clock Grids** lets you build reusable weekly templates and layer them together. A single clock grid can always be used; layering **multiple** grids is the Advanced Scheduling workflow and requires a license with the **Advanced Scheduling** module. See [Scheduling Clocks](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/scheduling).
- **Legacy (Calendar)** presents the schedule as a weekly calendar that you fill in one entry at a time. See [Legacy (Calendar)](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/legacy-calendar).
If you are moving from Legacy (Calendar), the [Migrating to Clock Grids](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/clocks/legacy-calendar#migrating-to-clock-grids) wizard converts your existing schedule and keeps the legacy schedule stored so you can switch back here at any time.
### Fitting to time
When scheduling up to the end of an hour or a fixed time marker, PlayIt Manager tries to fit the scheduled items as close as possible to the target time. These settings control how precisely it fits, and how long it is allowed to spend doing so:
- **Target threshold**: the maximum number of seconds the scheduled items may differ from the target time. The default is 30 seconds; decreasing it makes scheduling more precise but take longer.
- **Number of attempts**: how many combinations of playout log items PlayIt Manager generates for each period while trying to fit to time, picking the first one that fits within the target threshold. The default is 25; increasing it makes scheduling take longer.
- **Seconds per fit**: the maximum number of seconds PlayIt Manager spends fitting each period to time. The default is 2 seconds; increasing it makes scheduling take longer.
In short, PlayIt Manager generates up to **Number of attempts** combinations for each period, spending at most **Seconds per fit** on each, and picks the first that lands within **Target threshold** of the target time.
For more detail on fitting to time, see the [PlayIt Live documentation](https://www.playitsoftware.com/Products/Live/Documentation).
> **Note:** The Advanced Scheduling module is required to change the fitting-to-time parameters.
### Save
Save your changes.
---
# Voice Tracking Settings
The Voice Tracking settings control what users can do when they are voice tracking remotely.
The Voice Tracking Settings page.
### Default editing mode
Choose how much of the playout log a user can change for the hours they have access to:
- **Full playout log editing**: the user can edit the full playout log.
- **Only voice tracks**: the user can only record voice tracks and adjust their segues.
This is the default for all users and can be overridden for an individual user on the [Users](/PlayItManager/122/users/editing) page.
### Save
Save your changes.
---
# Security Settings
You can restrict access to PlayIt Manager so that unauthorised people cannot use it. Logins and passwords are managed on the [Users](/PlayItManager/122/users/overview) page.
The Security Settings page.
### Require login locally
Require a login when PlayIt Manager is accessed from the same machine it is installed on. Enable this if you want to prevent direct access without signing in.
### Require login remotely
Require a login when PlayIt Manager is accessed from another machine. This is recommended when you allow remote access, as it prevents unauthorised users connecting from outside.
### Users page link
A link to the [Users](/PlayItManager/122/users/overview) page, where you create users and set their passwords and permissions.
### Save
Save your changes.
When a login is required, anyone connecting to PlayIt Manager is asked to sign in before they can use it.
---
# Audio Storage Settings
The audio store is where uploaded tracks and voice tracks are stored. This location must have read and write permissions so PlayIt Manager can save and access audio files.
The Audio Storage Settings page.
### Audio Store Path
The folder where uploaded tracks and voice tracks are stored.
### Save
Save the audio store path.
### Replace Path
The old path prefix you want to replace, for example `C:\ProgramData`.
### With Path
The new path prefix that will replace the old one, for example `F:\ProgramData`.
### Preview Changes
Show a sample of the files that will be affected before any change is made.
## Changing the Audio Store Path[](#changing-the-audio-store-path "Copy link to this section")
When you change the audio store path, the new location is only used for newly uploaded tracks. Existing audio files stay where they are and are not moved automatically.
To move existing audio files to a new location:
1. **Manually move the audio files** using File Explorer (or your operating system's file manager) from the old location to the new location.
2. **Update the file paths** using the Bulk Update Audio File Paths feature below, so all track references in the database point to the new location.
## Bulk Update Audio File Paths[](#bulk-update-audio-file-paths "Copy link to this section")
Use this feature to bulk update the file paths of tracks and voice tracks in your database. This is essential when you have changed the audio store path and need to remap the file paths so PlayIt Manager can locate the audio files in their new location.
1. **Replace Path**: enter the old path prefix to replace.
2. **With Path**: enter the new path prefix.
3. **Preview Changes**: see a sample of the files that will be affected. The preview shows the total number of updates and example path transformations, each displaying the old path with an arrow pointing to the new path.
When you are happy with the preview, confirm that you have backed up your data and apply the changes.
> **Warning:** This operation cannot be undone. Before proceeding, carefully review the preview to make sure the path changes match your expectations, and verify that you have backed up your database. The backup instructions are the same as for [upgrading versions](/PlayItManager/122/getting-started/upgrading-versions).
---
The maintenance and analysis tools live under the separate **Tools** section:
- [Database Cleanup](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tools/database-cleanup): remove orphaned data and reclaim space.
- [Loudness Analysis](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tools/loudness-analysis): analyze and normalize track loudness.
- [Missing Track File Analysis](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tools/missing-track-file-analysis): find and remove tracks whose audio file is missing.
- [Duplicate Track File Analysis](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tools/duplicate-track-file-analysis): find and remove tracks that reference the same file path.
- [Track Play Count Analysis](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tools/track-play-count-analysis): review how often tracks have played.
- [Backup](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tools/backup): back up and restore your PlayIt Manager data.
- [Remote Access](/PlayItManager/122/en-US/tools/remote-access): see who is currently connected and log a session out.
---
# Duplicate Track File Analysis
Duplicate Track File Analysis scans your library for tracks that point to the same audio file path. When more than one track references a file path that already exists in the database, the extra entries are reported so you can remove them.
These duplicates are created when the same file on the server is added to the library more than once using the [Files on Server or Folder on Server](/PlayItManager/122/tracks/adding) methods, which add tracks that reference a file already on the server by its path. For example, adding two folders with **Folder on Server** where one sits inside the other, running **Folder on Server** again over a folder whose files were already added, or picking the same file with **Files on Server** a second time, all leave more than one track pointing at the same file path.
Tracks added with **Upload to Server** do not create these duplicates: each uploaded file is copied into the **Audio Store** folder under its own path, so uploading the same file again produces a separate copy rather than a second reference to the same path. Duplicate entries clutter the track list and can cause the same song to be scheduled and played more often than intended.
Because it works purely on the file path, the tool only matches tracks that share an **identical file path**. It will not detect:
- The same audio content stored at two different file paths (for example, the same file added once with Folder on Server and again after being copied into another folder).
- Two different files that happen to have the same filename but live in different folders.
- Two files that contain the same audio but have different filenames.
To open the page, go to **Tools** and select the **Duplicate Track Files** tab. This tab is only available to users with the **Manage Tracks** permission.
The Duplicate Track File Analysis page, reached from the Tools section.
Click **Scan for Duplicate Track Files** to begin scanning. When it finishes, any tracks that reference a file path already used by another track are listed in the results table. If no duplicates are found, a confirmation message **No duplicate track files were found.** is shown instead.
The results of a scan, with duplicate tracks selected ready for removal.
Each row in the results table represents a track whose file path is also used by another track. Review the rows and tick the checkbox next to each duplicate you want to remove. Use **Select All** or the header checkbox to tick every row at once, and **Deselect All** to clear the selection.
When you are happy with your selection, click **Delete Selected (N)**, where N is the number of ticked rows. You are asked to confirm because the tracks are permanently removed from the database and this cannot be undone. The underlying audio files are not deleted. Only the duplicate track entries in PlayIt Manager are removed, so the track you keep continues to reference the file as before. After deletion, the removed rows disappear from the results.
---
# Missing Track File Analysis
Missing Track File Analysis scans your library for tracks whose audio file can no longer be found at the path stored in the database. When a track points at a file that has been moved, renamed or deleted on the server, the track is reported so you can remove the orphaned entry.
Missing files usually happen when audio that was added to the library with the [Files on Server or Folder on Server](/PlayItManager/122/tracks/adding) methods is later moved, renamed or deleted outside PlayIt Manager, or when the drive or network share holding the files is no longer available. A track whose file is missing cannot be played, so leaving the entry in the library means it can still be scheduled and then fail to play.
The tool checks each track's stored file path. Tracks added with **Upload to Server** are copied into the **Audio Store** folder, so they are only reported if the file has been removed from the Audio Store itself.
To open the page, go to **Tools** and select the **Missing Track Files** tab. This tab is only available to users with the **Manage Tracks** permission.
The Missing Track File Analysis page, reached from the Tools section.
Click **Scan for Missing Files** to begin scanning. When it finishes, any tracks whose file could not be found are listed in the results table. If every track's file is present, a confirmation message that no missing track files were found is shown instead.
The results of a scan, with missing tracks selected ready for removal.
Each row in the results table represents a track whose audio file is missing. Review the rows and tick the checkbox next to each track you want to remove. Use **Select All** or the header checkbox to tick every row at once, and **Deselect All** to clear the selection.
When you are happy with your selection, click **Delete Selected (N)**, where N is the number of ticked rows. You are asked to confirm because the tracks are permanently removed from the database and this cannot be undone. Only the track entries are removed; no audio files are touched, since the files are already missing.
If the files have only moved rather than being deleted, you may prefer to correct the paths instead of removing the tracks. Use **Bulk Update Audio File Paths** on the [Audio Storage](/PlayItManager/122/settings/audio-storage) page to point the affected tracks at their new location rather than deleting them here.
---
# Track Play Count Analysis
Track Play Count Analysis tells you how many times each track played during a date and time range. It works through the playout logs for the period you choose and counts every play for each track, so you can see at a glance which tracks are getting heavy rotation and which are barely heard.
This is useful when you want to check the balance of your output. For example, you might run the analysis over the past month, sort by play count, and find that a handful of tracks have played 40 or 50 times while dozens of others have not played at all. That tells you to either rest the over-played tracks or bring the never-played ones into rotation. The analysis is also handy for producing an airplay chart show, where you need an ordered list of the most-played tracks for a given week.
To open the page, go to **Tools** and select the **Track Play Count Analysis** tab. This tab is only available to users whose role includes permission to manage logged tracks.
Track Play Count Analysis ranks tracks by the number of plays in the selected date range.
### Date range
The **Start** and **End** date/time inputs that define the period to analyze. Every play recorded in the playout logs between these two points is counted. Here they are set to a one-week window, with a Start of `01/06/2026 00:00` and an End of `08/06/2026 00:00`. By default the page opens with End set to the current date/time and Start set to 24 hours earlier; change them to cover whatever period you need, such as a full week for a chart show or a month for a rotation review.
### Include unplayed tracks
The **Include unplayed, scheduled tracks** checkbox, shown unticked. Tick it to also include tracks that were scheduled but did not actually play, for example because they were dropped by a Fixed Time Marker. This option also brings in tracks scheduled in a future date range. Leave it unticked if you only want to count tracks that genuinely went to air.
### Analyze button
The **Analyze** button that runs the analysis, shown in its normal (not spinning) state because the analysis has already completed. When you click it, PlayIt Manager works through the playout log for the selected range and counts the plays for each track. Once it finishes, the results table appears below.
### Export CSV button
The **Export CSV** button, shown next to Analyze because results have been returned. Click it to download the results as a CSV file. The CSV contains the same Track, Track Groups and Plays columns and can be opened in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets for further analysis.
### Results table
The results table, sorted by **Plays** with the most-played track at the top. Each row shows the **Track** (its artist and title), the **Track Groups** it belongs to and its number of **Plays** during the range. Click any column header to sort by that column; click the same header again to reverse the sort direction.
---
# Backup Settings
PlayIt Manager can back up your database and settings on demand or on a regular schedule. A backup is a single file that captures your tracks, track groups, scheduling configuration, voice tracks references and application settings, so you can return to a known-good state if something goes wrong.
Backups matter because the data that drives your station, your library, your clocks and your scheduling, builds up over months or years and is not easily recreated. A backup protects you against accidental changes, a corrupted database, a failed disk or a problem during an upgrade. Take a backup before any major change, such as upgrading PlayIt Manager, performing a bulk path update or cleaning up the database.
The Backup page is part of the **Tools** section. To open it, go to **Tools > Backup**. You need the **Manage Backups** permission to see it.
### Backup folder
At the top of the page is the **Backup Folder:** field, a text box containing the folder where backup files are written, for example `D:\PlayIt Manager Backups`.
### Retention count
On one line is **Keep the last** followed by a small number box showing `5` and then the word **backups**: this is how many of the most recent backups to retain in the folder. Older backups beyond this count are removed automatically.
### Scheduled backups
A ticked **Enable scheduled backups every** checkbox, followed by a small number box showing `7` and the word **days**, turns on automatic background backups at the chosen interval.
### Save
A **Save** button beneath these settings persists the folder, retention count and schedule.
### Start Backup
Below a horizontal rule is the **Start Backup** button (a primary blue button), and beneath it a **Next backup:** label showing the date and time of the next scheduled backup.
### Recent Backups
Below another rule is the **Recent Backups** heading and a striped table with the columns **File Name**, **Size** and **Created**, plus a **Download** button on each row. The example shows three backup rows. At the very bottom is an information panel explaining how to restore a backup.
## Backup folder[](#backup-folder "Copy link to this section")
The **Backup Folder** is where backup files are written, for example `D:\PlayIt Manager Backups`. This location must have read and write permissions so PlayIt Manager can create and manage backup files. For protection against disk failure, point it at a separate physical drive or a network location rather than the same disk as your database and audio store.
## Keeping a number of backups[](#keeping-a-number-of-backups "Copy link to this section")
The **Keep the last** setting controls how many of the most recent backups are retained in the backup folder. When a new backup is created and the count is exceeded, the oldest backups are deleted automatically. This stops the folder from growing without limit while keeping a useful history of recent backups.
## Scheduled backups[](#scheduled-backups "Copy link to this section")
Tick **Enable scheduled backups every** and enter a number of days to have PlayIt Manager back up automatically in the background while it is running. The **Next backup:** date shown below the **Start Backup** button tells you when the next automatic backup is due. Scheduled backups respect the **Keep the last** retention setting in the same way as manual backups.
After changing any of these settings, click **Save**. You must save before starting a backup; if there are unsaved changes the **Start Backup** button is disabled and a reminder is shown.
## Backing up now[](#backing-up-now "Copy link to this section")
Click **Start Backup** to back up the database and settings immediately. While a backup is running the button is disabled, a spinner and status text appear, and the page refreshes the status and backup list automatically until the backup completes. The new backup then appears in the **Recent Backups** list.
## Recent backups and downloading[](#recent-backups-and-downloading "Copy link to this section")
The **Recent Backups** table lists the backups currently in the backup folder, showing each backup's **File Name**, **Size** and the date it was **Created**. Use the **Download** button on a row to download that backup file to your computer, for example to copy it to off-site or cloud storage for safekeeping.
## Restoring a backup[](#restoring-a-backup "Copy link to this section")
PlayIt Manager does not currently provide a user interface for restoring a backup. To restore, download the backup, close PlayIt Manager, then extract the contents of the backup file into the PlayIt Manager data folder (typically `C:\ProgramData\PlayIt Manager`), overwriting the existing files. Start PlayIt Manager again once the files are in place.
When you restore a backup, any existing data is overwritten and cannot be recovered, so be sure you have closed PlayIt Manager and chosen the correct backup file before you begin.
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# Database Clean-up
The Database Clean-up tool removes old data such as playout log items, voice tracks and uploaded audio store files, freeing up disk space. Orphaned files are files in the voice track recordings folder or audio store folder that are no longer referenced by any track or voice track item in the PlayIt Manager database.
Database Clean-up is found under the **Tools** section.
The Database Clean-up page.
### Delete voice track files
Delete voice track files scheduled more than the given number of days ago.
### Delete playout log items
Delete playout log items scheduled more than the given number of days ago.
### Delete orphaned voice track files
Delete voice track files that are no longer referenced by any voice track item in the database.
### Delete orphaned audio store files
Delete audio store files that are no longer referenced by any track in the database.
### Start Clean-up
Begin the clean-up. You are first offered a **Dry Run** so you can see what would be deleted. Choose **Clean-up Now** when you are happy for the changes to be made.
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# Loudness Analysis
With Loudness Analysis you can analyze your tracks, calculate an offset gain and store it for each track in your database. When a track is played by PlayIt Live, this gain is applied so that every track plays back at the same loudness.
The ITU-R BS.1770 algorithm is used to measure loudness. This is commonly known as LUFS normalisation.
Loudness Analysis is found under the **Tools** section.
The Loudness Analysis page.
### Target Loudness
The loudness, in LUFS, that each track is adjusted towards. The default is -16 LUFS.
### Start Loudness Analysis
Start analyzing your tracks. While analysis is running, this button stops it.
### Status
Shows the current status of the analysis, including progress and the number of tracks remaining once it is running.
PlayIt Manager runs Loudness Analysis in the background as it processes each track. Because the algorithm is complex, it can take several hours to process all of your tracks, but this only needs to be done once. Leave PlayIt Manager running so it can process the tracks in the background. Any new tracks you add are processed automatically.
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# Remote Access
The Remote Access page shows the sessions that are currently connected to your PlayIt Manager server, so you can see who is using it at any moment and disconnect a session if you need to.
A session appears here when someone is connected through the **Remote Management** web application or through **Remote Voice Tracking**. The list refreshes automatically every few seconds, so sessions appear and disappear as people connect and leave.
> **Note:** Remote Studio sessions do not appear here. Remote Studio connects directly to the on-air PlayIt Live instance rather than to PlayIt Manager, so PlayIt Manager does not see those connections.
Remote Access is found under the **Tools** section. To open it, go to **Tools > Remote Access**. You need the **Manage Remote Access** permission to see it.
The Remote Access page listing the currently connected sessions.
### Type
The type of session, which tells you how the user is connected:
- **Remote Management**: someone signed in to the PlayIt Manager web application.
- **Remote Voice Tracking**: a user recording voice tracks remotely.
### User
The user the session is signed in as. If no user name is available a dash is shown.
### IP address
The network address the session is connecting from. An address on your local network (such as `192.168.x.x`) indicates a connection from inside your station; any other address is a connection from outside.
### Connected
The date and time the session first connected.
### Last seen
The date and time the session was last active. Because the list refreshes automatically, a live session shows a Last seen time only a few seconds old.
### Log out
Disconnects that session. You are asked to confirm first. The user is signed out and, after the next refresh, the row disappears from the list. The user can connect again unless you also remove or disable their account in [User Management](/PlayItManager/122/users/overview).
When no one is connected, the page shows a message in place of the table rather than an empty list.