When it comes to music scheduling, the way you organise your tracks can make all the difference to your programming workflow. Traditionally, PlayIt Live users have relied on Listed Track Groups to keep similar tracks together – for example, collecting all your rock tunes into a single group. This tried-and-tested method gives you a familiar way to keep everything in order, but as your library grows, managing these groups manually can become a bit of a chore. In this article, we’ll explore not only the traditional approach but also how using tags can give you far more flexibility in categorising your music, making your day-to-day scheduling just that little bit easier.

Traditional Approach: Listed Track Groups

With the Listed Track Group approach, PlayIt Live users organise their libraries by manually grouping tracks. For instance, you might have a track group named ‘Rock’, and you’ll select and add each rock track to this group yourself. When you want to make changes, perhaps adding a new track or moving a song to a different category, you’ll need to update each relevant group manually. While this method has been a staple for many schedulers, it can become increasingly cumbersome as your track count rises, requiring careful attention to keep everything organised as intended.

The Power of Tagging Tracks

Applying tags directly to your tracks transforms how you manage your music library. Rather than maintaining lengthy lists and repeatedly updating groups, you can assign tags, like ‘rock’, ‘pop’, or ’80s’, directly to each track. Filtered Track Groups then use these tags to automatically include the right tracks, meaning any changes to tags are immediately reflected in your categorisation. This system not only saves you valuable time but also greatly reduces the risk of tracks being left out or miscategorised – you’ll find it far simpler to maintain an accurate and dynamic library.

Using Filtered Track Groups

With Filtered Track Groups, PlayIt Live offers a more dynamic way to organise your music collection. Instead of manually building and maintaining groups, you can set up rules based on tags, making your library more responsive and much easier to manage.

To get started with a Filtered Track Group:

• Head to Manage > Track Groups in the menu.
• Choose Add, then select Filtered Track Group.
• Name your group (something like ‘Rock Favourites’).
• From the first dropdown, select Tags.
• For the operator, choose Contains.
• In the value field, type the tag you want to use, such as rock.
• Click OK.

The group will instantly include any tracks with the ‘rock’ tag. Any future changes you make to track tags are automatically reflected in your filtered group – no manual updates needed.

Benefits of Tag-Based Categorisation

Tag-based categorisation offers several clear advantages for music programmers. Firstly, maintaining your library becomes much easier – simply update a tag on a track, and it’s immediately reflected in any filtered track groups. This instant update means your track groups are always current, saving you from the manual effort of adding or removing tracks one by one. Organising your collection is also far quicker: just assign the relevant tag, and PlayIt Live handles the rest. Overall, this approach cuts down on repetitive tasks, allowing you to focus on scheduling and programming, rather than admin.

How to Transition: Practical Steps

Transitioning from listed track groups to a tag-based system is a straightforward process that can save you significant time in the long run. Here’s how you can make the switch:

1. Review your existing track groups: Begin by looking at your current listed track groups (for example, ‘Rock’, ‘Pop’, or ‘Classics’).
2. Display the tracks in each group: Use the Manage > Tracks window and filter by each track group to see which tracks belong to that category.
3. Apply relevant tags: Select the tracks from your filtered list and add the appropriate tag (such as ‘rock’) to each one.
4. Create filtered track groups: Once you’ve tagged your tracks, set up new Filtered Track Groups that use tag-based filters (for example, Tags CONTAINS ‘rock’).
5. Verify your new groups: Check that the filtered groups correctly contain all the intended tracks. Any changes to tags will automatically update these groups in future.

Once set up, you’ll find it far easier to update categories – just change a tag and your groups update instantly, with no manual list management required.

Ready to Tag Your Tracks?

Tagging opens up a whole new way to look after your music library. No more fiddling with long lists or worrying about missed updates – just apply the right tags, and let PlayIt Live do the heavy lifting. It’s an efficient approach that adapts to your changing library with ease. If you’re ready for a simpler, more flexible way to organise your tracks, start tagging today and see how much easier your scheduling can become.

If you are new to PlayIt Live, you can get started by downloading it from: https://www.playitsoftware.com/Products/Live