MusicMaster Blog

by Vicky James

Are you over-clogging your database with duplicate titles in multiple categories to achieve a desired rotation for a specialty show or feature?

The Multiple Categories feature eliminates duplicating songs, allowing a single song the ability to be assigned to multiple categories while simultaneously maintaining its place in a normal rotation. You can add a song to as many different categories as you need.

For example, if you have an 80s Category, you may also want to use titles from that category to rotate during a specialty hour, such as The Party Playlist show featured on the weekends.

Here’s how to set it up:

To control this in CS, click the Edit Helper in the Category Field of a song in the library, and it will populate a box allowing you to select the Category.

Next, simply check each desired category where you wish the song to now live.

As seen in the image below, the song “1999″ by Prince is in the 80s Category. I have checked the PP category, and now “1999” will live in both categories.

Once the song has been added to the desired categories,  you can see it resides in both.

The Multiple Category feature is also available in the Web Client with nearly the same process.

In the Library Maintenance window, hover over the Edit Helper in the category field.

When you click into the editor, you can check each category to which “1999″ should be added.

As you can see in the image, I have selected the PP category. Now, “1999” will live in both categories.

Now, if you query that song, you will see it is in both categories!

For further help on Multiple Categories or to learn about more features in CS or the Web Client, feel free to reach out to your support rep!

By Dave Tyler

Let’s talk about a cool feature of MusicMaster CS. It is the Field Override function. I remember sitting in my office with other Program Directors and Music Directors going over new music (and sometimes older tunes) that we were adding to our individual stations’ playlists. I can’t tell you how many friendly arguments we had over Tempo codes! For reference, I am a 1-5 guy when it comes to tempo. That means:

1-Slow

2-Slow/Medium

3-Medium

4-Medium/Fast

5-Fast

I know many folks who do 1-3 or even 1-9. So anyway, I’d throw a song on to preview and say that’s a 3 (medium), and my CHR buddy would be like “You’re crazy dude, a 2 at the most and even that’s borderline” while my Light A/C pal would be like, “That’s a 4 for me!” And ya’ know what? We were all right! Tempo is subjective, but it could also vary on the same station depending on the kind of show or programming it is being featured in.

First, let’s look at the setup for a Tempo field that can be overridden. In Enterpris,e we can go to Library/Fields and we’ll “Create A New Field” that is a Tempo overall field (meaning it can only have one code, the song is a “3” or Medium overall). We’ll also check the box to make it able to be overridden, which gives it a superpower!

I would then go to Library/Attributes and assign my codes like the picture below.

Great! I now have available codes for Tempo for my songs. One song that pops into my mind is The Doobie Brothers’ “Listen To The Music”. Great song! My station is a Classic Hits station that leans a little Classic Rock during the day, but then our evening show is more of a Light Yacht Rock type thing. Because I have multiple stations that will use this song, I code it in Enterprise as I see it, and I feel it is a 3-Medium overall. Sure, it has some tempo, but considering the energy of the song, to me it is a Medium. The funny thing is I can hear a bunch of you going “Listen man that thing is a 4 all day long!” and that’s ok!

Now I go to my station and find that song. I have this song in two categories. My D1 category is an active category during my regular programming, while my RR category is only active during my Light Yacht Rock segment. To reiterate, during the day I consider this song a Medium, but I also include it in my Light Yacht Rock deal. There, because the overall vibe and tempo of the show is lighter and slower, this song in relation to the others in my evening show is a flame thrower, one of the faster songs, so it is coded a 5 in that category. Starting to make sense?

If I wanted to see what all of the settings were for Tempo on this song are, I can click Ctrl-O (O as in Override) and it will display that information for me.

As you can see, there is also a “Station” section. Let’s say Enterprise has this song coded at a 3, but I am a Light Classic Hits station…. then I might code it as a 4 or 5 at the station level. The Category section only comes into play if the song is in multiple categories in the same station.

Ok, so that is clearly useful and cool, and the more you let the idea of Field Override simmer, the more places you’ll find it can be used. So, with your mind already blown, let’s transition to our MusicMaster Web Client version for CS. I don’t mean to brag here (which really means: put some rocks in your pockets cuz the wind is gonna blow!) MusicMaster CS Web was the 2025 NAB Show Radio World “Best In Show” winner!!!!! But again, not bragging….just saying wink wink.

If you are CS Version 3 or higher, then the web client may be available to you. I am going to go to my station on the web and see if I have or need to create a Tempo field that can be overridden. As we know, I already have a field like this, but if you didn’t, then within Enterprise on the web, you could go to Library/Fields/Create New Field and make one. Just be sure to check the “Override” button, and when you do, voila, you have the field.

Or you might already have a Tempo overall field, but it is not set to be overridden. Bummer! But hey, this is MusicMaster, and we want you to have what you want. Though not all fields can be overridden, for this one, I can go to Library/Fields and click the “Make Field Overridable” and boom, there it is!

Now, if you want to see the override information in the Web client, just open the song in Library Maintenance and click the Field Override button, and it will display.

Field Override adds another layer of amazingness to an already incredible platform to project your station as high as you want to go.