In some cases it would be desirable to send alternative metadata. For example, if you have a song that you want to have a different name displayed in the mairlist playlist due to a special intro or something. You do not want this name to be sent as metadata to any stream.
Would it be possible to create an additional input field that is used as alternative metadata. This will then be sent to the stream as soon as this item is played. If this field is not filled in, the standard metadata may be sent.
Another example where you want to use this is a news bulletin, in which case it may be easy to send specific metadata that differs from the name in the playlists within mAirlist.
If this is already possible, I would like to hear about it. If this is not yet possible, I would like to submit this as a request.
If you use mAirList v7.3 or higher, this might be helpful:
Version 7.3-beta Build 5600 (2023-10-24)
[+] Encoder: Ability to specify a "not playing" text that is used as stream
metadata when no item is playing (according to the filters set in the
connection's metadata settings)
Please note that this is very helpful together with the time waiting until sending the alternate text so that a drop of 4 seconds is ignored.
Sometimes I use alternative meta text via Cartwall. There is an item with an allowed element type, but silence (please add a silence item of e.g. 5 minutes to your database and place it in the cartwall). When you start it, for the encoder it is like a player playing, so the ānot playingā indicator canāt start.
The silence is played out and the meta text (which you can vary each time you want) is shown in the player, homepage or app.
This is my personal solution.
Additionally:
When you use a selected cartplayer, you can add CARTWALL SELECTED START in the playlist with a link from the item before. So the cart player using silence for sending out your individual meta text starts automatically.
It is very nice to start the cartplayer in the middle of the last song, sending āAll the best from Uli, happy to meet you at the next show.ā
I was already familiar with the option for the encoder, but I did not use the built-in encoder of mAirlist, which is why I came up with my request.
Itās not really my plan to sacrifice the cart wall for it, but I realize that you can do this with a detour.
Perhaps an input field is not necessarily the solution, but an action to adjust the metadata that you can link to an item, just as you can currently start more actions with an item. (However, this would be less clear, I think).
I will remember uliās idea, although I donāt know if I will thank everyone on your behalf at the end of the show.
I understand that it is possible with an extra cart wall, but this does not seem to me to be the neatest solution. That is why my request still stands to be able to offer this as an option for an item.
You switch to the cartwall āannouncementā page and get to the original page automatically via script. Very neat. But all too simple, Iām afraid. Sorry.
@Tondose some time ago wrote a fantastic script where you put your alternative text info into brackets or other separators and the script cut everything inbetween (and including them) out when loading into a player (so the metadata is shown accordingly.
Iām using this for e.g. [Album] and other Infos I donāt want to be airing as song infos.
mAirList is able to exclude the data between the separators for the scheduler too.
Hi @Stefan_Hillen
It may work with scripts, but that was the idea behind my request. That it was built-in as standard and could not be achieved with scripts or workarounds.
Not everyone is equally passionate about scripts and I think this function should be a fairly standard thing in a software like mAirlist.
Scripts are built-in standards. They use the same language as mAirListās source code does and, if written properly, may not be considered as workaroumds.
Yes, Iām understanding your POV. Butā¦ In my opinion that is the clever thing about mAirList: You have some core functions that everybody needs - and than you can add other āspecialā functions via scripts.
To be honest I have some clients that doesnāt care about Metadata at all and so do a lot of private users. This is no built-in function that every user is missing.
Soā¦ where do you set the bar for standard functions? With @Tondose 's script you can change the behavior and the used separators easily.
Just for a standard implementation @Torben would need to define them to make programming more easier OR put another selection dialogue into the configuration.
On the other hand the user just need to download an already complete script, change the separators and register as a background script if this function is neededā¦
It was not my intention to start a discussion about whether or not scripts are standard within the software. Also I didnāt say scripts are workarounds. I wrote I would like to achieve it without script OR workarounds
I just had a request for a feature that would not only be useful to me, but that multiple users would probably want to use. I agree with Stefanās comment that it is difficult to determine what the standard functions should be. But thatās what this forum is for, right? to suggest ideas. Not every idea will be implemented, but if there is no input from users, it is difficult for Torben to determine what users would like.
Everyone is of course free to work with scripts. I have written a bunch of them myself and know how useful they are. But having to adjust a script for each desired item in order to make the metadata work correctly did not seem entirely practical to me.
But again; I donāt want to start an argument. Just submit a request to see if it is possible to create an alternative metadata in the default database editor of an item.
Nevertheless I am interested in this script, since I a like learning more and more. So if anyone is able to send me that script, I would like to see what is possible with it.
Since it is necessary to adjust the script as soon as there is a new item which should also send a changed metadata, my request still stands to build this into the āstandardā item settings.
Obviously not everyone will use this feature, but I think that for many features, not 100% of users will use them. Perhaps entering an alternative title/artist metadata is desirable for multiple users. Thatās why I still want to submit this request.
No problem with your request. Itās more a thing of āwhat can we do with the things mAirList offers us right nowā.
I just really doubt that this will be implemented, because you already can just add your own attributes and use everyone of them for displaying the metadata tooā¦
Again, itās not needed to do this for every new element.
The script looks for separators in every loaded element and automatically removes the annotation inbetween the separators and themselves like [wow cool Version] or [explicit].
And I assume it would be possible for a crack like @Tondose to invert the behaviour too so that everytime there are separators found the script only uses the text inbetween them for an alternative metadata outputā¦
It would be very easy to adapt this script to use a custom metadata, instead of a separator into the title ā¦
For example, you define an Ā« alternative text Ā» new metadata on playlist item. You set a value for the item you want to.
And the script can read this metadata : if value provided, use it to override title during playback. If not, do nothing (use the standard title).
This way, youāre more next to the approach you request to.
