GPIO and Control
Now-playing graphics from a text file
Plenty of playout systems already write the current song to a text file, for RDS or the stream. VRA watches that same file and puts the now-playing artist and title on screen each time it changes, with nothing to install on the playout side.
What VRA does with File watch.
The file you already have
Point VRA at the text file your playout system already updates. Nothing changes on the playout side.
Read the way it is written
Artist then title, title then artist, or either plus a type identifier, split by a dash or a new line.
Now, next and last
Give each file a role: the song playing now, the one coming up or the one that just played.
How to set it up.
Requirements
- A text file in one of the supported layouts.
- VRA Core with read access to the file or the network share it is on.
- The right role, delimiter and field order set in VRA.
Make sure the radio automation writes its now-playing text file somewhere VRA Core can read.
In VRA Cloud, open Settings, Advanced, Automations and add a File Text connection with the path to watch.
Choose the file role, delimiter and field order that match the file.
Change the playing item and confirm the values in VRA before binding them to graphics.
File watch questions
Can VRA read my playout system's now-playing text file? +
Yes, if it holds artist and title in a supported layout: artist then title or title then artist, optionally with a type, split by a dash or a new line. VRA reads it each time the file changes.
My file has a different layout. What now? +
Convert it to a supported layout, or send the same data another way, like the generic HTTP link.
Is this how Clips finds video recordings? +
No. File watch reads radio metadata. Recording folders are set up separately as Clips ingest sources.
Visual Radio Assist
About File watch.
File watch is the VRA connection for radio automation that writes its now-playing data to a file. VRA Core watches the path you give it and reads the file every time it changes.
You tell VRA how the file is laid out: artist then title or title then artist, split by a dash or a new line, with an optional type identifier as a third field. The type is what lets a song and a jingle bring up different graphics. Each file gets a role, music, regular, upcoming or history, so a file with the next song can drive a coming-up graphic and one with the last song a just-played graphic. The values feed live graphics made in the Visual Designer.
File watch reads metadata only. Recording folders for Clips are a separate setting.
What you can do with this connection
The products behind it.
More integrations.
Inbound HTTP
Send now-playing data to VRA over HTTP from any playout system: post the current and upcoming items as JSON and your radio graphics follow the show.
GML
Audisi GML's Realtime Info XML carries its now-playing values. VRA watches that file and puts them in your radio graphics each time it changes.
Aeron
AerOn's export file drives your now-playing graphics. VRA reads it each time the on-air item changes and fills titles, artwork and item-based visuals.
Check your studio setup with us.
Tell us your camera models, video switcher and radio automation. We will check the connections and show you the workflow that fits your station.