Playout.co is included in the Standard plan and above.
Not on Standard or above? Upgrade your plan.
Access: Login and authorise to your selected station.
What's Playout.co?
Playout.co, also known as 'Playout by Radio.co', is a live-assist streaming tool that lets radio presenters broadcast live, professional radio shows from their browser. The tool brings together essential live tools - including audio play-out, a cart wall, segue editor and mic fader - into one place. Playout.co lets broadcasters play music, fire jingles, talk on mic, and stream a live show, all from one screen.
Available on Windows and Mac, Playout.co runs entirely inside your web browser. Presenters can control their live shows without downloading third-party apps or programmes.
At a Glance: What You Can & Can’t Do
Playout.co brings live-assist broadcasting straight to your web browser. Use the breakdown below to quickly check supported features, workflow capabilities, and current platform limitations before hosting your next show.
Feature / Area | What You Can Do ✅ | Current Limitations ❌ |
Track & Library Access | Browse, search, and stream tracks directly from your full Radio.co library. | Requires a desktop browser (Chrome/Edge); mobile/tablet web browsers are not supported. |
Playlist & Queue | Drag and drop to reorder tracks, auto-generate playlists, and auto-save queue sessions. | Streams to one Radio.co station at a time (use video/stream relays for multi-station output). |
Crossfades & Segues | Use Auto-On for intelligent crossfading or manually fine-tune transition points. | Segue edits apply to active sessions; automated station schedules retain original log timings. |
Jingles & Cart Wall | Load sound effects, idents, and jingles onto a customisable cart wall to trigger live. | Cart wall audio routes through your main stream feed. |
Microphone & Audio | Select any connected USB microphone or audio interface to speak or perform live. | Real-time local mic monitoring inside the browser is disabled to eliminate audio latency. |
Reporting & Logs | Track played history in real-time and export play logs to CSV for licensing reports. | Play logs capture active browser playout sessions only. |
Live Streaming | Go live to your Radio.co station with a single click. | Requires an active Radio.co Standard plan or above. |
What You Need to Use Playout.co
A Radio.co Standard or above plan.
A Mac or Windows computer.
Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
A connected microphone if you want to do talk segments.
Playout.co is available on the Standard plan upwards. For those on the lower plans, there's the option to upgrade in billing. Alternatively, join Radio.co by starting a trial.
How to Get Started With Playout.co
1. Connect Your Account & Audio
Open Playout.co in your web browser
Click Continue with Radio.co and log in with your Radio.co credentials (please note, Playout is only available to customers on Standard and above plans).
Click Accept to authorise Playout.co with your Radio.co station.
Click the settings cog next to the microphone, choose your mic or audio device, and monitor the level using the VU meter.
2. Build Your Queue & Load Your Cart Wall
Populate the Queue: Use the Search tab to locate tracks in your library, then drag them into the queue. Filter tracks by tags by using the tag checklist. Alternatively, use Autofill to generate a queue by duration or set up a repeating Clock Mode using your station tags.
Pro Tip ⚡️: When auto mode is enabled, right-click on a playlist item and choose ‘Add Break After’ if you want to speak live over the air. This temporarily stops automated playout. Click play again to continue the playlist.
2. Set up the Cart Wall: Drag short audio clips, jingles, or station IDs from your Radio.co library onto any of the 20 cart tiles.
3. Customise your cart wall tiles by right-clicking and adjusting the settings (playback rules, button colours, tile names, etc).
Pro Tip ⚡️: Enable Auto Duck on the cart wall to automatically lower music levels to 30% whenever a cart item is fired.
3. Broadcast Live
Click Go Live to start broadcasting live.
Click the On Air button to stop broadcasting live.
Pro Tip ⚡️: Be sure to hit the play button for your queued-up tracks to play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playout.co a paid add-on?
No, it’s free for Radio.co users on Standard and above plans.Do I need to download my Radio.co tracks before playing them?
No, Playout.co streams tracks from your Radio.co library in real time while performing instant audio analysis for seamless crossfading
Can my guest DJs use Playout.co without access to my main Radio.co admin panel?
Yes, guest presenters can log in using their DJ credentials to run their scheduled shows live via Playout.co. Just remember an event will need to be scheduled for a user with DJ permissions to go live.Will my cart wall setup reset when I close my browser tab?
No, cart assignments, loaded tracks, queue states, and microphone preferences automatically save for the next session.Can I listen to a jingle privately before sending it live?
Yes, enable Preview Mode on the cart wall to route the audio clip to your local speakers without broadcasting it over the air.Can I leave Playout.co running 24/7?
Yes, but it’s designed to be more hands-on.Can listeners hear my segue editor?
No, the preview audio is separate from your live stream, so listeners won’t hear your segue previews or editing.Will Playout.co work with other hosting platforms?
Not yet. We’re expecting to make this an option later in the year.
Troubleshooting
I am on a Radio.co account but cannot connect Playout.co:
Playout.co is not included on Lite plans. Ensure your station is on a Standard, Plus, or Premium plan, or upgrade your account via your Radio.co dashboard.My microphone is quiet or drowning out the music:
Adjust your microphone gain settings and check the talkover attenuation settings in the Mic menu to fine-tune how much the music dips when you speak.Why can’t I play sound fx or tracks from my computer?
Playout.co uses audio from your Radio.co library. All audio files need to be uploaded to your Radio.co media library to be used in Playout.I’ve uploaded files to my Radio.co library. Why aren’t they showing in Playout?
Your library needs to be refreshed in Playout, do this by pressing the Resync Library button next to the Radio.co Library window.
Having Problems?
It's frustrating when things don't work as expected. Contact the team at help@radio.co with your station ID and browser version, and our support team will be happy to help.