By Drew Bennett
Your first question after reading the title of this article might have been as simple as, “What the heck is an Info Bar?” The Info Bar is a quick navigation tool that allows you fast access to Library Maintenance, Clocks and Schedules. At the bottom of the Info Bar are three icons or tabs for these sections of the software. The Info Bar’s drag and drop feature comes in handy quite often. It allows you to drag songs to categories when moving them, it allows you to add a category to a clock and it allows you to drop a category right into a log you’re scheduling. There’s more to the Info Bar, though, and the arrival of 5.0 brings new features.
Have you ever wished for additional category information in the Info Bar? Now, you can show additional information for each category right next to the category name. To activate this feature head to Tools, Options, Library Editor Options.
This feature allows you to select between Song Count, Slot Count or Average Runtime to be displayed with the category name in the Info Bar.
The software will periodically update this information automatically for you, but you can force it to update at any time by right-clicking that panel and using the Refresh option.
In the Clocks section of the Info Bar, you’ll find a new button called, Lognotes. Here, every one of the lognotes you have stored in the database is ready for you to drag and drop into a clock or log. Simply open a clock or log and drag and drop a lognote from the Info Bar. It saves several keystrokes and once a lognote has been entered into the data, you’ll never have to type it out again!
The Info Bar keeps improving with each version of the MusicMaster software. When you need it, press F11 or choose View, Info Bar. It’s a great tool to use when navigating the software and its new features in 5.0 give you more power over lognotes and a new way to display category information. If you have any questions regarding this or any other MusicMaster section or feature, please don’t hesitate to call your assigned MusicMaster Music Scheduling Consultant and Happy Scheduling!
By Aaron Taylor
Play MPE is a content distribution system that is available to the radio industry. Many in the industry use it as a “one stop shop” for all new content needed for their stations. In addition to the actual song or video, Play MPE makes available to its users additional data that can be useful in their programming. We’ll discuss how to obtain this information and integrate it into MusicMaster in this article. (more…)
KAXL-FM – Bakersfield, CA; Wiener Bezirksblatt Radio – Vienna, Austria;
On the first two days of November this year, MusicMaster will be a big topic at the Broadcast Symposium in Berlin. On Air’s Justus Fischer will be part of the panel “We love Music Strategy – Music Management works!”. Another workshop will talk about the “myths of music scheduling”.
Last year over 200 people from the European broadcast industry joined together in Berlin for this inspiring event. Even the location might be worth the travel. The music and lifestyle hotel “nhow” is famous for its design and the own recording studio. Artists like N.E.R.D., Erykha Badu or Jessie J. have done recordings there.
You can register now for a special early bird rate.
A very warm welcome to our very first MusicMaster stations in Brazil!
Beat98 in Rio de Janeiro and BHFM in Belo Horizonte are both part of the Globo Radio network. Both stations are very successful, playing a major role in their markets (Beat98 is #2, BHFM is #1). The Globo Radio network is consulted by Radio Intelligence from Sweden.
Renan (PD, Beat98), Irene (Group PD), Micheline (MD, BHFM), Zequinha (MD, Beat98) and Jonas (PD, BHFM) during the MusicMaster training in Rio de Janeiro.
Staff meetings should always be over lunch! The Milwaukee contingent of MusicMaster held a recent meeting over lunch to discuss the latest happenings. Good food and conversation were both on the menu. It was a great way to head into our busy fall schedule.
From left to right: Alexis, Lydia, Melanie, Susan, Jill, Scott, Joe and Paul
This year’s SwissRadioDay was a big get together for all radio people in Switzerland. The major topics were “Radio and Online” and “Digital Radio and Entertainment Electronics in cars”.
Nominated as “Radio of the Year” was Radio 105 from Zurich, for the third year in a row now, another station scheduling with MusicMaster.
Here you can see Andreas Meier (Head of Music, Radio 24, Zurich) and Jean-Claude Frick from Swiss Media Partners enjoying their coffee break.
There are industry events and conventions every month around the world. We always appreciate meeting our customers and finding out how MusicMaster is working for them. If you’re planning on attending any of these events, let us know. We’d love to meet with you if possible.
Jeff Johnson is the Senior Vice President of Alan Burns & Associates, and has been with the company since 1987.
Alan Burns & Associates is a small firm that specializes in precise custom strategies and close, personal attention to our limited client list. Our task is to help each client formulate – then execute – the one strategy that will result in success. We help radio stations increase ratings by providing custom strategies, music plans, morning show development, marketing/promotion ideas, and the training of your staff. We consult all forms of AC and CHR: from Mainstream, Soft, Modern, Gold AC and Hot AC, to Mainstream and Rhythmic CHR.
Alan Burns & Associates is proud to have helped hundreds of AC and CHR stations succeed in even the toughest of market circumstances. The result of our accumulated knowledge, experience, and skills is successful clients. A few of the radio stations we have helped win include great stations like Z100 New York, WBMX Boston, and WSHH Pittsburgh.
Contact Jeff Johnson at (410) 647-6666 or jeff@burnsradio.com.
The MusicMaster Pro-Team is comprised of experienced broadcast consultants and programmers who are available to assist MusicMaster clients with programming advice. Their services are available under this cost effective program with no long term commitment required, and can be added to your existing software support plan. Information on each MusicMaster Pro-Team member is available below. If you would like to retain the services of one of the MusicMaster Pro-Team members or have questions about the specifics of the program contact Joe Knapp, President/CEO at +1 (262) 786-6519 or JoeKnapp@A-Ware.com.
See the complete MusicMaster Pro-Team Roster.
Quick Tip: Results Bar in the EditorThe Results Bar is an additional display in the Editor that will give you snapshots of various data. You can turn on this feature using the Toggle ToolBars icon, which is the last one on the right. Select the Results Bar and it will appear at the bottom of your screen (although you can dock it wherever you’d like). Now, right click in one of the displayed panels. This opens the customization screen where you can choose what to display. Popular options here include the date/time, minimum rest and keyword fields. We especially like the Song Rotation graph, which is a mini history graph! Once you’ve made your selections, click OK to save the display. A few more tips: You can hover over the panel to show additional information. Any panels that show a blue “I” are for information only. If the element you are on has no information for the panel, it will simply be grayed out.
It’s Time to Talk About Backups Again
By Drew Bennett
Every so often we write about making backups and why it’s a good idea to backup at least once a day. I would venture to say it’s the number one rule in our support department. Try as we may to get everyone in the habit, someone always calls with a serious situation where the database is corrupt or gone and there’s no recent backup in sight. (Read more.)
Four Housekeeping Tasks to Safeguard and Improve your MusicMaster Experience
By Marianne Burkett
What is the most important thing about your radio station? This may be a point of discussion, but I’m going out on a limb here and say: “it’s what comes out of the speakers”. So, your music and/or on-air talent, sizzling imaging & community involvement is likely what makes the station so good? Yes? Good answer, we’re on the same page. So, if some freak accident happened like lightning strikes, you trip over your power cord and fry your hard drive or your audio and data library in MusicMaster were completely wiped out, you’d be up the creek, without a paddle! (Read more.)
Marc van den Heuvel
Assistant PD/MD
Radio Veronica
Naarden, Netherlands
“Every day, every hour, we want the best playlists at Radio Veronica. MusicMaster has really helped us to improve our rotations and quarter hours. If you have everything in balance, Optimum Goals are a good feature to create the perfect playlist. Our favorite is the Optimum Spin Consistency: Each library does have those hits that are difficult to place, due to the rules. The Optimum Spin Consistency ensures that they are regularly scheduled.
“In 2012 Radio Veronica had the best year in the ratings since the start of the station in 2003. MusicMaster 5.0 has been in use since May.”
Staff meetings should always be over lunch! The Milwaukee contingent of MusicMaster held a recent meeting over lunch to discuss the latest happenings. Good food and conversation were both on the menu. It was a great way to head into our busy fall schedule.
From left to right: Alexis, Lydia, Melanie, Susan, Jill, Scott, Joe and Paul
This year’s SwissRadioDay was a big get together for all radio people in Switzerland. The major topics were “Radio and Online” and “Digital Radio and Entertainment Electronics in cars”.
Nominated as “Radio of the Year” was Radio 105 from Zurich, for the third year in a row now, another station scheduling with MusicMaster.
Here you can see Andreas Meier (Head of Music, Radio 24, Zurich) and Jean-Claude Frick from Swiss Media Partners enjoying their coffee break.
By Marianne Burkett
1.Tools, Backup, Perform a standard backup, Yes
What is the most important thing about your radio station? This may be a point of discussion, but I’m going out on a limb here and say: “it’s what comes out of the speakers”. So, your music and/or on-air talent, sizzling imaging & community involvement is likely what makes the station so good? Yes? Good answer, we’re on the same page. So, if some freak accident happened like lightning strikes, you trip over your power cord and fry your hard drive or your audio and data library in MusicMaster were completely wiped out, you’d be up the creek, without a paddle! (more…)
A very warm welcome to our very first MusicMaster stations in Brazil!
Beat98 in Rio de Janeiro and BHFM in Belo Horizonte are both part of the Globo Radio network. Both stations are very successful, playing a major role in their markets (Beat98 is #2, BHFM is #1). The Globo Radio network is consulted by Radio Intelligence from Sweden.
Renan (PD, Beat98), Irene (Group PD), Micheline (MD, BHFM), Zequinha (MD, Beat98) and Jonas (PD, BHFM) during the MusicMaster training this week in Rio de Janeiro.
We will also join this year’s Broadcast & Cable in Sao Paulo on August 20-22. Please get in touch with Thomas Roth for further details.
On the first two days of November this year, MusicMaster will be a big topic at the Broadcast Symposium in Berlin. On Air’s Justus Fischer will be part of the panel “We love Music Strategy – Music Management works!”. Another workshop will talk about the “myths of music scheduling”. Last year over 200 people from the European broadcast industry joined together in Berlin for this inspiring event. Even the location might be worth the travel. The music and lifestyle hotel “nhow” is famous for its design and the own recording studio. Artists like N.E.R.D., Erykha Badu or Jessie J. have done recordings there.
By Drew Bennett
Every so often we write about making backups and why it’s a good idea to backup at least once a day. I would venture to say it’s the number one rule in our support department. Try as we may to get everyone in the habit, someone always calls with a serious situation where the database is corrupt or gone and there’s no recent backup in sight. (more…)
Deluxe TV – Munich, Germany; Radio Fantasy – Cervignano Del Friuli, Italy; Radio Delta 1 – Atessa, Italy
This month the latest German radio ratings were published and according to this study, 53.5 million people 10 years and older, two thirds of all German citizens, are listening to radio programs scheduled with MusicMaster every day.
As of July 2012, MusicMaster is represented in the Netherlands and Belgium by Top of Mind Media Branding of Amsterdam.
Top of Mind is a fairly young company but it has over 30 years of experience in radio, since its senior consultant Bart van Gogh has worked as a composer/producer for thousands of station call jingles and voice-overs for numerous radio stations all over Europe.
For the last five years, Bart’s core business slowly but surely changed from being a consultant for many radio stations and programmers as he started coaching and supporting air talent, producers, and program and music directors. Now the range of services has extended even more, with the ability of supplying stations with the best music scheduling software ever: MusicMaster.
Bart says, “As soon as I took a glance on this scheduling program, I was sorry I didn’t have my own radio station. I have never ever experienced such an instant addiction to computer software like I did with MusicMaster. The flexibility, the logic, the functionality and the support I got from the On Air people, as well as the online training videos, made me understand the workings of the software in no time.”
In less than one year MusicMaster found its way to over 10 stations in Holland and more will come in the next few months. “Training people how to use the software is as much fun as using the program for scheduling purposes on the stations we do music consulting for ourselves,” Bart adds.
Top of Mind is located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
E-mail: bart@topofmind.nu
Phone: +31.20.31.20.544 (office), or +31.653.87.84.83 (cell).
We had a a great time in Nürnberg, meeting several of our long-time clients, having great conversations, and having great drinks and food in the evening. We are looking forward to next year. Here some photos we shot at the convention:
Justus Fischer of ON AIR DIGITAL flanked, from left to right, by: Mario Colantonio, Consultant; Guy Fränkel, Rock Antenne; Martin Pohlers, Radio Arabella; and Eberhard Fruck, Consultant.
There are industry events and conventions every month around the world. We always appreciate meeting our customers and finding out how MusicMaster is working for them. If you’re planning on attending any of these events, let us know. We’d love to meet with you if possible.
Jacobs Media is the nation’s leading rock consultancy firm. Fred Jacobs created the Classic Rock radio format in 1983. Since then, Jacobs Media has expanded its services to include Rock, Alternative (“The Edge”), and Public Radio. With a commitment to innovation and customized strategies, the Jacobs Media team of consultants keeps clients aware of new trends, using nationwide online polls, focus groups, and ethnography, going beyond the numbers and observing real people in real life situations. Station services include strategic development, cluster strategy, music management and architecture, production and positioning, personality coaching, and promotional, contesting, and tactical concepts and execution. Jacobs Media’s SmartSuite analytics package helps programmers better understand their stations’ music design and on-air presentation, as well as tracking the competition.
The MusicMaster Pro-Team is comprised of experienced broadcast consultants and programmers who are available to assist MusicMaster clients with programming advice. Their services are available under this cost effective program with no long term commitment required, and can be added to your existing software support plan. Information on each MusicMaster Pro-Team member is available below. If you would like to retain the services of one of the MusicMaster Pro-Team members or have questions about the specifics of the program contact Joe Knapp, President/CEO at +1 (262) 786-6519 or JoeKnapp@A-Ware.com.
See the complete MusicMaster Pro-Team Roster.
Quick Tip: Auto Kick vs. AutoBurnUnder Song/History Rules, you’ll find a folder of Hour Rotation Rules. Auto Kick is one of those rules. This rule is a great way to ensure protection in quarter-hour, half-hour or hour increments on fast-spinning categories with a search depth of one. The rule will automatically prevent same hour plays in the protection you’ve indicated, but only when needed. If the rotation is working, the rule will pass and nothing will be “kicked”. If you use our Schedule, AutoBurn feature, however, that option “burns” songs every time you have it specified, even if it wasn’t needed. Both options might accomplish what you’d like, but if you are looking for a lighter touch, you might want to consider Auto Kick.
MusicMaster Spins Reports
By Aaron Taylor
Whether it’s for your consultant, group program director, a record label or your own edification MusicMaster has a number of spins reports that are available for you to utilize. In this article, I will cover your choices and how to find them in the application, detail the options in each, and give you a sample view of the generated report. (Read more.)
Rule Issues? Ask The Rule Wizard
By Jesus Rodriguez
In this blog post we will take a journey like a storybook does to meet the Rule Wizard who is always available to help us in a time of need. We often get calls asking why certain rules are not functioning properly. Are my rules to tight? May be to loose? Do I have the right times set for my rules? I just did a new database what rules should I use? I inherited a database but I don’t know if the person before me had the correct rules? Can you help us because we made huge changes to the database and now it’s acting weird? (Read more.)
Direct Field Entry While Editing Logs
By Paul Ziino
Sometimes you just know what you want to play, but scrolling through the replacement song list seems like such a waste of time. At MusicMaster we value your time, so we have many ways to speed up this process. Using Direct Field Entry when you edit will let you drill down to either the specific song you want or at least make the list significantly shorter. One quick note: What we’re about to describe may look like you are changing the information on a song. Don’t worry, the options we’re describing only assist in Schedule Editor searches and don’t impact the data on your song cards. Now, let’s speed up your editing! (Read more.)
Chris Collins
Program Director
KRVV-FM and KJMG-FM
Holladay Broadcasting
Bastrop, Louisiana
“Initially, the reason I chose MusicMaster for my stations was a budget consideration. However, after seeing the feature set and experiencing the great one-on-one support, we have now standardized MusicMaster to all of our clusters. After using MusicMaster for that first month, it was hard for me to imagine scheduling without it. I am constantly learning new and better ways to do things.
“My absolute favorite part of MusicMaster has always been its ability to work with Excel. It’s so easy to manipulate data and create test datasets or even get a new station running quickly. Another feature that really helped on my Hip-Hop station is Rule Groups and the ability to daypart them.
“In Version 5, category quick move has turned into my best friend. I run tight categories and the number of songs is critical to having a proper rotation. Being able to see at a glance whether I am up or down a song or two while doing rotation is a big time saver.
“Finally, my favorite feature is having a dedicated support contact. It is great to have a relationship with one person, who gets where you are coming from. It makes support so easy and much less time consuming when it is needed.”
