Using The New WMP Manager App To Control External Streams

Liam Burke • July 23, 2019

Learn how to use Commands to control our new WMP Manager app.

A screenshot of broadcast radio windows media

The new WMP Manager is a simple media player application that can be controlled directly using Commands within Myriad 5 Playout. This allows you to:

  • Switch web streams into your live or automated playout.
  • Pre-load the stream to allow for connection buffer delays.
  • Gracefully fade in and fade out volume of stream to segue between local and streamed content.
  • Open and close WMP Manager application as required.

To make life as easy as possible we have created a single ZIP file that includes both the WMP Manager app and a Media Pack that contains the Command Media Items you will need so all you need to do is download the ZIP file, unzip it into the root of your C drive and install the Media Pack in Myriad Playout.

Here is how!

1. Go to https://www.broadcastradio.com/myriad-5-playout-support#Download and click on the Broadcast Radio WMP Manager Pack button to download the ZIP file.

A screenshot of a website that says dynamic layouts on it

This will download the BroadcastRadioTools.zip  file to your downloads folder.

A computer screen with a red arrow pointing to a file.

2. Right Click on this file and select Extract All.

A screenshot of a computer screen showing the extract all option.

3. You need to set the extraction location to the root of your C drive (i.e. c:\) . This is important as the Commands in the Media Pack will be set to use this location. If you want to use a different location, you can , you will just need to adjust the Commands to use the alternate location.

A screen shot of a program that says select a destination and extract files

4. Browse to the C drive to make sure the files have extracted to the right location.

A computer screen shows a folder with a red arrow pointing to it.

5. Now we need to Import the Media Pack . Switch to Myriad 5 Playout and click on File Menu > Install Media Pack > Import Media Pack.

A computer screen shows a menu that says install media pack

6. Browse to the location of the files you extracted a moment ago (should be c:\BroadcastRadioTools unless you changed it).

A screenshot of a computer screen showing a file in a folder

7. Myriad will now import five new Media Items into the next empty slots in your default 'Basic Items' range on the Media Wall. they are just Media Items so you can move or copy them as required.

A computer screen with a red arrow pointing to command media files

8. Next you need to Edit the 'Launch Media Player (muted) Media Item. Right click and select Edit.

A screenshot of a computer screen showing the edit option

9. This will open the standard Edit Window for the Command Media Item. Location the section that list the stream location ( http://streaming.broadcastradio.com:9110/PG48AAC in this example) and alter that to be the location of the stream you want to open. Once done, save and close the Edit Window.

A computer screen with a few lines of text on it

You can copy this Media Item to create different Commands to open different streams!

10. Test your stream by double clicking on the 'Launch Media Player (Muted) Media Item.

Windows defender firewall has blocked some features of this app

The first time you run WMP Manager, you will be asked to allow it through the Windows Firewall. Click on Allow Access.

11. The WMP Manager will start and automatically connect to the selected stream with the audio muted.

A screen shot of a program called broadcast radio windows media

N.B. The WMP Manager will use your PC's default sound device  to play the stream so you need to make sure that is connected to your mixing desk with the fader up!

12. Now that the WMP Manager is running and connected, let's look at the other Command Media Items added by the Media Pack.

A computer screen shows how to double click to fade up audio and double click to fade down audio

The options are:

  • Launch Media Player (Muted) - This will launch the WMP Manager, connect to the specified stream and mute the audio.
  • Unfade Media Player - This will fade up the volume on the WMP Manager. If you edit this Command Media Item you can adjust the fade duration.
  • Fade Media Player - This will fade the volume on the WMP Manager to zero over a set time. You can edit the Media Item to adjust this time.
  • Fade and Close Media Player Manager - This will fade the volume on the WMP Manager to zero, then close the WMP Manager.
  • Close Media Player Manager - This will immediately close the WMP Manager without fading out the audio first!
You can adjust the parameters of all of these Media Items using the Edit Window but if you are unsure, we would recommend leaving them at the default settings.

Give it a try, double click on 'Unfade Media Player' and the WMP Manager should fade in your stream audio. Try the other options to see how they work!

You now have everything setup to to gracefully swicth Streams on and off using Command Media Items in Myriad Playout.

These can be used:

  • In the Log (manually or scheduled)
  • On Favourites (for manually triggering them)
  • By double clicking on them on the Media Wall (for manual use)
  • Called from within other Commands

Putting it all together!

Consider the Log Sequence bellow:

A screenshot of a computer screen showing a list of tasks

  1. This Command will launch the WMP Manager and connect to the set stream with the volume muted. In practice, this will happen instantly and Myriad will move on to the next item in the Log.
  2. Play a standard jingle. This should be long enough to cover any connection time for the WMP Manager.
  3. At the Extro of the jingle, the Command will fire that will fade in the stream.
  4. With the stream playing, Myriad can now wait for the time set in the Absolute time. In this example the Myriad will wait until 11:59 and 54 seconds.
  5. At that time it will fade out the stream, the immediately move on to the next item in the Log.
  6. Finally we play a standard jingle to end the hour.

So this would provide you with an hour in your Log that included a jingle at the beginning and end with an external stream playing for the rest of the hour.

You could manually build a sequence like this but you can also build the same sequence in your Clocks on either Myriad Schedule or AutoTrack (Standard and Pro).

A screenshot of a computer screen showing a list of songs

Let us know how you get on with the WMP Manager.

By Liam Burke May 12, 2026
Cloud Playout Phase 1 – Winding Down We initially launched Myriad Cloud Playout, now referred to as Phase 1, in the Autumn of 2020 to provide a solution for stations launching in the throes of a worldwide pandemic that rendered a more traditional approach to launching a radio station impractical. At the time we outlined a multi-phased approach to developing the technology in a way that would provide an immediate solution whist paving the way for wider adoption and deployment at scale. Phase 1 (Cloud Playout)– Desktop playout running on hardware hosted at Broadcast Radio HQ. Initially this involved Myriad Playout running on physical or virtual hardware with full remote access via RealVNC and voice tracking & live control via Myriad Anywhere. All other function (Myriad Schedule etc) was done via remote access. Phase 2 (Myriad Cloud Dedicated) – Desktop playout running on datacentre based VM’s offering higher levels of power and connectivity resilience. This was coupled with an extension of Myriad Anywhere to provide true web-based functionality for all major elements of Myriad including Schedule, Admin, User Management etc. Direct remote access is still included via RealVNC to allow for administration of 3rd party applications, Myriad Splits and BR Encoder. Phase 3 (Myriad Cloud Native) – Complete cloud solution running natively on MS Azure without the need for Windows 10/11 host VM. Control over all functionalities including encoding, audio processing and all Myriad functions provided via web interface. Includes native integration with streaming and web players etc. As there is no host Windows PC/VM, there is no direct remote access and no provision to run 3rd party applications. As part of out ongoing commitment to provide the best technical and cost-effective solutions for our customers, we will be deprecating Phase 1 services over the coming months with the option for customers to choose whether to switch to Myriad Cloud Dedicated or Myriad Cloud Native. Which should you pick? We have already identified which Phase 1 customers will likely need to switch Myriad Cloud Dedicated and which have the option to switch to Myriad Cloud Native instead, although the ultimate choice will be with you the customer. Broadly speaking the main factors to consider are: You should consider moving to Myriad Cloud Dedicated if: You are using Myriad Split Playout If you are using specialist 3rd party applications (audio processor, encoder, logging etc) If you are using Myriad Logging on the same PC/VM You want to retain direct remote access for other reasons You should consider moving to Myriad Cloud Native if: You want to avoid issues caused by Windows Updates or hardware driver issues. You want to be able to manage all aspects of your station (including encoding, streaming, archive etc) from a single web portal. Want to be able to add and remove stations and share content between stations managed via your portal. Get seamless integration with web player and optional website CMS / mobile apps. Want to benefit from the reliability and scalability of MS Azure. There are benefits to both platforms and we fully understand that whilst we can make a recommendation, it is down to the customers choice which is the best route for them. In either case, we will handle the migration for you so that all your content is replicated to the new platform and the transition is as seamless as possible. Phase 1 customers will receive emails in the coming days outlining the options and inviting them to contact us for more information and to confirm their decision. Phase 1 accounts for a tiny percentage of our overall Myriad Cloud (dedicated and native) customers so the vast majority of Myriad Cloud users will not be affected. If you have not received an email in the next ten days then you are already on Phase 2 or Phase 3 and the ramp down of Phase 3 will not impact you at all. As ever, if you have any questions, please contact the Broadcast Radio team for more information.
Media player interface showing a list of tracks with
By Billy Billany March 17, 2026
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