GPIO and Control
Send now-playing data to VRA over HTTP
Your playout system does not have to be on VRA's list to drive the graphics. Anything that can post JSON can send VRA the now-playing data, the current item and the ones coming up, and song titles and item-based visuals follow it like they follow any supported automation.
What VRA does with Inbound HTTP.
Any system that can post JSON
A playout system, a scheduler or a script your engineer writes. If it can send an HTTP POST on each change, it can feed VRA.
Now and coming up
Send the upcoming items with the current one, and a coming-up graphic can name the next song before it plays.
Your own fields in the graphic
Fields beyond the standard ones arrive as metadata, so a graphic can show an item code or anything else your system knows.
From the cloud as well
An automation outside the studio network posts to VRA Cloud instead, which passes the items on to the studio's Core.
How to set it up.
Requirements
- A system that can send an HTTP POST with JSON on every item change.
- VRA Core reachable from that system on port
3002. - Outside the studio network: a machine user of the station for VRA Cloud's GraphQL API.
In VRA Cloud, open Settings, Advanced, Automations, open Generic AutomationLink and enable the Generic Data endpoint. Copy its URL.
Make your system post JSON to that URL on every item change, with the current and upcoming items in the documented format.
Send UTF-8 with a JSON content type, and escape special characters in artist and title.
Change the item on air and check that VRA shows the new title before you link it to graphics.
Inbound HTTP questions
My radio automation isn't supported by VRA. Can I still use it? +
If it can send an HTTP POST with JSON when the item changes, yes. Map its fields to the generic AutomationLink format, with artist and title required, and post to VRA Core.
Can I post any JSON to VRA? +
No. The feed follows the documented AutomationLink format. Map your source fields to it and test item changes before you use the feed on air.
Can a cloud playout system send now-playing data to VRA? +
Yes. It posts the current and upcoming items through VRA Cloud's GraphQL API, signed in as a machine user of the station. VRA Cloud sends them on to the Core in the studio, which has to be running.
Does VRA send webhooks to other systems? +
No. Data comes in; VRA has no outgoing HTTP action.
Visual Radio Assist
About Inbound HTTP.
VRA Core in your studio has an endpoint for this, listed in VRA Cloud as Generic AutomationLink. Switch it on and your system posts JSON to it on every change: the current item and the upcoming ones, each with at least an artist and a title. An ID on the current item is how VRA knows a new item started. Type and category are optional, and item groups can match on them to pick the graphic. Any extra field you send arrives as metadata a graphic can show.
When the automation runs outside the studio network, in a cloud playout system for example, it posts the same data to VRA Cloud through its GraphQL API instead. VRA Cloud hands it to the Core of the station's studios, so a running Core is needed either way.
This is a way in for data. VRA does not send webhooks out. The graphics side is live graphics, built in the Visual Designer.
What you can do with this connection
The products behind it.
More integrations.
File watch
Put now-playing graphics on screen from a text file. VRA watches the file your playout system writes and updates artist and title each time it changes.
mAirList
mAirList visual radio: VRA turns mAirList's logging export into now-playing and coming-up graphics for the current item and next four, no script needed.
TCP
Control your visual radio studio over TCP. Send one line of text to VRA Core to put the studio on air, cut a camera or fire a macro, and get a reply.
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.