Interacting with Playout - Listener Requests

One of the popular new features we tried out this year during Hastings Rock's RSL was the ability to allow listeners to request tracks and have them played out during periods of automation (overnight). Using a web page, listeners could search and browse the entire music catalogue, submit their choice(s) and Playout would then schedule the track appropriately.

The concept also lends itself for periods of normal (ie. manned operation), where requests are simply dropped into a Playlist (along with any listener comments). The presenter can then simply access the request list much like any other playlist as and when appropriate.

In effect, the system provides a web based end to the Playout database and with support from the Playout application itself achieves this 'instant listener jukebox' (or RoboJock as they referred to it). These pages hopefully give a general guide as to how to setup this type of system for your radio station and provide just one example of how you can open up the Playout system to your listeners/presenters and the world.

Not for the faint hearted!

Rather than re-invent the wheel and try and come up with new and bespoke ways of doing things, Playout tries to make use of as many existing open standards. The benefit of this is to make the system as flexible as possible however the downside is the choice of options and tools to use can be daunting. In short you need to have experience and understand the following:

• Database architecture, ability to construct (and understand to a limited degree) SQL queries
• Web server side scripting language of your choice (PHP, Perl, ASP etc.). My examples all use PHP however hopefully this should read across to other languages
• Understand the risks and necessary practices to operate a secure web based server. Remember, this opens up not only public access to your playout database but potentially your entire network.

In addition, to deploy this you will need to have access to a web server which supports server side scripting and the ability for this to connect to your Playout database somehow - I'll discuss some options on this later.

The intent here is to bridge the gap between having core knowledge of say PHP/databases and the Playout system itself, it will not teach you how to achieve this securely or in necessarily the most efficient manner.

Next: Making the Playout Database accessible