MusicMaster Blog

By Marianne Burkett

I just experienced the pleasure of helping a client go through a process of format concept to completion. The new format sounds terrific and better than he expected. Good sounding radio doesn’t just happen. All the great music in the world, played back to back – won’t sound right if it’s not scheduled correctly.   While discussing the importance of what I term as “Dynamic Flow”, my client visualized it like this: ”Kind of like how awesome and comfortable it is to sit at the seashore and listen to the ocean waves.”…   I indicated, yes…that’s it! I want dynamic texture everywhere in my music log. This is where the rubber meets the road. Here is the main reasoning behind my philosophy: Dynamics in music is critical to a songs success or failure. It’s a very rare instance that you’ll hear a song doesn’t have some kind of dynamic change near the bridge.   If songs sounded the same at the beginning, middle and the end – they’d be downright boring.

So if songs require dynamics to be successful, wouldn’t you think dynamic flow would benefit your format? If you’re listening to your station and it wears you out… you might have a dynamics issue. If you’re listening to your station and you get bored, you might have a dynamics issue.  If you’re listening and it is enjoyable, interesting and ebbs and flows like the tide, you are likely paying attention to dynamics.

Dynamic flow check list:

1. Ensure you correctly code your music library with power (intensity), tempo, mood, sound coding and gender. I’ve mentioned this in a previous blog “a song without a code is a like a free radical” …it can’t be controlled. So get some control! If you have “average sounding songs” code them with an Average sound code and throw some spice in-between when you can.
2. Use the analysis tools and rules in MusicMaster to decipher and separate the codes and distribute them evenly. Get out your paintbrush and create a beautiful sound using the correct rules. Run the automatic scheduler and watch MusicMaster create beautiful music.
3. This may be old school philosophy, but in every quarter hour, you should be able to deliver the different “flavors” of your music library.   Typical drive times around the country vary…ranging anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Give your listeners a reason to return when they get back in the car or get back to their desk. Unless you’re doing rock blocks or something similar – give the folks the best tasting smorgasbord of music you can cook up.

That’s all for now!

If you have any questions or would like to discuss my philosophy – reach out to me or, get in touch with your Music Scheduling Consultant… we’re always here to help.