CSV Track Import
PlayIt VoiceTrack can import tracks from a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file using the Add New Tracks Wizard. This is useful when migrating track metadata from another playout system, a music scheduling tool, or a spreadsheet.
Before You Start
The CSV importer expects data in a specific format. If you are exporting from another system, you will almost certainly need to convert and reformat the data before it can be imported into PlayIt VoiceTrack. This requires some manual effort and familiarity with spreadsheet tools such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
In particular, all duration and cue point values must be in decimal seconds. Formats like 3:45 or 0:08.5 are not accepted because they are ambiguous (they could represent minutes:seconds or hours:minutes). You will need to convert these values yourself before importing. See Value Formats below for details.
The best approach is to export a few tracks from PlayIt VoiceTrack first using the CSV export in Manage Tracks. This gives you a template showing the exact column names and value formats that the importer expects.
Creating a CSV File
The CSV file must have a header row with column names, followed by one row per track. You can create the file in any spreadsheet application and export it as CSV, or write it in a text editor.
Minimal Example
At minimum, each track needs a file path and a duration:
Path,Artist,Title,Duration
C:\Music\Katrina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine.mp3,Katrina and the Waves,Walking on Sunshine,239
C:\Music\Journey - Don't Stop Believin'.mp3,Journey,Don't Stop Believin',250.5
C:\Music\Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody.mp3,Queen,Bohemian Rhapsody,354
Full Example
A more complete CSV file with timing and metadata columns:
Path,Artist,Title,Duration,Intro,Cue In,Cue Out,Genre,Year,Type
C:\Music\Walking on Sunshine.mp3,Katrina and the Waves,Walking on Sunshine,239,8.5,0,228,Pop,1985,Song
C:\Music\Bohemian Rhapsody.mp3,Queen,Bohemian Rhapsody,354,15,0,340,Rock,1975,Song
Value Formats
Every column has a specific value format. Using the wrong format will cause the row to be skipped during import.
Decimal Seconds
All duration and cue point columns must be in decimal seconds using a dot (.) as the decimal separator.
| Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|
239 | 3:59 |
8.5 | 0:08.5 |
228.75 | 3:48.75 |
0 | 0:00 |
If your source data uses minutes:seconds format, you will need to convert it. In a spreadsheet, you can use a formula such as =MINUTE(A1)*60+SECOND(A1) to convert a time value in cell A1 to total seconds.
Text
Text values (Artist, Title, Album, etc.) are plain strings. If a value contains a comma, the entire value must be enclosed in double quotes in the CSV file. Most spreadsheet applications handle this automatically when exporting to CSV.
Boolean
Boolean columns (No Fade, Sweeper, Disabled, Gain Set Manually?) accept true or false (case-insensitive). If the column is missing or empty, the value defaults to false.
Date
Date columns (Valid From, Expires) accept standard date formats such as 2026-01-15. The time portion is ignored.
Decimal
Decimal columns (Gain DB, Loudness Target LUFS, Tempo Adjust Percentage) use a dot (.) as the decimal separator. For example, -3.5 for a gain reduction of 3.5 dB.
Column Reference
Required Columns
Only the Path and Duration columns are needed for a valid import. All other columns are optional. If a column is missing from the header, the field is left empty or set to its default value.
| Column | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Path | Text | The full file path to the audio file on disk. Used for playback and duplicate detection. |
| Duration or Duration (seconds) | Decimal seconds | The total duration of the track (e.g. 239 or 228.5). |
Track Information
| Column | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Artist | Text | The artist or performer name. |
| Title | Text | The track title. |
| Album | Text | The album name. |
| Genre | Text | The genre (e.g. Pop, Rock, Jazz). |
| Year | Text | The release year. |
| Type | Text | The track type. Must be one of the type identifiers listed below, or left empty. |
| Tags | Text | Semicolon-separated tags (e.g. upbeat;classic;80s). |
| Comments | Text | Free-text comments about the track. |
| Out Cue | Text | The out cue text (e.g. "and don't it feel good!"). |
| ISRC | Text | The International Standard Recording Code. |
| Record Label | Text | The record label name. |
| Track ID | Text | A custom track identifier. |
Track Type Values
The Type column must use one of the following values exactly as shown below.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
Song | A music track. |
Station ID | A station identification jingle. |
Promo | A promotional announcement. |
Commercial | A commercial or advert. |
News | A news bulletin or clip. |
Bed | A background music bed. |
Station ID + Bed | A combined station ID with a background bed. |
If the Type column is left empty, the type will be inferred automatically.
Cue Points and Timing
| Column | Format | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro | Decimal seconds | 0 | The intro duration. The point at which vocals or the main content begins. |
| Cue In | Decimal seconds | 0 | The cue in point. Playback starts from this point. |
| Cue Out | Decimal seconds | Same as Duration | The cue out point. The track is considered to have finished at this point. |
| Early Out | Decimal seconds | Not set | The early out point. Marks where the track is almost finished. |
| Hook Start | Decimal seconds | Not set | The start of the track's hook section. Hooks are only used by PlayIt Live and are ignored by PlayIt VoiceTrack. |
| Hook End | Decimal seconds | Not set | The end of the track's hook section. Hooks are only used by PlayIt Live and are ignored by PlayIt VoiceTrack. |
Playback Control
| Column | Format | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Fade | Boolean | false | Set to true to disable the fade-out at the end of the track. |
| Sweeper | Boolean | false | Set to true to mark the track as a sweeper or jingle. |
| Disabled | Boolean | false | Set to true to disable the track from being scheduled or played. |
| Valid From | Date | Not set | The date from which the track becomes available (e.g. 2026-01-15). |
| Expires | Date | Not set | The date after which the track is no longer available. |
Audio Processing
| Column | Format | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gain DB | Decimal | Not set | Audio gain adjustment in decibels (e.g. -3.5). |
| Gain Set Manually? | Boolean | false | Set to true if the gain value was manually configured rather than auto-detected. |
| Loudness Target LUFS | Decimal | Not set | The loudness normalization target in LUFS. |
| Tempo Adjust Percentage | Decimal | Not set | Percentage adjustment to the playback tempo. |
Error Handling
- If a row contains a malformed value (e.g. text in a numeric column), that row is skipped and the error is logged. The rest of the import continues.
- Columns can appear in any order in the CSV file.
- Extra columns not recognized by PlayIt VoiceTrack are ignored.
- If a value contains a comma, enclose it in double quotes (e.g.
"Earth, Wind & Fire").