MusicMaster Blog

By Dave Tyler

In the current age of broadcasting, the idea of being just a Production Director or Music Director or any other position in a station simply doesn’t exist. All employees, no matter what level, are expected to wear multiple hats and shoulder a variety of responsibilities. As the leader in music scheduling, MusicMaster understands that any time we can save you something as small as a mouse click will save you time and allow you to better manage your workload.

MusicMaster CS is a robust platform that streamlines so many of our daily tasks. CS can manage hundreds of stations and/or formats, thousands of songs, and so much more, all from one place. CS allows top-level users to manage this and assign user roles at the station level.

As someone who has programmed multiple stations and formats at the same time, I know it can be daunting to get everything done. With fewer staff members in stations these days, we do not always have the luxury of delegating. The plates that we have spinning are our plates, so time management quickly becomes a prime concern.

What is priority number one? We can say making money, and that is true to a degree. I mean, we need to keep the doors open. But at the end of the day we need to have our product, our programming on the air. There must be something to view or listen to, and therefore something to sell.

You can imagine that a market programmer, regional programmer, or national programmer needs an efficient workflow that can accomplish intriguing programming across potentially dozens to hundreds of stations. You may think this is more than one person can do. Well… it was.

MusicMaster CS has a feature that we as programmers have been wanting since the birth of music scheduling software. The ability to have the program automatically schedule music logs! What??? Yep, it is a reality now. MusicMaster CS has a mega feature called Automated Tasks!

• Which Automated Tasks are currently available? Let me tell you:
• Category Sync
• Create Database backup
• Create Station backup
• Export to Automation
• Export Special History Report
• Library Sync
• Nexus Publish Meta Data
• Publish Changed Hours
• Purge History
• Reconcile Schedule
• Send Queued Notifications
• Station Distribution

Impressive right? And you can set it up to have these tasks happen while you’re sleeping or on vacation or as part of the weekly routine to give you more time to give attention to your other responsibilities.

Today, we are going to focus on the all-important “Having something on the air” thing. Let’s set up an automated task for scheduling music. Enterprise is the mothership of CS. It is the main control room for all the data for the various stations/formats etc. From here, we will set up (or add) an Automated Task.

Once I click Add New Automated Task, I will see a box that allows me to set up which feature I want (Start Automatic Scheduler). I make music changes on Tuesday and run the task Tuesday night at 8p for (Thursday-Wed) and that gives me Wednesday to edit/massage my logs before exporting them to automation to begin on Thursday. I then click on Details to set up which station(s) I want this to apply to.

I have selected two stations: Dave and Smooth Jazz and I have selected to schedule out for 7 days which is 168 hours. (Through next Wednesday)

When I select the station(s) I want, the configuration box will immediately open. If you have used MusicMaster Pro in the past, this box will look familiar. You can set which categories are to be scheduled, the options you desire, and any filters you may need for the scheduling session.

Once done here, click OK and then OK again on the Stations screen. Then, hit Save on the “Add Automated Task” screen and guess what? It’s done. Your music will schedule automatically week after week, even if you’re sipping an umbrella drink by a pool somewhere!

Now I know what you’re thinking: that’s great that it’s scheduled, but now the logs are just sitting there. As mentioned, I can manually export those logs on Wednesday to automation, or… and this process will be another blog… but you can also use Automated Tasks to set up an automatic “Export to Automation” task! I can hear the “Whoa, that’s cool!” and high-fives from my desk right now.

Automated Tasks is a feature that schedulers like us have wanted for many years, and it is here. This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the sheer power and rich features of MusicMaster CS. As always if you have any questions, you can always reach out to your MusicMaster rep for answers.

by Brian Wheeler

A fantastic feature of MusicMaster Client-Server is the ability to use category groups to set specific rules for your station’s database. For example, if you decide you want to have a specific set of rules that only your current categories would use, you can achieve this by applying rules in a Current Category folder in your rule tree. This allows you to set rules that only apply to the current categories indicated therein, enabling you to quickly apply rules to a group of categories without having to individualize the rules for each category. You can still create individual rules for individual categories, of course, but if there are broad rule applications you’d like to apply to a specific group of categories, Category Groups streamlines the task.

The first step in the process is to define a category group. To do this, go to Library, Categories, or simply right-click on your Info Bar and select Category Groups. You can now select the categories you wish to include in the category group, name the group, and then save your group. The new group will now appear in your rule tree.

Pictured here is a rule tree with several specific category groups. Note: the category groups entitled Music Categories and Non-Music categories will be pre-built in your database.

Using the category groups already in place, you can apply rules to all of your Music categories and a separate set of rules for all of your Non-Music categories if you so choose. In my photo example, this database can now have another set of rules for Currents and Recurrents, and yet another set of rules for Golds can be enforced as well. Perhaps you want to have more relaxed rules for your holiday music? You can do it with ease by using the Category Groups.

Of course, MusicMaster CS still provides all the capabilities of MusicMaster Pro, with the ability to apply rules to all categories, rules isolated by category, the ability to bypass specific categories, and our world-class Optimum Goal Scheduling features.

As always, should you have any questions regarding this great new feature or any others in MusicMaster Pro or MusicMaster CS, your helpful MusicMaster Scheduling Consultants are a phone call or email away!

by Jerry Butler

Everyone is wearing multiple hats these days, efficiency and precision are paramount. MusicMaster CS offers a powerful feature—Automated Tasks—that can streamline multiple processes, ensuring your station runs smoothly with minimal manual intervention.

Understanding Automated Tasks in MusicMaster CS

Automated Tasks in MusicMaster CS allow users to schedule routine operations to occur automatically at specified intervals. These tasks can be configured to run daily, weekly, monthly, or at custom frequency, providing flexibility to meet your station’s unique needs. Here are just a few of the key tasks that can be automated:

• Automatic Scheduling: Automatically generate music logs based on your predefined rules and criteria.
• Exporting Logs to Automation Systems: Seamlessly transfer scheduled logs to your automation system without manual intervention.
• Database Backups: Ensure your data is regularly backed up to prevent loss.
• Reconciliation: Automatically match scheduled logs with actual airplay to identify discrepancies.
• System Maintenance: Automated tasks can manage system maintenance activities, such as purging old data and rebuilding indexes, keeping the database optimized without manual effort.

Benefits of Using Automated Tasks

1. Time Efficiency: By automating routine tasks, programmers can focus on more strategic activities, such as curating content and analyzing audience engagement.
2. Consistency and Accuracy: Automation reduces the risk of human error, ensuring that tasks like scheduling and data backups are performed consistently and accurately.
3. Reliability During Absences: Automated scheduling ensures that your station remains on-air with fresh content, even during holidays or staff absences. This is particularly beneficial for educational institutions during breaks.
4. Enhanced Productivity: With routine tasks handled automatically, staff can allocate their time to creative and value-added activities, enhancing overall productivity.

Today we will run through setting up an Automated task to Auto Schedule.

Implementing Automated Tasks

Setting up Automated Tasks in MusicMaster CS is straightforward:

1. Navigate to the Automated Tasks: Click on the gear icon and select “Automated Tasks” and “Add New Automated Task.”

1. Select the Task: Choose the specific task you wish to automate. In this case, we are choosing “Start Automatic Scheduler.”

1. Set the Frequency: Determine how often the task should run—daily, weekly, or at a custom interval including hour and minute for a start time.

1. Configure Parameters: Click the “Details” button and specify which station or stations you would like to auto-schedule. Once you select a station and move to the station to schedule window on the right, you can configure exactly what you want to schedule.

1. Select what you want to schedule: Choose all or specific categories, special sets, and library query elements you want to schedule. Select all hours or specific hours. These options are just like your auto-scheduler window in the individual station. Once you have made your selections, click OK.

1. You can see in the picture below that we have selected and configured four stations to auto-schedule in this single automated task. Click OK to return to the opening automated task window.

1. Activate the Task: Click Save here and the automated task is ready to go on the schedule you have set. If you’d like to run the task now, click “Run Task Now”

Many programmers use this automated task to have their stations auto-schedule in the middle of the night. When they come into the station in the morning, the logs are ready for them to edit and fine-tune.

By leveraging Automated Tasks in MusicMaster CS, stations can enhance operational efficiency, maintain consistent programming, and ensure reliable performance, all while freeing up valuable time for creative endeavors.

For automated tasks to operate, your station must have the automated task feature enabled on the server. If you are not sure, discuss it with your IT department or operations manager.

If you have questions or would like help setting up an automated task, reach out to your MusicMaster Scheduling Consultant.

by Chris Hulsether

When you are evaluating the sound of your station, do consider looking at the history browser in MusicMaster? This can be a powerful tool to determine what you have played and how the sound of the station is defined.

Today I want to point out the advanced graphs in your History Browser to evaluate how your station sounds with a more visual touch.

You can use these graphs to see how certain Core Artists play throughout a day, week, month, or longer. This can be a great way to determine things like: “Am I playing my Core artists enough? Are they bunching up in certain Dayparts and not spread out throughout the day?”

Or, if you use Sound codes and you want to know what the balance is on Rock songs compared to Pop songs or how many songs coded as Old play through your week, the advanced graph options are an easy way to see this.

To get to your History Browser, go to Dataset/History Browser.

Then, make your choices on the time frame, categories, filters, and how you want the data displayed.

Here is a great video to walk you through that setup. Click Here

Once you have your History Browser set to the Time Period, Categories, Filters, and display settings, you can set your advanced graph to a variety of options. Look for the drop-down in the lower left corner of your History Browser.

Now, maybe you want to look at the log that was just recently scheduled to see when your superstar core artist played through the day.

I set up the History browser to filter only my Superstar-coded artists and use the Artist Keyword (All) Display Mode. This is the Spins By Hour graph.

This example shows how Morgan Wallen played throughout that day. If I find Morgan Wallen important, I may be alarmed that I go four hours without a Morgan Wallen song. I can go back and make changes in the schedule editor before that log actually goes on the air.

What if I want to see how much airplay last week was dedicated to Hard Rock on my Classic Rock station? I set the Time Period for that week and set the Display Mode to Sound. Then set my advanced graph to Air Time Density. This will show the percentage of airtime the target (sound code) played in relation to the total Time Period chosen.

This shows 74% of my airplay in my week was Hard Rock. If you think this might be too much and you want your station to have a lighter sound, you can now see how your library needs to be adjusted to emphasize other sound codes.

Maybe you just took over this database and you want to know how your Categories are used across a week or longer. In this example, I set up a week’s worth of history with my music categories and Category Usage display mode and then set the advanced graph to Spins density. I can click on each category, and this will show the percentage of spins the target (Category) played in relation to the total Time Period chosen. In my Classic Rock station, if I think I need my station to be more 80’s and 90’s instead of 60’s and 70’s, this can tell me where I am at and how much work I need to do.

You may also want to see the song play history by play, like in the history graph. You could set up history for a week or more, set the display mode to Individual Songs, and use the Play History By Play advanced graph. This will show a history graph with only those dates that had plays, with a colored circle in each hour of play. The darker color in the circle indicates the quarter-hour that the song played in. A total will be listed at the bottom of the graph.

Knowledge is power and advanced graphs can give you a bunch of Knowledge about your station. If you’d like to learn more, contact your Music Scheduling Consultant.

by Chris Hulsether

Cleaning up your database is never fun, but it can be necessary for running your data more efficiently and keeping your sanity. You may want to clean up your categories, or you have way more clocks than you need, but what about all those LogNotes? If you have old LogNotes from old automation systems or LogNotes for imaging you no longer use, they may be taking up space and making it harder to find the LogNotes you need.

Try Purging your LogNotes, it’s quick and easy in MusicMaster!.

As always, do a backup before you go through this process.

Go to Dataset/Clocks/LogNote Text

To Purge unused LogNotes click on Purge.

• This is the best way to remove any LogNotes from your database as it only deletes LogNotes that do not appear in any clocks or logs, active or not. There are two different ways you can do the purge.
  • Use automatic settings – This is the recommended and default option. The program will remove only those LogNotes that are not used anywhere in the active history, format clock or format list.
  • Manually set the history cutoff date – This option allows you to pick a date and time for the purging. When you do this, any LogNotes from unused clock and inactive history will still be removed as they are with the automatic settings. Additionally, LogNotes will also be purged from any active history prior to the date/time you select

Fun notes about LogNotes Texts. If you are looking to make changes to a LogNote that is used in all sorts of clocks and you do not want to go into each clock and change the same LogNote repeatedly, if you make a change to the text in this LogNotes Text window, it will be updated once saved. Sidenote: if you instead want to make an alteration to an existing LogNote in just ONE clock, edit that LogNote in the clock itself. Then, once you revisit the LogNote Text Window, you will see that this changed note has been added to the LogNotes list, along with the original. You also have the option here to add or delete specific LogNotes completely, (Copy/Paste CTRL-C, CTRL-V does work here) as well as print the entire list if you wish.

Another cool part about adding LogNotes to clocks is you can use your InfoBar. With your existing LogNotes, look to the “Info Bar” and go to the Clocks tab and LogNotes. You can simply drag and drop LogNotes from that list into the clock! You can also drag and drop LogNotes into your logs in the Schedule Editor.

Remember, every time you go into a clock and type a new LogNote, it adds this to the LogNotes list…even though it may be a duplicate. If you know you already have that LogNote, use the drag and drop function or search for the LogNote while building clocks.

MusicMaster is all about making life easier and helping you get those little things done quicker so you can schedule better! Ask your Music Scheduling Consultant if you have any questions.

by Jerry Butler

If you are like most programmers, you wear yourself out getting ready for the holiday. Sure, you may get some time off, but you burn the candle at both ends getting ready for that break. MusicMaster is here to help you get ready for your next holiday.

Many stations run specialty imaging for holidays or seasons. Do you currently go through and manually schedule or run through tons of liners changing start and end dates to make it happen? MusicMaster makes it easy to change those elements quickly. Here are the steps to set up imaging elements using session filters.

I recommend organizing your seasonal elements into two categories. First, have a category for generic imaging, and second, create another for specific seasonal or holiday imaging. This could include imaging for individual holidays like Labor Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, or seasonal themes like Summer or Winter. Utilize a keyword field such as “Theme,” with generic imaging labeled as “generic” and seasonal or holiday imaging specified with the season or holiday. Once these categories are set up, proceed to the next step.

Open your clock where you insert your seasonal imaging. Create a combo position in your clock, prioritizing generic liners first, followed by holiday or seasonal liners. Click on the properties tab and select the “Apply Session Filters 1” box. If you’re using session filters for other events, assign a different session filter for this purpose. Save your clock, and now your session filter is active for that position.

Next, activate the rule for the session filter. Navigate to your rule tree and select the appropriate session filter from the right. Drag it over to either the “All Categories Unbreakable” folder or place the rule in each of the individual categories’ unbreakable folders. If you’re bypassing these imaging categories in your “All Category” rules, place the session filter rule in the individual categories for it to be honored. Once the rules are in place, save your rules.

Now you’re ready to schedule. Open your automatic scheduler window, navigate to the filter tab, and ensure the appropriate session filter is selected from the dropdown menu. In this example, we’re using session filter 1. Since we’ve coded our seasonal liners within the “Theme” field, select “Theme” and choose the specific theme, like Memorial Day. Once set, you can run your automatic scheduler.

Anywhere you’ve set session filter 1, it will look for the Memorial Day theme to schedule. It skips the generic category because everything there is coded as generic under the “Theme” field. Then, it moves to the seasonal category, skipping any imaging that doesn’t match the Memorial Day theme. It’s that straightforward. Just code your imaging under the appropriate theme and use the corresponding filter when scheduling for that holiday or season.

To revert to your generic liners, you can either click “Clear All Filters” in the filter tab of the automatic scheduler or select “generic” to schedule only liners coded as generic. If you clear all filters, it essentially ignores the filter and schedules normally. As long as your generic category is scheduled before your holiday or seasonal category in your pass order, everything should run smoothly. You can verify this by checking the schedule order under “Dataset,” “Schedule,” and “Schedule Properties.”

These enhancements should help streamline the process of scheduling your seasonal or holiday imaging. Contact your MusicMaster Scheduling Consultant with any questions.

Happy Scheduling… and enjoy your next holiday.

Since Thursday, October 31, 2024, We have been seeing increased reports of MusicMaster Pro shutting down in the middle of operations. Typical operations impacted include auto-scheduling activities and log editing activities, but all workflows within MusicMaster can trigger an unexpected shutdown of the application.

Impacted versions include all releases of MusicMaster Pro Version 6, Version 7, and Version 8, and impacted operating systems include Windows 10 and Windows 11.

We believe that Windows released an update to Office 365 that is the root cause of this error. We also believe that the latest update to Windows 11 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5044380) may also lead to this issue. If you are experiencing unexpected shutdowns to MusicMaster Pro, here are some steps you can take to possibly resolve the issue, at least temporarily.

• Immediately after seeing MusicMaster Pro shut down unexpectedly, open the Windows Event Viewer, and look at the most recent error in the Application Log. If it references MSADO15.DLL, your system may be impacted. To take corrective action, try the following.
• In your search bar, type “Add Remove” and then select Add Remove Programs from the results list.
• In the list of applications displayed, look for Microsoft Access Database Engine (2010), Click on it (or on the 3 dots to the right of it if Windows 11) and choose Modify Or Update (depending on your Windows version).
• Next, Choose Reinstall or Repair from the options provided
• Finally, choose Reinstall, and confirm with the button at the bottom

This will reset Microsoft Access to the version that was installed with MusicMaster and should return full functionality.

Finally, be advised that should Microsoft push out another faulty update, this issue may return, thus we recommend disabling Windows Updates temporarily until Microsoft provides final resolution to the issue.

We apologize for any inconvenience and, as always, stand by to assist you in any way we can. Feel free to reach out to our support department at 262-825-4000 if you have any questions or require assistance.

Jerry Parker

Dir. Operations.

MusicMaster, Inc.

By Jerry Butler

Optimizing your MusicMaster database is essential to ensure it runs efficiently and meets your station’s specific needs. While not all settings may be appropriate for every station, reviewing the following areas can help you fine-tune your setup for optimal performance.

Category Size and Dig Depth

• Large Categories: If you have large categories and have the schedule properties settings to dig 100%, you’re testing every song each time you schedule that category. We see some stations have categories with 1000, 10,000, or even more songs in active categories. This can greatly impact your scheduling and editing time.
• Divide Large Categories: You might divide large categories into smaller ones or reduce the dig depth to test a smaller percentage of songs.
• Reducing Dig Depth or using Virtual Dig Depth (MusicMaster Pro): By reducing dig depth in your schedule properties, you are testing fewer songs, allowing for faster scheduling. If you are using MusicMaster Pro, consider using Virtual Dig Depth. This feature digs only as far as it calculates as necessary for the scheduled element before moving on, which can significantly speed up the scheduling process.

History Purge Settings

• Active vs. Archived History: MusicMaster uses active history for scheduling, while archived history is available for reports.

• Automatic Purge History: Ensure the “Automatic Purge History When Necessary” checkbox is selected. If not, you’re testing songs against history data stretching back to the start date, which can slow down the scheduling process. I’ve seen this where stations were testing years of history, and they didn’t realize it. Keep in mind, that if you need access to live logs for a specific amount of time, you’ll need that time reflected in your setting for active history. Once the logs have been archived, data is still available for reports, but logs can no longer be opened.
• Adjusting Active History Length: Most stations don’t need more than 90 days or 8 plays for active history. Very current-based formats may reduce this to 30 days, while classical stations might extend it to a year or more. Adjusting these settings reduces the amount of data tested, speeding up scheduling. It all depends on the size of your library and your rotations. Adjust these settings according to your station’s needs.

Rules: Review and Clean Up

• Identify Duplicates: Review your rule tree for unnecessary or duplicated rules. Duplicates can occur without you realizing it, especially between the “All Categories” folder and “Individual Categories”.

• Filter and Clean: Use the filter function to highlight where specific rules are active. You can do this by right-clicking on a rule on the right side of your rule tree from available rules, then clicking filter rule tree. The system will highlight your active rules on the left so you can see every category where the rule is active. You can clear the filter by clicking the green funnel with the X on the rule tree toolbar. Cleaning up redundant or outdated rules can improve system performance and streamline your scheduling process.

Schedule Editor Options

• Display Fields: The fields you display in the Schedule Editor can impact performance. The “Schedule Status” field, while useful, loads additional rule-testing information that can slow things down. Remove any fields you don’t need to enhance editing performance.

• Test Optimum Scheduling Goals: Under Tools > Options > Schedule Editor Options, uncheck “Test Optimum Scheduling Goals” if you don’t need them in the editor. Most stations test goals in the Automatic Scheduler, but not in the Schedule Editor. This can improve performance by reducing the load on the editor.

• Results Bar: If you don’t have the results bar showing, you can access it by clicking on the wrench or arrow next to the wrench on the schedule editor toolbar. Check the box next to the results bar to display. If you right-click on the results bar, you can customize it. Remove unnecessary panels you don’t need. If you don’t use results bar at all, remove all panels displayed to prevent items from loading in the background. This can also improve performance.

MusicMaster Data Location

• LAN and WAN Use: MusicMaster CS is optimized for use on both LAN and WAN.
• Server Storage: Storing MusicMaster Pro data on a server provides benefits like better security and access from multiple computers, though it might be slower depending on your network setup.
• Local Storage: For the fastest performance, many stations store their MusicMaster Pro data locally on the computer running MusicMaster.

Running Tools Purge

• Regular Maintenance: The Tools > Purge utility cleans up your database by reindexing and compressing it. It first creates a .bak file of your data, ensuring a current version is saved. Regularly running Purge can help maintain and improve performance.

Backup Strategies

Nothing will slow you down more than losing your data. Backups are IMPORTANT.

• Standard and Custom Backups: To protect your data, regularly run both standard and custom backups. Standard backups save your backup to the same location as your active database, while custom backups allow you to store backups elsewhere on a network drive, USB drive, or cloud storage.

• Quick Tip: The .bak file created during a Tools Purge can be renamed to .mmd and opened in MusicMaster. While not a replacement for a regular backup process, this has saved many programmers in a pinch.

Conclusion

By reviewing and adjusting these settings, you can ensure that your MusicMaster database is optimized for your station’s needs, helping you achieve the best possible performance. If you have any questions or need assistance, contact your MusicMaster Scheduling Consultant for expert guidance.

By Dave Tyler

We have all been there. After years of programming a station, the decision has been made that you are flipping formats, stunting a format change, or perhaps you are about to enter the Christmas season and really, really don’t want to have to create all brand-new clocks just for 4-5 weeks of programming. Or perhaps you just want to make changes to the clock that won’t go into effect for a couple of weeks and want to work on them without messing with the current grid.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could copy the current assignment grid and clocks into a new assignment grid populated with newly named clocks that are clones of your current clocks? You could then make adjustments in these clocks and this grid without messing around with your current working clocks and grid. With MusicMaster you can!

It is important to note before moving forward that you can also “Clone” your current database if you were flipping formats and have a safe “Sandbox” version to make your changes in until you are ready to go live. (Here is a link to an article I wrote on that: https://musicmaster.com/?p=6780). Or, you can use the Format Scheduler as another lane to plan ahead for holiday or specialty programming days. For more on using the Format Scheduler, check out this top-notch blog by Senior Technical Support Manager Paul Ziino: https://musicmaster.com/?p=757 .

In my example today, to keep things as straightforward and easy to understand as possible, I will be copying my grid so I can program my Christmas music. But keep in mind, there are multiple reasons why you might want to do this. In my example below, you can see my Christmas categories and my current grid using my normal categories for regular programming.

There are 14 unique clocks in this grid that I use on a weekly basis for my regular scheduling. If I start making changes that will only be used temporarily, then I will need to note those changes, so I don’t miss anything when I return to regular scheduling. In my opinion, this is like laying landmines for myself. I don’t know about you, but when I’m falling asleep, I have some of my best ideas as my mind relaxes. I have learned that 99% of the time when I convince myself I will remember this earth-shaking idea in the morning, I completely forget it. I used to keep a pad of paper by the bed, but now I just speak the idea into “Memos” on my phone. So, the idea that I will either recall the changes or even remember where I put my notes on the changes is a risk I am not comfortable with.

So, I have decided in this case I would love to copy the entire grid to a new grid that I can work on. But hold on a second, I would still need to make new clock names right? Yep, but MusicMaster has that handled. After clicking on my Clock icon on the toolbar to pull up my Format Clock Maintenance window, I can choose to “Copy” my assignment grid. Because I also need new clocks, I can check that box too. But wait there’s more!!!! I can choose a character I would like these new clocks to be prefaced with. In my example, I am using the letter “X” for all my Christmas clocks.

Look what happens when I click OK.

I have a new Christmas grid filled with the same clocks as my regular grid, but I can now adjust and manipulate them for my new/upcoming programming needs. I can double-click on a clock and begin making the necessary changes, and once complete, I can make this grid active when needed and hit the ground running.

There are a lot of reasons why you may find this a useful tool. I find that because I use lognotes and time syncs and special elements in my database, recreating those for a full grid can not only be exhausting, but it is easy to miss something. If I know my grid is solid and works well week in and week out, then that is some solid footing to use as my foundation for adding changes.

I realize some of you may have a huge amount of clocks, and you might not even know if you need them all. Doing some housekeeping on clocks and grids can be a great move too, and I would advise checking out this incredibly complete blog on how to do that written by my colleague Vicky James: https://musicmaster.com/?p=8665 .

As always, if you have any questions, MusicMaster support is here to help.

by Dave Tyler

One of the greatest bits of wisdom I’ve ever been given was to never stop learning, but it really goes further than that. The key is to always be a student. Those two things may sound like they are the same, but they are not. One just means to keep looking for knowledge, while the other means to humble yourself – to learn not just the information, but the how, who and why. To give up the ego that wants to say, “Yeah, I already know but…” or “Yeah, I know that part…can we move faster?”

I had some great teachers who taught me patience, the importance of granular details, and the power of disciplined practice and effort. Mike Tyson was a great fighter because he did all of the little things – the fundamentals – at a master level. Just as a house built on sand will surely fall, the foundation your skills are built on is either the strongest or weakest part of the system.

As a former Navy man in Korea, my father was a solid disciplinarian. When he did things, he always did them “right”. I have joked over the years, but it is 100% true that my dad would tell me, as a six-year-old, to dig a 1 x 1 foot square hole. This meant 12 inches wide and long, and 12 inches deep. Edges were to be straight; you could take a ruler, and it would be true on each side.

In my later teen years, I got a part-time job digging holes for a company that installed in-ground Jacuzzis. I had to learn the dimensions of each model because the fit had to be good. If there was space between the ground and the base, then someone could step too hard and punch through it. They dropped me at my first dig, and when they came back several hours later, the owner and my supervisor started laughing. I thought I was in trouble, but I wasn’t! They said, “We could plumb that hole and it would work because you formed a perfect Jacuzzi in the dirt!”

I was not a great student in school. Learning was difficult for me, and it continued to be until I was about 20 years old. I struggled to slow my brain down enough to focus on a subject for an extended period. Things started to change at the age of 16 or 17. At about the same time I got my first part-time job in radio, I enrolled in Karate classes. I loved the physicality of it, but there were kata (forms) to learn and lots of Japanese terminology that I had never heard before. In martial arts, you cannot move forward unless you reach a certain level of proficiency. After a little more than three years, I tested for and passed my black belt test in an art called Shinote. I recall being exhausted, absolutely spent but excited. I received my certificate and belt and then my instructor kicked me out of his school!!!

It wasn’t quite that aggressive, but he explained that the first requirement to begin moving towards my 2nd-degree black belt was to leave his school and go get a 1st-degree black belt in a completely different martial art. I could still practice Shinote of course, and did weekly, but I had to go start to study another art. I enrolled at a Ji Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do school and after about 2 ½ years, I got my 1^st degree black belt in that, and was able to resume my progress in Shinote.

Over 40 years I’ve spent in the martial arts, I have been able to earn my 5th-degree black belt in karate, 4th-degree black belt in Kobduo (Okinawan weapons), 3rd-degree black belt in Goshin-Budo Jujitsu, and 2nd-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do as well as a Brown belt in iaido (Japanse sword drawing).

I trained in Kobudo (Okinawan Weapons) many times with the late Kiyoshi Yamazaki of Japan. I even had the honor of him asking me to lead a Gashuku (intense training) class of high-ranking black belt instructors for Bo (Staff) & Tonfa. This pic below includes my instructor Ricky Adams as well. Yamazaki was a national treasure of Japan and was even the man who taught Arnold Schwarzenegger how to use a sword in the Conan movies.

This is a picture of my young son (he’s now 34) when we trained small circle jujutsu with the legendary Wally Jay. Jay taught Bruce Lee jujutsu.

The picture below also includes some legends. I am in the black gi at the very back 2nd from left (next to the big guy in the white gi). Back when I had actual hair! The two instructors in white at the front are Takashi Kinjo (honored as a living treasure of Japan by the emperor!) and Mikio Nishiuchi. We were training in a style of weapons known as Matayoshi Kobudo that featured Bo, Tonfa, Sai, Nunchaku & Kama (twin scythe type weapon).

Not to mention, this kid with a learning problem has also written more than a dozen historical articles on the martial arts for magazines like Black Belt, Karate International, and Inside Karate. I say none of this to pat myself on the back, but the key was the desire to always be a student and to learn for the knowledge, not for rank or prestige.

I know I’ve made the eyes of my family roll every time we would go on vacation because if there was a dojo (school) in the town that taught something I had no experience with, I would call them and see if I could visit and train. Almost all said yes, and even with my higher ranking, I would wrap a white belt around my waist as a show of respect. I was not there to show them how much I know, but to hopefully learn a little of what they know. Such is the tradition in karate. Most often the instructor will thank you and demand you put on your black belt out of mutual respect.

My well-work black belt is pictured below:

My radio career started about the same time, and I was in a similar position of knowing nothing but being excited, and I took this “Student” mentality to work with me. I was/am never afraid to ask the stupid question or to admit that I do not know something…even if I probably should know it. I pestered every radio person who had so much as a day’s more experience than me for information on how to talk right, how to develop from being an announcer to being a personality, how to splice tape (a skill I no longer need LOL), how to do digital editing, how and why music is scheduled the way it is, how to put together promotions…you name it. I attended every Dan O’Day Morning Show Boot Camp I could afford to go to and had an impressive collection of California Aircheck cassettes of my radio heroes, of which I listened to figure out what made them so relatable, so great.

In 2014, with a tad more than 30 years of radio experience, I was offered my position here at MusicMaster! Wow! I knew this was an elite team, but I had no idea just how bright and talented everyone here was. After 30 years as a morning guy, Music Director, Program Director, and Ops Manager, I was going into a new world. It took me about one week as a three-decade radio pro to realize it was time to put my white belt back on, shut up, listen, and learn. Many of those instructing me were much younger than me, but they knew this software like the back of their hand. Ask anyone senior or junior to me at MusicMaster and they’ll tell you I am not scared to admit when I need more info on a topic. I ask, ask, ask. I have a folder on my laptop called “Cheat Sheets”. This folder has countless screenshots and step-by-step instructions on areas where I might have or still struggle, and I add to it constantly.

In this age of radio, we need to not only be good at what we do on the air, but each of us will wear many hats in the halls of a radio station. We need to be really, really good on the air, at writing scripts, voicing production, live appearances, creating promotions, and of course scheduling our music. Every song is an opportunity for the listener to make the choice to stay or leave. We are being tested every 3 ½ minutes by the folks that can make or break us.

Our Music has to be stellar. Jukebox radio just doesn’t cut it, and as we move forward, I think local radio will actually cycle back around to being the big player because we know our markets better than anyone else. Music tastes are different regionally. Music Scheduling is like being a chef. You can’t just throw a bunch of things together and make it taste good (unless you’re in New Orleans…they can throw anything in a pot and make it taste amazing), you need to tweak the details to make somebody’s eyes widen when they take a bite. I remember the first time I tried legit Mexican Street Corn in Dallas…I was like “What in the world is this flavor”? Experiencing something fresh and new is memorable and exhilarating! Keep the sound of your station exciting. MusicMaster has everything you need to do it. The days of being a specialist like just a Music Director or only a Production Director and not also doing a shift are long gone in most cases. Your team at MusicMaster is always ready to teach you more about this wonderful, powerful, robust software.

No matter how much experience or what position(s) you hold/held, if you to continue to secure your place in today’s radio environment, you need to be a master in many areas. Where can you learn more? I mentioned earlier those morning show bootcamps. These were great learning places. If you haven’t, start to attend radio conferences locally and nationally. My love is Country music and as much as my butt has sat on a lot of barstools during the annual Country Radio Seminar, I also attended a ton of great panels to learn more about particular subjects, or to listen in on someone’s take on how they do their job at such a high level. From CRS to the big and regional NAB shows, CMB, NRB, Conclave, and more, these are fertile grounds for sharing and learning new things.

One thing I started doing early on was reaching out to my heroes and people that I thought had a unique take and asking them for more information. At my first AM radio job in Inverness, Florida, I would write and send aircheck tapes of myself to South Florida radio legend Rick Shaw. Rick responded EVERY time! He would send me two-page letters with a critique of the tapes and answers to questions I asked him. Reach out to people you admire with the questions you have, and you will be surprised that most of them would love to share with you.

Check out websites like Radio Ink, Inside Radio, and others. Facebook has tons of radio “Groups”. One of my favorite groups is Radio Broadcasting Industry. Join and ask questions. If you have a consultant…ask them questions. You are paying them for their knowledge, and I bet they’ll be more than happy to pass some on. Never be afraid to ask your peers. Everyone has experienced different things that led them to you. 20+ years ago, consultant Mike McVay came and visited the station I was working at because he was buddies with our Ops Manager, Shane Finch. We took him to lunch, and he probably had to get a big takeout bag because we all asked him a thousand questions and he took his time to answer each one… stuff that is part of my programming philosophy to this day!

And let’s not forget the massive resources offered at MusicMaster. Our website (MusicMaster.com) features a “Learn” section with Webinars, Walkthroughs, and hundreds of blog articles on just about every topic or question you could have about scheduling music. These blogs are often step-by-step “How-To’s” with screenshots to help get things set up right away.

However, the biggest resource you have is your MusicMaster Support rep. I spend my days speaking with clients of all levels about their music, how to do things, how to get better rotations, how best to code songs, etc. It is a dream job! We’re in this thing together to make great radio, get great ratings, and drive listenership and sales. When you win, we win. MusicMaster is a robust software package with tools inside to supercharge what you’re already doing. Use this to your advantage. Ask. Learn. Succeed. Lead.