Playlist priorities
When multiple playlists are assigned to a screen, their schedules may overlap.
Playlist priorities determine which playlist will be displayed during such conflicts.
Within your organization, playlists listed higher on the Playlist Priorities page have higher priority.
Playlist priorities are configured globally for the entire organization.
This flexible tool streamlines schedule management.
Configuring priorities
Manage playlist priorities on the Playlist Priorities page.
Access this page via the left-hand menu on your organization dashboard.
Adjusting playlist priority
To change a playlist’s priority, click the playlist, hold it, and drag it up or down in the list.
Save the changes after reordering playlists.
How priorities work
- A playlist’s position in the list determines its priority. Higher placement means higher priority.
- Schedule overlap occurs when two or more playlists have identical or partially overlapping display date and time.
- The playlist with the higher priority (higher position in the list) will be displayed during overlaps.
If only one playlist is scheduled to play at a specific time (no overlap), priority settings do not affect playback.
Recommendations
- Before publishing a playlist, make sure its priority matches the content display you planned.
When creating a new playlist or copying an existing one, the system automatically assigns the highest priority to the new playlist.
- To check how playlists will take turns on a screen, go to the screen page and click the Schedule button.
In the schedule window, check the priority configurations for overlapping playlists.
Examples
Look at some simple examples to see how playlist priorities work in different scenarios.
Time overlap
Assume you have two playlists:
- Playlist 1 scheduled from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
- Playlist 2 scheduled from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Both playlists will be displayed on the same dates.
If Playlist 1 has a higher priority, it will play from 9:00 AM to 9:59 AM instead of Playlist 2.
Playlist 2 will be displayed from 10:00 AM.
Displaying a playlist at different times throughout the day
Let’s consider a café example.
A café has a main menu, as well as breakfast, lunch, and happy hour menus.
The main menu should be displayed all day between other content blocks.
The schedule would look like this:
| Time | Menu |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Main menu |
| 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Lunch |
| 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Main menu |
| 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Happy hours |
| 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM | Main menu |
You see that the main menu repeats three times during the day. However, you cannot select multiple time slots for a single playlist in the playlist settings.
You do not need to create three separate playlists for the main menu.
Instead, configure the screen schedule with these four playlists:
- Main Menu
Set the display time in the schedule to “All day”.
- Breakfast
Set the display time in the schedule to 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
- Lunch
Set the display time in the schedule to 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
- Happy Hours
Set the display time in the schedule to 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
Finally, set the priority of the Main Menu playlist lower than other playlists.
Simple as that! With such priorities, the main menu will be displayed throughout the day while being temporarily replaced by time-specific content.
Permanent playlists
This example shows how permanent playlists can replace one another when a particular date arrives.
A playlist with a higher priority will replace the older one, even if the older playlist is set to be displayed indefinitely.
For instance, you want to display seasonal content on your screens as follows:
| Content Type | Display Dates |
|---|---|
| Fall | September 1 – November 30 |
| Winter | December 1 – … |
To follow this schedule, create two playlists:
- Fall Content Playlist: A permanent playlist with a start date of September 1.
- Winter Content Playlist: A permanent playlist with a start date of December 1.
To make sure the Winter Content Playlist replaces the Fall Content Playlist on December 1, move the Winter Content Playlist higher in the priority list.
Both playlists have no end date and are set to be displayed indefinitely. However, when a specific date arrives, the higher-priority playlist will replace the lower-priority one.
As a result, the Fall Content Playlist will be displayed from September 1 to November 30, after which the Winter Content Playlist will take over.