146 lines
8.3 KiB
Markdown
146 lines
8.3 KiB
Markdown
# What is LibreTime?
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[LibreTime](http://libretime.org/ "LibreTime homepage") is the open broadcast
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software for scheduling and remote station management. Web browser access to
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the station's media library, multi-file upload and automatic metadata import
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features are coupled with a collaborative on-line scheduling calendar and
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playlist management. The scheduling calendar is managed through an easy-to-use
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interface and triggers playout with sub-second precision.
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Main features include:
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* Web-based remote station management - authorized personnel can add
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programme material, create playlists or smart blocks, and stream in live,
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all via a web interface.
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* Automation - LibreTime has a scheduler function that enables users to
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create shows with content for playback at the exact date and time specified.
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Playlists, smart blocks and remote stream URLs can be used multiple times.
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* Solid playout - LibreTime uses the open source Liquidsoap streaming language
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for reliable and precise playback to multiple outputs.
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* Open, extensible architecture - stations are free to extend and alter
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all parts of the program code, under the GNU AGPLv3 license.
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* Multilingual - supports over 15 languages both in the interface and inside file metadata
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* Low system requirements
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* For servers: 1Ghz processor, 2 GB RAM, 500 MB, and a wired ethernet connection with a static IP address
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* For end-users: a modern version of Firefox, Chrome, or Safari, and a screen resolution of at least 1280x768 (1920x1080 recommended)
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LibreTime has been intended to provide a solution for a wide range of broadcast
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projects, from community to public and commercial stations. The scalability of
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LibreTime allows implementation in a number of scenarios, ranging from an
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unmanned broadcast unit accessed remotely through the Internet, to a local
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network of machines accessing a central LibreTime storage system. LibreTime
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supports the playout of lossy compressed audio files in both MP3 and AAC
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formats and the open, royalty-free equivalent
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[Ogg Vorbis](http://www.vorbis.com/ "Ogg Vorbis homepage"). It also supports
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playout of lossless FLAC and WAV format audio files.
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LibreTime manages the [Liquidsoap](http://savonet.sourceforge.net/) stream
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generator at the heart of the system. Liquidsoap generates streams from files
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in the LibreTime library and any remote input streams that you specify.
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Available stream output formats include Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Opus, MP3, and AAC. The
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library is indexed in a [PostgreSQL](http://www.postgresql.org/) database to
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enable searching. Live shows can be recorded automatically with
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[Ecasound](http://eca.cx/ecasound/ "Ecasound homepage"), using the sound card
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line input. News editors, DJs and station controllers can use LibreTime to
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build playlists or smart blocks and manage media files (upload, edit metadata,
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manage advertisements) at the station or via the Internet.
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The scheduler in LibreTime has a calendar view, organized by months, weeks and
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days. Here the program editors can schedule playlists and shows for their
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broadcast station. In some scenarios, the transmitter is situated outside the
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reach of the broadcaster and all program management has to be maintained
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through the web interface. Possible reasons for this scenario might be of a
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pragmatic nature (running many stations from one central office due to limited
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human resources) or an emergency (running a transmitter in a crisis area
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without putting staff at risk).
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LibreTime services
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----------------
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| Service | Description |
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| `media-monitor` | Keeps track of files being added, renamed, moved
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or removed from storage, and reads their metadata using the Mutagen library. |
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| PostgreSQL | Contains the location of those media files and their
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metadata. This means you can search for and playlist a set of media files
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according to the specific metadata that you require, or use a 'smart block' to
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select the files for you. The database also contains details of specified
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remote input streams. |
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| Pypo | (Python Playout engine) Downloads media from the storage up to 24
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hours ahead of playout and checks it for average level (with ReplayGain tools)
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and leading or trailing silence (with Silan). At playout time, the media to be
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broadcast is sent to Liquidsoap. |
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| Liquidsoap | Takes individual media files and remote input streams, and
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assembles them into a continuous output stream. This stream can be sent to a
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sound card (e.g. for a broadcast mixer, on the way to an FM or DAB transmitter)
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or to a streaming server for IP network distribution, over the LAN, local WiFi
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or the Internet. You can stream to a sound card and up to three different
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stream distribution servers with the same LibreTime server, if you wish. |
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| Icecast or Shoutcast | Audio streaming server, used for creating an internet radio stream from LibreTime. Icecast is included in the LibreTime installation by default.
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Note: If a
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suitable Liquidsoap output is not available for your streaming service of
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choice, you can send audio from Liquidsoap to a separate encoding or
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streaming machine via a sound card or relay stream. |
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| Monit | Monitors the health of pypo, media-monitor and Liquidsoap, and
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reports the status of these services to LibreTime. |
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| RabbitMQ | Pushes messages from LibreTime to media-monitor and pypo about
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changes to media files and the playout schedule. |
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LibreTime manages all of these components, and provides an easy,
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multi-user web interface to the system. It enables your station staff,
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depending on the permissions you have granted them, to:
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- upload media files to the storage server via the **Add Media** page
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- automatically import file metadata into the PostgreSQL database
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- search for and download media files, and edit the metadata of individual
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files, if required, on the **Library** page
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- create and edit playlists of media files or create smart blocks of content
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based on metadata, edit cue points and fades, and audition them. Playlists and
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smart blocks are also saved in the database, and can be searched for
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- schedule colour-coded broadcast shows (which can contain playlists, smart
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blocks, pre-recorded complete shows, timed remote input streams, or be live)
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for specific dates and times on the **Calendar** page. Regular shows can be
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scheduled by the day of the week or month, and can be linked to share content
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- automatically record live shows at specific times and dates (in 256 kbps Ogg
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Vorbis format by default) from the sound card input with Ecasound, upload them
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to the storage server and import them into the database
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- manage presenter, staff and guest access to LibreTime, and contact details,
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via the **Manage Users** page
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- see what is about to be played by Liquidsoap on the **Now Playing** page,
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with support for last-minute changes to the content
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- upload media files from LibreTime to a third-party hosting service, such as
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SoundCloud
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- audition available output streams from the server using the **Listen**
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button
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- check the status and resource usage of system components on the **Status**
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page
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- export the broadcast schedule to external sites via the Schedule API
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- see logs on the **Playout History** page and view graphs on the
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**Listener Stats** page
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- configure the LibreTime system on the **Preferences**, **Media Folders** and
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**Streams** pages.
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Example studio broadcast system
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-------------------------------
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In the diagram of an FM radio station below, LibreTime is hosted on a server
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connected to the local network, with direct soundcard access. Liquidsoap
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outputs streams to both the transmitter, via the main studio mixer, and
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streaming media servers. The machine running LibreTime is behind a firewall
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because it is also connected to the Internet for remote access by media
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contributors. This enables LibreTime to offer password-protected access to the
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media library and scheduling from both inside and outside the studio building.
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Example web broadcast system
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----------------------------
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In the diagram below, LibreTime is hosted on a remote web server, and has no
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soundcard. There does not need to be a centralised studio, although LibreTime
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can enable remote studios to stream in to Liquidsoap at authorised times.
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Optionally, the outgoing Icecast stream can be relayed to a transmitter.
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