Read media from existing directory [but not copy or move]
  • Hi

    I have a local directory that contains audio recordings, which I would like to broadcast. This directory is 700gb.
    I would like to have Airtime stream this directory. What I am trying to achieve is to make Airtime read from this
    directory, and NOT copy the files to somewhere else. This is because of space constraints as well as unpracticality of moving/copying
    a large collection around on a hardrive.

    Is this possible, or must the files be properly imported into the database and such.

    Thanks
    Post edited by Jobe Lawn at 2012-05-30 06:19:46
  • 6 Comments sorted by
  • i'm really interested by this feature



    always having to create show and playlist is really annoying.
    randomized streaming from a folder is really convenient

  • Vote Up0Vote Down NaomiNaomi
    Posts: 228Member
    Do you mean randomized streaming or just using the files in Airtime without copying them to another location on disk?

    If you go to System->Media Folders you can add a "watched" folder. This imports a file's metadata into Airtime's db, but Airtime will read the file from it's existing location on disk, it will not copy it to a secondary location.
  • I meant reading /mnt/MASSIVE.recordings.archive and not doing anything else than reading from it,
    not copying the files anywhere else nor moving them somewhere else.

    But yes that's perfect... 
    It is not 100% clear in the documentation and the airtime-import tool what the watch folder ACTUALLY does and how it treats files. At least it does not inform that it can
    indeed read the files of their current location.


    Now, as Fred suggested, if it was only possible to shuffle a large folder.
    This perhaps not a handy tool for the target audience, a radio station and a radio crew. But this is technology, and people use technology in so many different ways =) In another setting, eg. a music "radio channel" for work, it would be very good to be able to "set it and forget it" rather than having to pay granular attention to the programming. A shuffle function would be nice. Yet I am sure eg. management would be happy to know that they can schedule particular things at particular times of the day.

    Post edited by Jobe Lawn at 2012-05-30 10:06:19
  • A shuffle function would be nice. Yet I am sure eg. management would be happy to know that they can schedule particular things at particular times of the day.

    Shuffle functionality is an extremely important feature that is very high on our priority list. As soon as we release 2.1 next week, I expect us to start talking about integrating this feature.
    Airtime Pro Hosting: http://airtime.pro
  • OK!
    Post edited by Jobe Lawn at 2012-05-30 10:13:39
  • Vote Up0Vote Down Paul BaranowskiPaul Baranowski
    Posts: 389Member, Administrator, Sourcefabric Team
    Yes, go to Config(or "System" on 2.1) -> Media Folders and add the folder.
    All files will be recursively scanned and added to the database.


    On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 4:33 AM, Jobe Lawn <<br />airtime-support@lists.sourcefabric.org> wrote:

    > Hi
    >
    > I have a local directory which which contains audio recordings, which I
    > would like to broadcast. This directory is 700gb.
    > I would like to have Airtime stream this directory. What I am trying to
    > achieve is to make Airtime read from this
    > directory, and NOT copy the files to somewhere else. This is because of
    > space constraints as well as unpracticality of moving
    > a large collection around on a hardrive.
    >
    > Is this possible, or must the files be properly imported into the database
    > and such.
    >
    > Thanks
    >