Skip to content

How to Create Dynamic Playlists with MRSS Feeds and Categories

How to Create Dynamic Playlists with MRSS Feeds and Categories

Broadcast Operator , Content Distribution
Taylor Kirchwehm11.04.20173 min read

It’s easy to import videos into the Zype video platform from third party sources. MRSS feeds can also be used as an ingestion source. MRSS stands for Media RSS (similar to  subscriptions to blog feeds, but for video content) and is a great example of an import workflow we support that makes it simple to pull content into your Zype Library.

The category playlist feature will automatically add your videos to a playlist based off the category values you have assigned to that specific playlist. As you add new videos to your Library and assign category values to them, those videos will automatically populate into your category playlists.

First, we’ll need to set up categories in the Zype Dashboard.

Creating a Category

A category is a label that you can create and assign to any of the videos in your Zype Library.

To create a category, choose Categories on the left sidebar of the Zype dashboard.

Click on + New Category, and give your category a title such as Featured Content, Movies and Season and add values associated with each category such as horror, drama, Season 1, 2 and 3.

6892-r-288

The categories you created above become the metadata tags that you will need to select for the existing videos in your library. Once you’ve tagged your content, continue reading to automate your content organization with Category Playlists.

Assigning Category Values During Import

We’ve also provided you with the ability to customize category metadata tags that get assigned to your videos during the import process. This comes in handy in case you don’t have the ability to modify the video metadata within your MRSS feed or you’re bringing an MRSS feed to Zype from a legacy OVP or third party platform.

Navigate to Import & Upload and choose MRSS. Type values such as “Drama” and “Season 1” in the blank Category Values line.

6892-r-605

All the videos in this MRSS feed will get assigned the category values that you selecting here.

Creating a Category Playlist

Once you’ve imported your MRSS feed and either automatically assigned category values to your videos during import, or manually tagged your videos, you’re ready to set up a Category Playlist.

Head to Playlists on the left sidebar of the platform to create playlists. Click on + New Playlist to choose a title, description and activate the playlist.

Let’s title our new playlist Most Popular. After completing the Playlist Details, create a category playlist by selecting, “Yes, I'd like to dynamically add videos to this playlist by selecting category values”, and choose the metadata tags you want automatically pulled into the playlist. These tags are the categories that you generated in the Creating Categories step.

6892-r-77

Note: Once a new playlist has been created, you will NOT be able to switch the playlist from manual to a category playlist, or vice versa.

Match Type allows you to choose whether videos need to match ANY or ALL category values selected. Selecting ANY means that videos matching any of the category values selected will be added to your playlist. Selecting ALL means that videos matching all of the category values selected will be added to your playlist.

For example, this playlist will include ANY videos tagged with Drama or Season 1. Selecting ALL would include only videos tagged with both Drama and Season 1.

A category playlist will check for new videos with matching category values after saving changes to this initial creation and on an automated hourly schedule thereafter.

Modifying Category Playlists

While you can’t manually add videos to category playlists, you can modify category values and the option to match ANY or ALL values after saving changes to this playlist.

To make changes to a category playlist, click the gear icon for a single playlist that you want to update.

6892-r-55

Click on the Categories tab to make changes to the category values assigned to the playlist. Any changes made will update the videos assigned to this playlist immediately.

What makes the Category Playlist feature so powerful is that as you continue to import content with category tags or manually add tags to the content in your library, the Category Playlist feature will pull those videos into a playlist and continue to update over time.

Take the next step

Talk with our team to discuss your specific challenges and needs.

RELATED ARTICLES