Releasing Commentary

Commentary must be released before groups can access their feedback. CompetitionSuite offers two release modes: Automatic and Manual.

Release Modes

Automatic Release

When automatic release is enabled:

• Groups can access their commentary as soon as it's uploaded by judges
• No additional action is required from administrators
• Groups see commentary immediately in their dashboard

Best for: Events where quick feedback is desired, or when you trust judges to upload correct files without review.

Manual Release

When manual release is enabled:

• Commentary is held until you explicitly release it
• You control when each group receives their feedback
• Allows time for verification before groups see files

Best for: Events requiring quality review, or when you want to release all commentary at a specific time.

Switching Release Modes

1. Locate the Group Access toggle in the left sidebar
2. Click to switch between Automatic and Manual
3. The change takes effect immediately

Note: Switching from Manual to Automatic does not automatically release previously held commentary. You must manually release any commentary that was uploaded while in Manual mode.

Manually Releasing Commentary

When in Manual mode, each performance shows release controls:

Releasing a Single Performance

1. Find the performance you want to release
2. In the performance header, locate the Unreleased/Released toggle
3. Click Release to make commentary available to the group

Unreleasing Commentary

If you need to revoke access to commentary:

1. Find the released performance
2. Click Unreleased to revoke group access
3. The group will no longer see this commentary

Release Workflow Best Practices

Before the Event

1. Decide on your release strategy (Automatic vs. Manual)
2. Set the Group Access toggle accordingly
3. Communicate with groups about when to expect commentary

During the Event

For Automatic Release:

• Monitor uploads for any issues
• Groups receive feedback as judges complete recordings

For Manual Release:

• Review commentary as it arrives
• Verify files before releasing
• Release in batches (e.g., after each division completes)

After the Event

1. Use the Missing Commentary filter to identify any gaps
2. Follow up with judges who haven't uploaded
3. Verify all remaining files
4. Release any held commentary

Checking Release Status

The release status is visible in each performance header:

When in Automatic mode, the release controls are hidden since all commentary is released automatically.

Group Experience

When commentary is released, groups can:

1. Access commentary from their group dashboard
2. Play individual judge recordings
3. Download files for offline review

Groups only see commentary for their own performances and cannot access other groups' feedback.

Troubleshooting

Commentary Released but Group Can't Access

1. Confirm the group has a staff member with dashboard access
2. Check that the correct performance was released
3. Verify the commentary file exists (not just a placeholder)

Need to Replace Released Commentary

1. Upload the corrected file using the Upload icon
2. The new file automatically replaces the previous one
3. Groups will see the updated version

If the original file was verified, you'll need to unverify it first before uploading a replacement.