Content Types

LightLoop supports eleven distinct content types. Each behaves differently in terms of how it’s stored, how it gets to the Apple TV, and whether it needs an internet connection during playback.

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Quick reference

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Video

Standard video files uploaded from your computer or imported from YouTube. Formats supported: MP4, MOV, M4V, and most H.264-encoded files. Best practices:

• Export as H.264 / MP4 for maximum compatibility across Apple TV generations
• Use 1920×1080 (1080p) or 3840×2160 (4K) resolution
• Avoid variable frame rate footage — convert to constant frame rate before uploading

Special options:

• Pause points — auto-pause at specific timestamps
• In/Out markers — trim without re-encoding
• Subtitles — enable embedded or uploaded subtitle track

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Image

Static images displayed for a configurable duration. Formats supported: JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF (first frame only for GIF). Duration: Set a custom display time in the media detail panel (default: 10 seconds). This is how long the image stays on screen before advancing to the next item.

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Audio

Audio files used as background soundtracks. Audio items are not visible on screen — they play as background music behind your visual content. Formats supported: MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV. How to use:

1. Upload your audio files
2. Create a playlist containing only audio items
3. Assign this playlist as the Soundtrack on another playlist

Audio playlists can be set to loop, shuffle, and have their volume adjusted independently of the main content.

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Song

Synchronized lyric slides timed to a backing audio track — purpose-built for worship. A Song item contains lyric text organized into slides, an audio file, an optional background image or video, and timing markers that map each slide to a timestamp in the audio. On Apple TV, lyrics cross-dissolve in sync with the music. How to create:

1. In the Media Library, click + Song
2. The Song Editor opens — type your lyrics, attach audio and a background, then record timing markers
3. Customize style (font, size, color, alignment, shadow, stroke, text background, and more)

Best practices:

• Use one verse or chorus section per slide for clean, readable lyrics
• Record markers in real time during playback, then fine-tune in the Edit Markers modal
• Set a text background color with low opacity for readability over video backgrounds

See the full Songs guide for detailed instructions.

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Sermon

A whole teaching, talk, or presentation built as one item — an ordered list of mixed slides (text/notes, scripture, full-screen media, and blanks) that an operator advances slide-by-slide from the iOS Remote. A Sermon contains text slides (styled headings + body), Bible slides (scripture from the Bible integration), media slides (full-screen image/video/audio with optional blur fill and trim/loop/advance), and blank slides. Sermon-level Background media sits behind text slides and Title media shows on blanks. How to create:

1. In the Media Library, choose New Sermon from the new-media menu
2. The Sermon Builder opens — add slides with Add Slide or the ＋ Add ▾ menu (media, upload, Bible, blank)
3. Reorder by dragging, drop files between slides, and style the text — changes autosave

Best practices:

• Use the ＋ Add ▾ → Add Bible flow to drop scripture straight into the message flow
• Assign a Title media card so blank slides show a sermon title instead of black
• Set per-slide trim and end behavior for video clips so they play exactly the segment you want

See the full Sermons guide for detailed instructions.

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Bible

Scripture slides — perfect for sermon support, lobby displays, or verse-of-the-day rotations. Two translation sources:

• YouVersion — popular licensed English translations (NIV, NASB, AMP, BSB, TPT, and more) kept at the top of the picker.
• Free Use Bible — a free, open library of 1,200+ translations across 1,000+ languages. Choose Free Use Bible (all languages) — search… in the translation picker and search by name or language.

How to add:

1. In the Media library, click Add Bible
2. Search by book, chapter, and verse — or type a reference directly (e.g., John 3:16 or Psalm 23:1-6)
3. Select a translation
4. Customize the slide style: font, size, color, alignment, background image or color
5. Save — the slide is added to your library as a media item

Long passages are automatically split into multiple slides. Each slide shows the verse text, reference, and translation badge. See the YouVersion Bible guide for the full list of available translations.

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Birthday

A celebratory full-screen slide that highlights a person’s birthday — great for lobby displays, welcome screens, and children’s ministry. How to add:

1. In the Media library, click Add Birthday
2. Enter the person’s name and optionally upload a photo
3. Set the birthday date
4. Customize the message, background, and style

Birthday slides are rendered server-side and refresh automatically. You can add multiple birthday items to a playlist — LightLoop will only show a birthday slide on the matching date and skip it on other days.

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Livestream

An HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) URL that streams live content — a camera feed, broadcast stream, or any HLS-compatible source. Livestreams are always ready. There’s no file to download — the Apple TV connects directly to the HLS URL when it’s time to play. How to add:

1. In the Media library, click Add Livestream
2. Paste the HLS URL (ends in .m3u8)
3. Give it a name

Graceful fallback: If the stream URL is unavailable when it’s time to play, the Apple TV skips that item and moves on rather than freezing.

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Web snapshot

A website captured as a JPEG by LightLoop’s server-side rendering engine, then displayed like an image on screen. Use cases:

• Display a Google Slides presentation without exporting
• Show a live church bulletin or event website
• Display a custom web page designed specifically for screens

How to add:

1. In the Media library, click Add Web
2. Enter the URL of the page to capture
3. Choose a device profile (Mobile, Tablet, or TV) — affects viewport and rendering
4. Set a refresh interval (how often the server re-captures the page)

How it works: LightLoop’s server opens the URL in a headless browser, takes a screenshot, and stores it as a JPEG. The Apple TV fetches this image periodically. The page is never rendered on the Apple TV itself.

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Monitor

A live check-in roster rendered server-side as a JPEG. Currently supports Planning Center Online (PCO) check-in and Kidddo. Use cases:

• Display who has checked in to children’s ministry
• Show check-in counts by room or event

How to add:

1. Connect your Planning Center account under Account → Integrations
2. In the Media library, click Add Monitor
3. Select the event or location to track

The monitor updates automatically every few seconds. No manual refresh needed. See the Planning Center integration guide for setup details.

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Calendar

Upcoming events from Google Calendar or Planning Center, rendered as a screen-ready JPEG. Use cases:

• Show this week’s service schedule on a lobby display
• Display upcoming events in a hallway or common area
• Show room bookings outside a conference room

How to add:

1. Connect your Google Calendar or PCO account under Account → Integrations
2. In the Media library, click Add Calendar
3. Select which calendar(s) to display
4. Configure the look (event count, date range, text size)

The calendar refreshes automatically and always shows current data. See the Google Calendar integration guide and Planning Center guide for setup.