Play258 Playout Manual for Presenters

1. Introduction

The Play258 Playout is a desktop application (Windows/macOS depending on the build supplied by Play258) your station uses for live operation: play music and other audio, fire station IDs and commercials, integrate listener requests (when configured), and optionally feed streaming encoders.

This manual is written for presenters, studio operators, support teams, and content managers. It does not replace hands-on training or your station’s internal policies.

Effective playback priority (when modules are enabled): AI DJ (if enabled) → Listener DJ queue → normal playlist.

2. Requirements before you start

• A valid license/installation of Play258 Playout on the studio machine (issued or approved by Play258).
• Local permissions: know whether you may change sensitive settings (see Section 3 — settings administrator password).
• An up-to-date browser (Chrome, Edge, or Firefox recommended) for this web documentation and occasional links; Playout itself does not run in the browser.
• A stable Internet connection if you use Listener DJ, sync with Play258 servers, streaming, Mediabook spot transfers, or official announcements.
• Audio devices configured correctly (main output and, where used, Cue / pre-listen).
• Data provided by your station or Play258: Play258 API URL (where applicable), tokens, music folders, and internal usage policies.

Pending validation with the Play258 team: exact hardware prerequisites (CPU/RAM), minimum OS versions, and automatic-update policy per contract.

3. Accessing the system

3.1 Launching Playout (normal operation)

Presenters typically do not log in with email/password on a website to operate the playlist. The usual flow is:

1. Start the studio PC and open the Play258 Playout application (desktop shortcut or Start menu / macOS equivalent).
2. Wait for full startup and check for license or configuration errors.

3.2 Protecting Settings (Radio Administrator password)

Opening File → Settings may prompt for a local password (“Radio Administrator” profile). This protects sensitive data (API, streaming, folders). It is not the same as signing into the Play258 web portal.

Initial password policy and recovery are defined by your station or your Play258 deployment. If you do not know the password, ask your technical lead — do not share guesses over insecure channels.

3.3 Opening this manual from Playout

Under Help → Documentation for presenters, Playout opens the browser at https://play258.com/docs/locutores on the configured API host. If nothing opens, verify the API URL under Settings → Listener DJ / Play258.

3.4 Play258 web portal (separate product)

The web dashboard for radio admins (requests, reports, etc.) uses a separate flow (e.g. email OTP). Pending validation with the Play258 team: official mapping of “web profile vs desktop Playout roles” for onboarding.

4. Control surface overview

The main UI combines menus, a toolbar, the playlist area, transport controls (Play, Pause, Previous, etc.), the ID/jingle cartwall, and the “Now playing” panel.

• Menus: File, Media, Programs, Jingles, Extensions, Help (availability depends on version/license).
• Main tabs (typical order in the current codebase): Playlist, Schedule, Announcements, AI DJ, Listener DJ, Logs. Tab visibility may be adjusted per station configuration.
• Indicators: playback state, sync status, and alerts depend on configuration (e.g. heartbeat, unread announcements).

5. Day-to-day operation

6. Playlist management

A playlist is the ordered list of tracks the Playout follows according to the order mode.

Adding music

• File → Add music or the equivalent toolbar button.
• Drag-and-drop files into the list.

Reordering

• Drag rows in the list.
• Ctrl+Up / Ctrl+Down to move the selected track.

Common actions

• Ctrl+S — save playlist.
• Delete / Backspace — remove selected item.
• Ctrl+Delete — clear playlist.
• Ctrl+P — mark track as play next.

Order modes

For continuous operation with requests, Repeat is often the most stable — confirm with your technical lead.

Pending validation with the Play258 team: edge-case behaviour when AI DJ and Listener DJ compete for the same time window.

7. Schedule and times

The Schedule tab covers Programs, Events, Rotation jingles, and Stamps. Between tracks, the engine may automatically evaluate stamps and billing-related audio according to your deployment rules.

• Programs may include names, weekdays, time ranges, and presenter metadata.
• Review the tab before your shift to anticipate automated blocks.

Pending validation with the Play258 team: official quick-reference specifically for Mediabook inside Schedule (per-station rules).

8. Content, spots, and campaigns

• Regular content: music or generic audio in the playlist.
• Station ID / jingle: short audio, often on the cartwall (keyboard shortcuts).
• Spot / campaign (Mediabook): advertising audio synced via Play258 services; operational steps include downloading assets through Billing → Sync as described in official station emails/PDFs.

When you receive an insertion order email from the platform, follow internal procedures and use “Get Mediabook spots” under Billing → Sync inside Playout (wording used in official templates).

Cartwall (jingles)

The default cartwall exposes 10 buttons: keys 1 through 9 and 0 for the tenth slot. Under Jingles you manage files and colours; Jingles → Generate jingle (TTS) may be available.

9. On-air status

Transport controls

Listener DJ

Pulls requests from the Play258 backend; requires correct API URL, token, and catalogue folder in Settings. Requests override the normal playlist.

Streaming

Configured under Settings → Streaming (Icecast / Shoutcast2). Requires valid credentials and FFmpeg where applicable.

Logs and announcements

The Logs tab supports operational reporting according to station integrations. Official Announcements lists messages and attachments from the Play258 ecosystem.

Alerts

Pending validation with the Play258 team: full catalogue of presenter-visible alerts (silence, sync failures, license, network) with severity levels and recommended actions.

10. Common issues and fixes

11. Best practices for presenters

• Open Playout ahead of your airtime.
• Confirm schedule, playlist, and events before critical blocks.
• Avoid closing or upgrading Playout during sync or sensitive playback.
• Use Duck before opening the microphone.
• Log incidents with time, screenshot, and short description for the next technician.
• Never share configuration passwords or tokens in public chats.
• Keep the studio machine’s browser and OS updated.
• Maintain stable Internet when depending on requests or sync.

12. Frequently asked questions

Does Playout run in the browser?

No. It is installed software. The browser is for documentation and auxiliary links.

Do I need a Play258 login to play music?

Day-to-day operation is local; integrations (requests, spots, announcements) rely on credentials configured by engineers.

What is AI DJ?

An autopilot-style module on its own tab. When enabled, it participates in the playback priority above the normal playlist.

How many cartwall buttons?

Defaults to 10 slots (1–9 and 0). Special builds may differ.

Where do I see historical errors?

Use the Logs tab and internal procedures; automatic upload to Play258 servers depends on station configuration.

13. Glossary

14. Support

Before contacting Play258 support or your station engineer, gather:

• Station name and installation identifier (if any).
• Date and time of the issue (local timezone).
• Short description of symptoms and steps already tried.
• Screenshot or photo of the error.
• Affected track, spot, or program name.
• Whether the issue is audio, network, web login, or sync.

Commercial contacts and SLA follow your organisation’s contract with Voneka / Play258.

15. Appendices

Daily presenter checklist

• ☐ Playout launches without license errors
• ☐ Main output and cue tested
• ☐ Shift playlist loaded and saved
• ☐ Schedule tab reviewed
• ☐ Listener DJ checked (if enabled)
• ☐ Streaming OK (if enabled)
• ☐ Test ID fired from cartwall

Five-minute pre-broadcast checklist

• ☐ Play / Stop / Pause exercised
• ☐ Correct order mode selected
• ☐ Requests synced or agreed fallback mode
• ☐ Microphone + Duck rehearsal completed

Incident reporting checklist

• ☐ Exact timestamp
• ☐ Screenshot
• ☐ Steps to reproduce
• ☐ Impact (no main audio / cue only / streaming only)

One-page quick guide

Launch → audio OK → playlist → Schedule → Duck when speaking → IDs 1–0 → requests if enabled → save on exit.

Primary shortcuts