MusicMaster Blog

By Drew Bennett

Purging your database will re-index the data and put everything back in order. It’s much like the defragmenter on your hard drive. It removes errant characters and puts all of your data back in order. The result is a more efficient and faster database. To purge the data in MusicMaster, choose Tools, Purge. Make sure no one else is in the data when you run purge. It needs to perform that function without multiple connections open. I tell my clients to perform this once a week or when you think about it. Happy scheduling!

By Marianne Burkett

Imagine your owner or General Manager walking into your office or the studio telling you “Hey, we’re starting a new format, you’re in charge and we’re launching ASAP.”

Oh boy…your stress level has just risen 150% and you’re wondering …”Where do I start?

The order in which you implement the project is important. The first 3 steps done in the order below will save you a lot of time and frustration.

The first thing you do is acquire a library of music from a reliable source. There are several companies that can provide libraries in a hurry, with a simple internet search. You need the new library ripped into your playout or automation software. When you do so, each cut is assigned an automation number – which is crucial in the early process.

Next, clone your existing MMwin database and strip the clone of its music and non-music. That way, you’re retaining important files like your export to automation design and printed log design.

The new library you’ve acquired can be pulled into MusicMaster using a Library Import utility, or you can copy/paste the new library right into MusicMaster from an Excel spreadsheet. You may need to put a call into your MusicMaster Scheduling Consultant for assistance, but both the Library Import and Copy/Paste are relatively simple procedures.

I recommend the next steps be done in this order:

Create Categories Populate the Categories Code all the music you decide to use and make sure your Artist Keywords are in place. Build Clocks. If you’re launching a brand new format – a few starter clocks should suffice. Remember – Rome was not built in a day. Build the Clock assignment grid and activate it. Install some basic rules in the Rule Tree to get you started. Click on the Rule Tree Wizard for some basic recommendations and build from there. Run the Scheduler to see the results of the rules you’ve created. Test your export to automation to make sure the music is accepted into the playout software.

I promise if you follow these steps, the rest is easy. Checking your rotations and turnovers – tweaking the rules etc…

Of course, as with any major undertaking – consult with colleagues – or put a call into your MusicMaster Scheduling Consultant with questions you may have. You can also access a world of knowledge within the MusicMaster website by accessing our webinar series or support center.

Our job is to help you be successful.

By Paul Ziino

Have categories to which you do not wish to apply your All Categories rules? Bypass them! Right-click the MusicMaster Rule Tree header of the rule tree itself, select Rule Tree Properties, then check any category you wish to ignore the All Categories rules.

Or you can click the Properties icon in the Rule Tree (third from right), then check the categories to bypass.

Click OK, then save your rule tree!

By Marianne Burkett

What is the “Format Scheduler”?

In a nutshell, the Format Scheduler allows you to pre-schedule your Clocks and Assignment Grids in advance on a calendar.  You can also “rotate” your Assignment Grids.

The Format Scheduler gives you the ability to “override” your active assigned clocks for a pre- determined time frame for a date range, or perhaps for just one hour on a particular day. Just what you need if you would like to have different clocks in place for the holiday Monday coming up (perhaps you have a specialty weekend or count down planned, or simply will be voice tracked Monday) and need to have those clocks in place to export to your automation system.

(more…)

Did you know there is a calculator hidden within MusicMaster Windows? This cool utility can be found in the Turnover Analysis section of the software (to get there, click on the two circling blue arrows icon on the toolbar, or by selecting DATASET-ANALYSIS-ANALYSIS). On the lower level of the split analysis screen, you’ll spot a row of icons and the calculator icon can be found there. This is the Turnover Calculator, and it allows you to play with the number of songs in the category (Slot Count), the number of times you call for it (Avg. Per Hour) and the turnover time (Avg.).

By using the calculate buttons, you can see graphically what the turnover would like with various setting To use this, change one of the three fields shown, and then click on the calculate button you want to view. For instance, if you were setting up a new category and you knew that you wanted a turnover for the category of 29 hours (1d 5:00) and you wanted to play four songs per hour, you would fill in those two pieces of information. You would then click on the Calculate button to the right of Slot Count. MusicMaster would then determine you need 116 songs in the category.

If you are contemplating making clock/category changes, I think this is an invaluable tool to help you make decisions on “what you should do” to achieve your rotation goals.

Keep in mind, the turnover calculator is showing you graphs for a category with a 1 search depth and no rules.  The use of search depth and coding and rotation rules will effect the overall turnover pattern in real-time scheduling.

If you have any questions in regard to the Turnover Calculator or any other feature of MusicMaster, contact your Music Scheduling Consultant.

By Marianne Burkett

You’re watching a scheduling session in MMwin and wonder why it’s scheduling certain categories first through last. If you’d like to adjust the order in which your categories schedule – otherwise known as “pass order”, simply right click on your “Info Bar” and click on “Schedule Properties”. Or, you can go to Dataset/Schedule/Schedule Properties. Then, put your cursor on the category you’d like to move up or down and drag the Blue Arrow to the place on the list you’d like the category to schedule. Click “OK” and you’re done. Good rule of thumb when scheduling: schedule your smallest categories first and work your way down to the largest category. That gives MusicMaster more songs to test later in the pass order to adhere to the rules you’ve set up in the Rule Tree.

This is an option under DATASET-LIBRARY-CATEGORIES. You will find the rectangle on the right labeled GROUPS.

The box that appears allows you to select the categories you wish to include in the grouping and name it however you wish.

Groups – This handy feature allows you to create groups of music for quick reference in other parts of the program. We’ve already created three defaults: all categories, music categories and non-music categories. You might further refine this by create a group that includes only those music categories that you rotate, or by pass or scheduling order if you do certain categories on separate automatic scheduling runs. These groups will appear on the Info Bar for easy access.

by Paul Ziino

You’re editing your log in the Schedule Editor, and realize that one of your songs is mis-coded. You can quickly access the song card from the Schedule Editor by clicking the "Song Card Editor" icon (looks like an index card" or you can press Alt-F3 on your keyboard. Either will open the song card for the active song. Make the change to the song accordingly, cursor to a different field in the card to lock in your changes, and press Escape to exit back to the Schedule Editor.

Note: If you use Alt-F3, press it a second time to toggle to the grid view for that song, and again to go back to the song card.

Thinking about or getting ready to do special programming for an upcoming holiday weekend? You may want to check out some of the great resources available to you regarding how to do these with ease in MusicMaster.

In the HELP system of MusicMaster Windows itself, go to:

Help-Tutorials – “A to Z Special” and “Top 500 Countdown”

List: Blog Articles on Specialty Programming

2020 Genius Session on “Theme Weekends Made Easy”

Archived Webinar on “Setting Up Weekend Specials”

As you are learning, you may also want to refer to MusicMaster Walkthroughs, short videos covering how to use different features in all program areas.

If you still have questions about your specific set up for some upcoming special weekend programming, drop us an email or call if we can help!

By Marianne Burkett

Many programmers like to do specials during the course of the summer season, like the top 300 song countdown weekends etc. Some like to print out a list and have the number of the song on the printed list. Before starting any Mass Change exercise, please take a backup. Then create your song list or open an existing song list using the song list editor. Save the list in whichever order you would see the #1 song first on the list. Click on the song list so it’s now in Library Maintenance mode. Then go find a vacant Text field in your library. Dataset/Library/Fields. Typically you’ll have several text fields that are not in use. Pull that available text field into your view using the Show/Hide Fields Icon. Then, right click on the field name – go to Mass Changer and your Operation is “Assign Sequential Values”. Start with the number 1.. MusicMaster will populate that field with the first song number thru the last song number. Now you can print your song list songs, with the number of the song next to it! Any questions, please call your MusicMaster Scheduling Consultant.