By Sampath Mallidi, CEO of Revidd · November 9, 2026
Cloud playout software turns your shows and live feeds into one scheduled TV channel and sends it out, with no racks of broadcast hardware. A station builds the schedule in a dashboard and the channel runs from the cloud. Keep traditional master control if your gear is stable and paid for.
What is cloud playout software?
Cloud playout software runs your channel from software instead of a room of equipment. Playout is the job of taking a library and live feeds and turning them into one channel that follows a clock. If the term is new, start with our plain guide to what playout is.
With cloud playout software, you load your shows, set the schedule and add live blocks. The channel then plays on its own. You do not buy a server for each channel or keep an operator at a desk to press play.
For a US TV station, this matters most for the online channel. It is the stream people watch in apps and on connected TVs, not your over the air signal.
When should a TV station keep traditional master control?
Keep it when your channel is stable, busy all day and already paid for. Cloud playout is not a rule you must follow. It is one option.
Evrideo, a cloud playout vendor, says it plainly in its own guide: "Traditional master control remains rational for stable, highly utilised services with valuable existing infrastructure or demanding local workflows." (Evrideo, 2026, read November 9, 2026.)
Your over the air signal is a good example. It already works and it has its own rules. Leave it alone. Cloud playout is for the online channel next to it.
When does cloud playout fit a TV station better?
It fits when you are adding a channel, starting an online channel or working with a small team. Here is the plain comparison.
Traditional master control | Cloud playout software | |
|---|---|---|
Setup | Equipment, space and installation | An account and a schedule |
Adding a channel | More equipment as channels grow. TVU says on premise software "will require more computers as the number of channels grows" | A software task, not a hardware project |
Who runs it | Operators and engineers | A programming team working in a dashboard |
Where viewers watch | Over the air, cable or satellite | Apps, connected TVs, phones and the web |
TVU's line comes from its own guide, read November 9, 2026. Most real stations end up with both. The over the air signal stays on master control and the online channel runs in the cloud.
When is a dedicated playout vendor the better choice?
Sometimes the right answer is a vendor whose whole business is playout. Be honest about which job you have. A dedicated vendor such as Amagi, Evrideo or TVU is the better choice in these cases:
You need to feed or replace your over the air signal chain, not only an online channel.
Your engineers need tight control over studio connections and a hybrid mix of local gear and cloud. Evrideo's guide covers hybrid setups for exactly this.
You want one playout product that can run in the cloud or on your own equipment. TVU describes cloud, on premise and hybrid options.
You want your channel carried on other companies' FAST services. Amagi lists FAST distribution among its offerings and Wurl lists channel distribution on its home page (both read November 9, 2026). Revidd does not place channels on those services.
Amagi's home page also lists cloud playout and live master control. Check each vendor's own pages for what is included. Features change, and a comparison page like this one can go out of date.
What should you ask a cloud playout vendor?
Ask every vendor the same six questions. Put the answers side by side before you decide.
Can it take my live feed, and in what format?
Does it build a program guide from my schedule?
What happens when a file is missing or a show ends early?
Where does the channel play: my own apps, or only on someone else's service?
Who files the app store submissions and keeps the apps updated?
What do I still own? Rights, programming and the audience.
Question four is the one stations skip. A channel that plays only inside a vendor's tool does not reach viewers. For the app side, read how local TV stations launch an OTT app without an engineering team.
Playout or distribution: which one are you buying?
They are two different jobs. Playout builds the channel. Distribution gets that channel in front of viewers on other companies' services.
Some vendors sell both. Some sell one. If your goal is reach on third party FAST services, ask a distributor. If your goal is a channel in your own apps, ask a playout and platform vendor. Many stations do both, and they do not conflict.
Revidd handles the channel in your own apps. It adds SCTE-35 markers for your ad partners. It does not place your channel on third party FAST services. For that work, talk to a distribution vendor such as Amagi or Wurl. Our guide to a white-label FAST channel shows where the line sits.
How does a small team run a cloud playout channel?
Once the schedule exists, a small team can run the channel from a dashboard. A typical week looks like this:
Monday: check the week ahead and fill open slots.
Daily: add the day's newscast and new packages to the library.
When news breaks: put a live block into the schedule.
Weekly: swap in new shows and tell your audience the channel exists.
The work that stays with you is choosing the programs and clearing the rights. A deal for broadcast does not always cover a linear stream online, so check before you build. Our walkthrough of a 24/7 linear channel for TV stations covers the full routine.
How does Revidd fit?
Revidd is a white-label OTT and FAST platform for broadcasters. It is not a replacement for your master control room. It runs your online channel.
On-demand, live and 24/7 FAST channels run from one CMS.
Native branded apps on Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, iPhone, iPad, Android and web.
No in-house engineering needed. Your programming team runs it.
50+ device endpoints from one integration.
Apps in as little as 1 to 2 weeks, plus app store review, which Revidd does not control.
SCTE-35 markers for your ad partners.
Revidd powers streaming that reaches more than 38 million viewers across 15 countries.
Weighing a platform for the whole station? Read our buyer page on an OTT platform for TV stations.
Bring a week of your schedule and see it in a working channel. Request a demo.
Frequently asked questions
What is cloud playout?
Cloud playout runs a TV channel from software in the cloud instead of racks of hardware. You load your shows, set a schedule and the channel plays on its own. It is the online channel, not your over the air signal.
Is cloud playout cheaper than traditional master control?
Not always. It depends on how many channels you run and what equipment you already own. A stable channel on paid for gear can cost less to leave alone. Ask each vendor for a written quote on your exact scope and compare them side by side.
Can a TV station run its online channel without replacing master control?
Yes. Most stations do. Master control keeps handling the over the air signal. The online channel runs separately from the cloud, and viewers watch it in apps and on connected TVs.
What is the difference between playout and a playlist?
A playlist is a list that repeats. Playout follows a clock. Viewers expect the 6 p.m. news at 6 p.m., so a schedule tied to the clock works better than a loop.
Do I need engineers to run cloud playout?
With Revidd, no in-house engineering is needed. Your programming team loads content and builds the schedule in the CMS. If you want tight control over studio connections or a hybrid with local gear, a dedicated playout vendor with engineering support may suit you better.
Does cloud playout put my channel on Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV or The Roku Channel?
No. Playout builds the channel. Getting it carried on those services is distribution, and vendors such as Amagi and Wurl offer that. Revidd does not place channels on third party FAST services. It runs your channel in your own apps.
Ready to see it run? Request a demo and bring a week of your schedule.
