propresenter-php/doc/formats/pp_playlist_spec.md

ProPresenter 7 .proplaylist File Format Specification

Version: 1.0
Target Audience: AI agents, automated parsers, developers
Proto Source: greyshirtguy/ProPresenter7-Proto v7.16.2 (MIT License)

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1. Overview

File Format

• Extension: .proplaylist
• Container Format: ZIP64 archive (PKZIP 4.5+)
• Compression: Store only (no deflate compression)
• Binary Format: Protocol Buffers (Google protobuf v3)
• Top-level Message: rv.data.Playlist (defined in playlist.proto)
• Proto Definitions: greyshirtguy/ProPresenter7-Proto v7.16.2 (MIT)

Container Structure

• Archive Type: ZIP64 with store compression (compression method 0)
• ZIP64 EOCD Quirk: 98-byte discrepancy between ZIP64 EOCD locator offset and actual EOCD position
• Entry Layout:
  • data file at root (protobuf binary)
  • .pro song files at root (filename only, no directory structure)
  • Media files at original absolute paths (minus leading /)

Known Limitations

• Binary Fidelity: Round-trip decode→encode fails on all reference files. Proto definitions are incomplete; unknown fields are lost during serialization.
• Workaround: Preserve original binary data if exact binary reproduction is required.

File Validity

• Empty files (0 bytes): Invalid. Throw exception.
• Playlists without items: Valid. Empty playlists are allowed.
• Deduplication: Same .pro file stored once; media files deduplicated by path.

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2. Playlist Structure

Hierarchy Diagram

PlaylistDocument (ZIP64 archive)
├── data (protobuf binary)
│   └── Playlist (rv.data.Playlist) ← Root container named "PLAYLIST"
│       ├── name (string, field 2) = "PLAYLIST"
│       ├── uuid (rv.data.UUID, field 1)
│       ├── type (rv.data.Playlist.Type, field 3) = TYPE_PLAYLIST (1)
│       └── playlists (rv.data.Playlist.PlaylistArray, field 12)
│           └── playlists[] (rv.data.Playlist) ← Actual named playlist
│               ├── name (string, field 2) ← User-defined name
│               ├── uuid (rv.data.UUID, field 1)
│               ├── type (rv.data.Playlist.Type, field 3) = TYPE_PLAYLIST (1)
│               └── items (rv.data.Playlist.PlaylistItems, field 13)
│                   └── items[] (rv.data.PlaylistItem)
│                       ├── uuid (rv.data.UUID, field 1)
│                       ├── name (string, field 2)
│                       └── ItemType (oneof)
│                           ├── header (field 3) ← Section divider
│                           ├── presentation (field 4) ← Song reference
│                           ├── cue (field 5) ← Inline cue
│                           ├── planning_center (field 6) ← PCO integration
│                           └── placeholder (field 8) ← Empty slot
├── *.pro files (song files, deduplicated)
└── media files (images/videos at original absolute paths)

Navigation Paths

To access playlist items:

PlaylistDocument (ZIP)
  → data (protobuf)
    → Playlist (root "PLAYLIST")
      → playlists.playlists[0] (actual playlist)
        → items.items[]
          → ItemType (oneof)

To access presentation references:

PlaylistItem
  → presentation
    → document_path (URL)
    → arrangement (UUID)
    → arrangement_name (string)
    → user_music_key (MusicKeyScale)

To access header dividers:

PlaylistItem
  → header
    → color (Color)
    → actions[] (Action)

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3. Fields Reference

Playlist (rv.data.Playlist)

Field Path	Protobuf Type	Field Number	Description
uuid	rv.data.UUID	1	Unique identifier for the playlist
name	string	2	Playlist name (root is always "PLAYLIST")
type	rv.data.Playlist.Type	3	Playlist type (always TYPE_PLAYLIST = 1)
expanded	bool	4	UI expansion state
targeted_layer_uuid	rv.data.UUID	5	Target layer UUID
smart_directory_path	rv.data.URL	6	Smart playlist directory path
hot_key	rv.data.HotKey	7	Keyboard shortcut
cues[]	rv.data.Cue	8	Array of cues (not used in observed files)
children[]	rv.data.Playlist	9	Array of child playlists (deprecated)
timecode_enabled	bool	10	Timecode synchronization enabled
timing	rv.data.Playlist.TimingType	11	Timing type (NONE, TIMECODE, TIME_OF_DAY)
playlists	rv.data.Playlist.PlaylistArray	12	Child playlists (oneof ChildrenType)
items	rv.data.Playlist.PlaylistItems	13	Playlist items (oneof ChildrenType)
smart_directory	rv.data.Playlist.FolderDirectory	14	Smart folder config (oneof LinkData)
pco_plan	rv.data.PlanningCenterPlan	15	Planning Center plan (oneof LinkData)
startup_info	rv.data.Playlist.StartupInfo	16	Startup trigger configuration

Playlist.PlaylistArray

Field Path	Protobuf Type	Field Number	Description
playlists[]	rv.data.Playlist	1	Array of child playlists

Playlist.PlaylistItems

Field Path	Protobuf Type	Field Number	Description
items[]	rv.data.PlaylistItem	1	Array of playlist items

PlaylistItem (rv.data.PlaylistItem)

Field Path	Protobuf Type	Field Number	Description
uuid	rv.data.UUID	1	Unique identifier for the item
name	string	2	Item display name
tags[]	rv.data.UUID	7	Array of tag UUIDs
is_hidden	bool	9	Whether item is hidden in UI
header	rv.data.PlaylistItem.Header	3	Section divider (oneof ItemType)
presentation	rv.data.PlaylistItem.Presentation	4	Song reference (oneof ItemType)
cue	rv.data.Cue	5	Inline cue (oneof ItemType)
planning_center	rv.data.PlaylistItem.PlanningCenter	6	PCO integration (oneof ItemType)
placeholder	rv.data.PlaylistItem.Placeholder	8	Empty slot (oneof ItemType)

PlaylistItem.Header

Field Path	Protobuf Type	Field Number	Description
color	rv.data.Color	1	RGBA color (float values 0.0-1.0)
actions[]	rv.data.Action	2	Array of actions (rarely used)

PlaylistItem.Presentation

Field Path	Protobuf Type	Field Number	Description
document_path	rv.data.URL	1	Path to .pro file (URL format)
arrangement	rv.data.UUID	2	Arrangement UUID
content_destination	rv.data.Action.ContentDestination	3	Content destination layer
user_music_key	rv.data.MusicKeyScale	4	User-selected music key
arrangement_name	string	5	Arrangement name (UNDOCUMENTED)

PlaylistItem.PlanningCenter

Field Path	Protobuf Type	Field Number	Description
item	rv.data.PlanningCenterPlan.PlanItem	1	PCO plan item reference
linked_data	rv.data.PlaylistItem	2	Linked playlist item

PlaylistItem.Placeholder

Field Path	Protobuf Type	Field Number	Description
linked_data	rv.data.PlaylistItem	1	Linked playlist item

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4. ZIP64 Container Format

Archive Structure

• Format: ZIP64 (PKZIP 4.5+)
• Compression: Store only (compression method 0, no deflate)
• Entries:
  1. data file at root (protobuf binary)
  2. .pro song files at root (filename only)
  3. Media files at original absolute paths (minus leading /)

ZIP64 EOCD Quirk

• Issue: 98-byte discrepancy between ZIP64 EOCD locator offset and actual EOCD position
• Observed Pattern: ZIP64 EOCD locator points to offset that is 98 bytes before actual EOCD record
• Workaround: Search backward from end of file for ZIP64 EOCD signature (0x06064b50)

Entry Layout Example

data                                    ← Protobuf binary
Test.pro                                ← Song file (filename only)
Oceans.pro                              ← Song file (filename only)
Users/me/Pictures/slide.jpg             ← Media file (absolute path minus leading /)
Users/me/Videos/intro.mp4               ← Media file (absolute path minus leading /)

Deduplication Rules

• Song Files: Same .pro file stored once (by filename)
• Media Files: Deduplicated by absolute path
• Example: If 3 playlist items reference Oceans.pro, only 1 copy is stored in ZIP

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5. Playlist Items

Definition

Playlist items represent individual entries in a playlist. Each item has a type (header, presentation, cue, planning_center, placeholder) defined by the ItemType oneof field.

Item Types

Header (Field 3)

• Purpose: Section divider with color
• Usage: Visual separator in playlist UI
• Fields: color (RGBA), actions[] (rarely used)
• Example: "Worship Set", "Announcements", "Offering"

Presentation (Field 4)

• Purpose: Reference to a .pro song file
• Usage: Most common item type
• Fields:
  • document_path (URL) — Path to .pro file
  • arrangement (UUID) — Arrangement UUID
  • arrangement_name (string) — Arrangement name (e.g., "normal", "bene", "test2")
  • user_music_key (MusicKeyScale) — User-selected music key
  • content_destination (ContentDestination) — Target layer
• Example: Reference to "Oceans.pro" with arrangement "normal"

Cue (Field 5)

• Purpose: Inline cue (not observed in reference files)
• Usage: Embedded cue without external .pro file
• Fields: Full rv.data.Cue message

PlanningCenter (Field 6)

• Purpose: Planning Center Online integration
• Usage: Link to PCO plan item
• Fields: item (PlanItem), linked_data (PlaylistItem)
• Note: Not in scope for this specification

Placeholder (Field 8)

• Purpose: Empty slot in playlist
• Usage: Reserve space for future item
• Fields: linked_data (PlaylistItem)

Access Pattern

foreach ($playlist->getItems() as $item) {
    $uuid = $item->getUuid();
    $name = $item->getName();
    
    if ($item->hasPresentation()) {
        $presentation = $item->getPresentation();
        $path = $presentation->getDocumentPath()->getAbsoluteString();
        $arrangementName = $presentation->getArrangementName();
        $arrangementUuid = $presentation->getArrangement()->getString();
    } elseif ($item->hasHeader()) {
        $header = $item->getHeader();
        $color = $header->getColor();
    } elseif ($item->hasPlaceholder()) {
        // Empty slot
    }
}

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6. URL Format

URL Structure

ProPresenter uses rv.data.URL messages with root type and relative path components.

Root Types

• ROOT_USER_HOME (2): User home directory (~/)
• ROOT_SHOW (10): ProPresenter library directory

Path Construction

• Format: root_type + relative_path
• Example (ROOT_USER_HOME):
  • Root: ROOT_USER_HOME (2)
  • Relative: Music/ProPresenter/Oceans.pro
  • Absolute: file:///Users/username/Music/ProPresenter/Oceans.pro
• Example (ROOT_SHOW):
  • Root: ROOT_SHOW (10)
  • Relative: Oceans.pro
  • Absolute: file:///Users/username/Library/Application Support/RenewedVision/ProPresenter/Oceans.pro

Media File Paths

• Storage: Original absolute path minus leading /
• Example:
  • Original: file:///Users/me/Pictures/slide.jpg
  • ZIP entry: Users/me/Pictures/slide.jpg

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7. Protobuf Structure

Root Container

• Message: rv.data.Playlist
• Name: Always "PLAYLIST"
• Type: Always TYPE_PLAYLIST (1)
• Children: playlists field (PlaylistArray)

Actual Playlist

• Location: playlists.playlists[0]
• Name: User-defined (e.g., "Gottesdienst", "Sunday Service")
• Type: Always TYPE_PLAYLIST (1)
• Children: items field (PlaylistItems)

Nested Structure

Playlist (root "PLAYLIST")
  → playlists (PlaylistArray, field 12)
    → playlists[] (Playlist)
      → items (PlaylistItems, field 13)
        → items[] (PlaylistItem)

Example (TestPlaylist.proplaylist)

Playlist {
  name: "PLAYLIST"
  type: TYPE_PLAYLIST (1)
  playlists: {
    playlists: [
      {
        name: "TestPlaylist"
        type: TYPE_PLAYLIST (1)
        items: {
          items: [
            { name: "Worship", header: { color: {...} } },
            { name: "Oceans", presentation: { document_path: {...}, arrangement_name: "normal" } },
            { name: "Amazing Grace", presentation: { document_path: {...}, arrangement_name: "bene" } },
          ]
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

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8. Known Constants

Application Info

• Platform: macOS 14.8.3
• Application: ProPresenter v20
• Observed in: All reference files

Playlist Type

• Root Playlist: Always TYPE_PLAYLIST (1)
• Child Playlists: Always TYPE_PLAYLIST (1)
• Other Types: TYPE_GROUP (2), TYPE_SMART (3), TYPE_ROOT (4) not observed in reference files

Root Name

• Value: Always "PLAYLIST"
• Purpose: Container for actual named playlists

Arrangement Name (Field 5)

• Status: UNDOCUMENTED in community proto
• Observed Values: "normal", "bene", "test2", "Gottesdienst", etc.
• Purpose: Human-readable arrangement name (complements arrangement UUID)
• Frequency: Present in every PlaylistItem.Presentation in reference files

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9. Edge Cases

Empty Playlists

• Items: 0 items
• Validity: Valid
• Behavior: items.items[] is empty array

Playlists Without Presentations

• Items: Only headers and placeholders
• Validity: Valid
• Example: Template playlists with section dividers

Missing Arrangement Name

• Field: arrangement_name (field 5)
• Behavior: Empty string or not set
• Validity: Valid (fallback to arrangement UUID)

Duplicate Song References

• Scenario: Same .pro file referenced multiple times
• ZIP Storage: Single copy of .pro file
• Playlist Items: Multiple PlaylistItem.Presentation entries with same document_path

Media Files

• Storage: Original absolute paths (minus leading /)
• Deduplication: By absolute path
• Example: Users/me/Pictures/slide.jpg stored once even if referenced in multiple songs

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10. Reverse-Engineering Evidence

Reference Files

• TestPlaylist.proplaylist: 4 ZIP entries, 3 items (1 header, 2 presentations)
• Gottesdienst.proplaylist: 14MB, 25+ items, multiple media files
• Gottesdienst 2.proplaylist: 10MB, similar structure
• Gottesdienst 3.proplaylist: 16MB, largest reference file

Key Discoveries

1. ZIP64 EOCD Quirk: 98-byte offset discrepancy in all files
2. Store Compression: No deflate compression (method 0)
3. Arrangement Name: Field 5 on PlaylistItem.Presentation is undocumented but present in all files
4. Root Container: Always named "PLAYLIST" with TYPE_PLAYLIST (1)
5. Deduplication: Same .pro file stored once, media files deduplicated by path

Observed Patterns

• Color Values: RGBA floats (e.g., [0.95, 0.27, 0.27, 1.0] for red)
• UUID Format: Standard UUID strings (e.g., A1B2C3D4-E5F6-G7H8-I9J0-K1L2M3N4O5P6)
• Arrangement Names: User-defined strings (e.g., "normal", "bene", "test2", "Gottesdienst")
• Media Paths: Absolute file URLs (e.g., file:///Users/me/Pictures/slide.jpg)

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Appendix: Proto Field Numbers Quick Reference

Message	Field	Number
Playlist	uuid	1
Playlist	name	2
Playlist	type	3
Playlist	expanded	4
Playlist	targeted_layer_uuid	5
Playlist	smart_directory_path	6
Playlist	hot_key	7
Playlist	cues	8
Playlist	children	9
Playlist	timecode_enabled	10
Playlist	timing	11
Playlist	playlists	12
Playlist	items	13
Playlist	smart_directory	14
Playlist	pco_plan	15
Playlist	startup_info	16
PlaylistArray	playlists	1
PlaylistItems	items	1
PlaylistItem	uuid	1
PlaylistItem	name	2
PlaylistItem	header	3
PlaylistItem	presentation	4
PlaylistItem	cue	5
PlaylistItem	planning_center	6
PlaylistItem	tags	7
PlaylistItem	placeholder	8
PlaylistItem	is_hidden	9
PlaylistItem.Header	color	1
PlaylistItem.Header	actions	2
PlaylistItem.Presentation	document_path	1
PlaylistItem.Presentation	arrangement	2
PlaylistItem.Presentation	content_destination	3
PlaylistItem.Presentation	user_music_key	4
PlaylistItem.Presentation	arrangement_name	5
PlaylistItem.PlanningCenter	item	1
PlaylistItem.PlanningCenter	linked_data	2
PlaylistItem.Placeholder	linked_data	1

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End of Specification