Uploading and Scheduling Content

Before you start

• You have a login for the Eyemagnet CMS
• Your content is exported and ready to upload, sized to the screen it is going on
• You know which screens the content needs to appear on

How it works

Content moves through three layers in the CMS. You upload a file to the media library, add that file to a playlist, then add the playlist to a channel. Channels are already assigned to your screens, so once your playlist is in the right channel, your content plays.

Part 1: Setting up the playlist

Do this once. You can set up as many playlists as you like, but starting with one and maintaining it is easier than building a new one every time. After setup, jump to Part 2 or Part 3.

1. Upload your content

Open the Media section and upload your file. Give it a name the rest of the team will recognise, not the export filename from your design software. The file now sits in the library and can be used in any playlist.

2. Create the playlist

Go to Playlists and create a new one. Name it after the event or campaign it covers so it is easy to find later.

3. Add your content to the playlist

Open the playlist and add the file you uploaded. Set a duration for each item. This is how long an image stays on screen before the next item appears. Videos play for their full length.

4. Add the playlist to a channel

Open the channel assigned to the screens you want to change, then add your playlist to it. If you are not sure which channel covers which screens, open the Screens page and select the screen. The channel assigned to it is shown there.

5. Move the playlist to the top

Drag your playlist to the top of the channel list. Playlists at the top take priority and play over anything below them. If your playlist sits underneath another one, it will not show.

6. Set a start and end date

Set the start and end date on the playlist. Your content starts playing on the start date and stops on the end date, so there is nothing to remove once the event is over.

Part 2: Maintaining the playlist

The playlist is a container. Changing what is inside it does not affect where it sits in the channel or when it runs.

To swap content in or out:

1. Upload the new file to the media library.
2. Open the playlist and add the new file.
3. Remove any items that are out of date.
4. Check the durations on anything you have added.

The order of items in a playlist is the order they play in, looping back to the start once the last item finishes. Drag items to reorder them.

Keep using the one playlist rather than creating a new one each time. A playlist that is already in the right channel, in the right position, is worth reusing.

Part 3: Maintaining the schedule in the channel

The schedule lives on the playlist within the channel, not on the playlist itself. This is where you control when your content runs.

To run an existing playlist again: open the channel, find your playlist, and update its start and end dates. Do not remove it and add it back. An expired playlist stays in the channel and is ready to reuse.

To check it will actually show: confirm your playlist is above any other playlist covering the same screens. Position decides priority. This is the most common reason content does not appear.

To control the hours it plays: start and end dates cover whole days. To narrow it to certain hours, use the time of day setting on the playlist or dayparting on the channel. A lunch menu running 11am to 2pm needs a time of day setting. A campaign running all next week only needs a start and end date.

To stop content early: change the end date to today. There is no need to delete the playlist or remove it from the channel.

Troubleshooting

Content is not appearing on screen: Check where your playlist sits in the channel. If another playlist is above it, that one takes priority. Also check that the start date has passed and the end date has not.

Content is playing on the wrong screens: Channels are assigned to screens, so your content is showing wherever that channel is assigned. Open the Screens page and select a screen to see which channel it is using.

Content plays all day when it should only run at certain hours: Start and end dates cover whole days. Add a time of day setting on the playlist, or dayparting on the channel.

Old content is still showing: The item is probably still in the playlist. Open the playlist and remove it.

Content looks stretched or cropped: The file is not sized to the screen resolution. Re-export at the correct dimensions and upload again.

Quick checklist

Setting up:

[  ] Content uploaded and named clearly
[  ] Playlist created and named after the event
[  ] Content added with a duration set
[  ] Playlist added to the channel for the right screens
[  ] Playlist sitting at the top of the channel
[  ] Start and end dates set

Running it again:

[  ] New content added to the playlist
[  ] Out of date items removed
[  ] Start and end dates updated in the channel
[  ] Playlist still sitting at the top
[  ] Screens checked to confirm the content is playing