RunBeat Alert User Guide

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Overview

RunBeat Alert is a free, standalone desktop application for monitoring audio feeds in real time. It is designed for radio stations, community broadcasters, and anyone who needs to keep an eye (and ear) on one or more audio streams or local audio devices.

Key capabilities:

• Real-time VU meters — Visual audio level monitoring for every feed with peak and RMS display.
• Silence detection — Configurable silence threshold and duration. When silence is detected, the app triggers email alerts immediately.
• Continuous recording — Record all monitored feeds 24/7 with compliance-grade precision. Supports MP3, WAV, and FLAC output.
• ICY metadata logging — Captures and logs stream metadata (artist, title, show name) as it changes.
• Email alerts — Instant email notifications when silence is detected or when audio returns after a silence event.
• No subscription required — RunBeat Alert is completely free. It does not require a RunBeat account or any subscription.

Installation

macOS

RunBeat Alert for macOS is signed and notarized by Apple, so installation is straightforward:

1. Download the .dmg file.
2. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
3. Drag RunBeat Alert into your Applications folder.
4. Launch RunBeat Alert from Applications or Spotlight.

The app supports Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) natively. macOS 13 (Ventura) or later is required.

Windows

Download the Windows installer and run it.

After clicking "Run anyway", the installer will guide you through setup:

1. Choose an install location (the default is fine for most users).
2. Click Install.
3. Once complete, RunBeat Alert will launch automatically.

Windows 10 (64-bit) or later is required.

Adding Feeds

RunBeat Alert can monitor two types of audio source:

Stream feeds

Monitor any HTTP/HTTPS audio stream (Icecast, Shoutcast, or direct MP3/AAC URL):

1. Click Add Feed in the toolbar.
2. Select Stream as the feed type.
3. Enter a name for the feed (e.g. "Main TX", "DAB Feed").
4. Paste the stream URL.
5. Click Save.

The app connects to the stream immediately and begins monitoring audio levels. ICY metadata (artist/title) is captured automatically if the stream provides it.

Device feeds

Monitor a local audio input device (sound card, USB interface, virtual audio cable):

1. Click Add Feed in the toolbar.
2. Select Device as the feed type.
3. Enter a name for the feed.
4. Choose the audio input device from the dropdown (lists all available system audio inputs).
5. Click Save.

Device feeds are useful for monitoring off-air receivers, studio outputs, or any audio routed through your computer's sound hardware.

Dashboard

The main dashboard shows all your monitored feeds at a glance:

VU meters

Each feed displays a real-time stereo VU meter showing peak and RMS levels. The meters use standard broadcast colouring:

• Green — Normal operating level.
• Amber — Approaching peak (above -6 dB).
• Red — Clipping or very high level (above -1 dB).

Status badges

Each feed shows a status badge:

• ● Live — Audio is present and levels are normal.
• ● Silent — Silence has been detected (below threshold for the configured duration).
• ● Disconnected — Stream is unreachable or device is unavailable.

Now Playing

For stream feeds that provide ICY metadata, the dashboard displays the current track information (artist and title) as it updates in real time. A history of recent metadata changes is also available.

Recording

RunBeat Alert can continuously record all monitored feeds for compliance logging or archival purposes.

Enabling recording

Open the settings for a feed and toggle Recording on. Configure the following options:

Output format

• MP3 — Compressed audio. Configurable bitrate (64, 128, 192, 256, or 320 kbps). Best for long-term archival where storage is a concern.
• WAV — Uncompressed PCM audio. Highest quality, largest file size.
• FLAC — Lossless compression. Full quality at roughly 50–60% of WAV file size.

Recording modes

• Continuous — Records 24/7 without interruption. Files are split at configurable intervals (1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, or 6 hours).
• On-demand — Manual start/stop recording via the dashboard.

File naming

Recordings are saved with automatic file naming: {feed-name}_{date}_{time}.{format}. For example: Main-TX_2026-01-15_14-00-00.mp3.

Retention

Configure automatic retention to delete recordings older than a specified number of days (7, 14, 30, 42, 60, or 90 days). The 42-day option aligns with Ofcom's minimum retention requirement for licensed UK broadcasters. Set to "Keep forever" to disable automatic deletion.

Storage location

Choose where recordings are saved on your local filesystem. The app displays the current disk usage and available space.

Email Alerts

RunBeat Alert sends email notifications when silence is detected on any monitored feed.

Configuring email

Open Settings → Email and configure:

• SMTP server — Your email provider's SMTP host (e.g. smtp.gmail.com, smtp.office365.com).
• Port — Usually 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL).
• Username — Your email address or SMTP username.
• Password — Your email password or app-specific password.
• From address — The sender address for alert emails.
• To addresses — One or more recipient email addresses (comma-separated).

Click Send Test Email to verify your configuration.

Alert behaviour

• Silence detected — An email is sent immediately when a feed drops below the silence threshold for the configured duration.
• Audio restored — A follow-up email is sent when audio returns, including the total silence duration.
• Cooldown — After sending a silence alert, the app waits a configurable period (default: 5 minutes) before sending another alert for the same feed. This prevents email flooding during intermittent issues.

Settings

Access settings via the gear icon in the toolbar or File → Settings.

Silence detection

• Threshold — The audio level (in dBFS) below which audio is considered silent. Default: -40 dBFS.
• Duration — How long audio must remain below the threshold before a silence event is triggered. Default: 10 seconds. Configurable from 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

General

• Start on login — Launch RunBeat Alert automatically when you log in to your computer.
• Minimise to tray — When closed, the app minimises to the system tray instead of quitting.
• Theme — Light or dark mode.

Updates

RunBeat Alert checks for updates automatically on launch. When an update is available, you'll see a notification in the app. Updates are optional — the app continues to work without updating.

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