Player setup manual

The player is the screen that plays the music at each store. It runs on any Windows or Linux computer. It is installed from a USB stick, with no administrator rights, and then the stick can be removed.

What the store computer needs

• Windows 10 or 11, or Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Mint or other), with Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome (Edge comes with Windows).
• 2 GB of RAM or more. Old computers and mini PCs work.
• An audio output connected to the sound system: HDMI, headphone output or USB sound card.
• Internet, cable is best. A regular connection is enough: the audio uses 64 kbps, less than an online radio. Only if the store uses mobile data (capped 4G or 5G) is it worth knowing it is about 20 GB per month.
• Any USB stick.

Setup with the store USB stick

One USB stick works for every screen in a store.

1. In My account, in the store's row (for example Downtown), tap Store USB stick. It downloads a file like "Live Ambience - Downtown.cmd". If the browser warns that the file is not commonly downloaded, choose Keep.
2. Copy it to a USB stick.
3. On each computer in the store, plug in the stick and double-click the file.
4. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", tap More info and Run anyway.
5. The TV shows Which screen is this? with the store's screens (the ones already connected say so). Pick which one this is.

The player stays installed on that computer, opens full screen and starts playing. Unplug the stick and go on with the next computer.

A store far away: send the USB stick over the internet

If the store is in another city or country, you do not need to ship anything. In the store's ⋯ menu tap Copy link to send it and send it to whoever is there (WhatsApp or email). With that link they download the file, copy it to any USB stick and follow the same steps. The link is valid for 7 days.

If you lose a stick or sent the link to the wrong person: store's ⋯ menu, Invalidate the store USB stick. Previous sticks and links stop working; screens already connected keep playing.

For a single screen (with no store), or if you prefer one file per screen, use USB stick for this screen only in each screen's ⋯ menu: it connects that screen directly, without asking.

Automatic start

It is set to start by itself every time the computer turns on, without the USB stick. It is best to set Windows to sign in automatically and to turn off sleep in the power options.

If the player closes, it reopens by itself after 5 seconds.

Closing it

Close the minimized "Live Ambience" window in the taskbar and press Alt+F4 on the player. To stop it from starting by itself: press Win+R, type shell:startup and delete "Live Ambience".

On Linux

Download the file with the location's Linux link. USB sticks are usually mounted without execute permission, so it is opened from a terminal: bash followed by the file name. It uses Chrome, Chromium, Edge, Brave or Firefox. The first time it is set to start when you sign in.

Other ways

• Generic app: the help section has the USB stick app with no location inside (Windows and Linux). The first time it asks for the location's user and password, shown in My account.
• In the browser: https://liveambience.com/player/ with the location's user and password. Useful for testing.
• Dedicated mini PC: if you prefer, we send you one ready to plug in.

Backup music on the computer

The tracks you upload in My account (Music section) download by themselves and are stored on the store computer. The player needs internet for a while the first time; after that they play even without a connection, even if the computer starts offline. Don't clear Edge or Chrome browsing data on that computer: the tracks are stored there.

Audio output

If the computer has more than one output (HDMI, speakers, USB sound card), choose which one plays:

• From My account: the location's "Audio output" column. It reaches the computer in a few minutes.
• At the store: moving the mouse shows the output button, bottom left.

The choice is saved. With the USB stick app you see the real output names; in a regular browser only the system output appears.

Screens with images

If the store has a TV or monitor, connect it to the player computer (the simplest is HDMI: the same computer plays the music and shows the images). Images are uploaded in My account, Screens section, and reach the player by themselves within a minute.

While music plays, the screen shows only your images. If there is a problem, a small pill with the status appears in the corner.

If the TV is mounted in portrait, choose it in My account (Screens, "Each screen's orientation"): the player rotates the picture by itself even if the computer is not rotated, and shows the portrait photos. If it ends up upside down, choose the other portrait option.

Smart TV built-in browsers are limited and some don't play the audio: the most reliable option is the computer via HDMI or an Android TV box with Chrome.

What the screen shows

• Live (green): the Central is playing. Below, how long it has been on air.
• Connecting: looking for the signal; it retries by itself.
• No signal (red): the Central is not streaming or the store has no internet. It retries by itself and returns to live when it can.
• Backup music: the Central is not streaming or there is no internet; your tracks stored on the computer play and it goes back to live by itself.
• Own music: the store always plays your list ("Always" mode).
• Paused: it was paused from the Central. It comes back by itself when resumed.
• The stream is arriving silent: the Central is connected but sends no sound.
• This account's license is not active: check the status in My account.

If something does not work

• It says "Live" but there is no sound: check the volume of the sound system and the computer, and the chosen audio output.
• It does not start by itself: Windows must sign in automatically when the computer turns on.
• "This USB stick is no longer valid": someone invalidated the store USB stick (or created a new password for the screen). Download a new one from My account.
• It finds neither Edge nor Chrome: install one of them.
• The screen turns off or the computer sleeps: turn off sleep in the power options.
• The images don't appear: check in My account that they are active, assigned to that location and that "Show images on the screens" is checked.