January 2017

Welcome to MusicMaster!

New From the MusicMaster Blog

by Paul Ziino - There is so much you can do with Instant Analysis. Here are a couple ideas. Curious how much slow music you’re scheduling? Or how many rock tunes? You can see this all broken down by hour, day, or custom time period. Here’s how to set it up.

In the Schedule Editor, click the Schedule Analysis icon, then the Instant Analysis tab. Click the Add button. On the Statistics Editor screen you indicate the time period (current hour, current day, or any available custom time period). The Target is what you wish to analyze. For this example, we’re looking at Ballads and we’re testing only Music.

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Little Things Mean A Lot

by Dave Tyler - I will be the first to admit that I am a bit of an “Info-Geek”! I like having the tools I need and the information I need at my fingertips when I need it. MusicMaster has a couple displays that I now take for granted but when I run across a database that is not using them it drives me crazy! Over in your Info Bar where your categories live there is a big blank area…dead space that could, in my Info-Geek mind be filled with something useful to me. Well if you are using MusicMaster 5.0 or later then you already can fill that space and you have 3 options to choose from Song Count, Average Run Time & Slot Count.

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Quick Tip: Scaling Your Rules

Scaling your rules is a great way to make MusicMaster work harder to deliver the best possible log. Let's say you absolutely must have 1:20 of artist separation. That rule becomes your unbreakable rule. What you'd really like, though is 1:40. That becomes your breakable rule. In a perfect world, you'd want 2:10. That also becomes a breakable rule. Realistically, you know there are some artists that can meet that 2:10, but not all of them. At a minimum you know you'll never have an artist schedule with less than 1:20, but because MusicMaster has the other two rules to consider, it will continue testing to see if it can find any that meet those settings. When you dial in your rules like this, you're on the way to a log that gets the most out of your data. If you'd like more examples and details, head to the Help and search for "Scaleable Rules".

MusicMaster Raving Fan: Country Radio Legend Kyle Cantrell

To celebrate the upcoming Nashville Country Radio Seminar and MusicMaster Genius Day, we turn to country radio legend and MusicMaster Raving Fan Kyle Cantrell. Kyle began his radio career as an announcer on the Grand Ole Opry and worked on staff at WSM for 21 years. Currently, he is the program director of Sirius XM Radio's Bluegrass Junction. In this video, Kyle shares his love of country music and his experience using MusicMaster to program it - including how he uses his favorite feature, Auto-Platooning, to keep his rotations fresh.

Five Types Of Content Your Business Needs To Be Posting On Social Media

Written by Lenny Balisteri, Music Director and Group Executive Morning Producer, Magic 92.5. Reprinted with permission from Lenny B Creative.

It is one of the most asked questions that we receive on the Market This Business Podcast and in person. First, you should know that my perspective is coming from the broadcast radio industry. I've come to realize that the content philosophy that the TV and Radio broadcasting industry holds, can also work well while broadcasting your business' message on social media for marketing purposes.

While working as a morning radio DJ and programming assistant, I came to realize that to be part of a successful broadcast endeavor, every single word that was spoken into the microphone must have some sort of marketing purpose behind it. Most people may believe a broadcast radio DJ's objective is to play the best music he or she can. That is just a tiny part of the story. It is all marketing. An AM/FM radio DJ's main purpose is to "keep the most people engaged with the radio station for as long as possible." Personal stories from the radio air staff are there to connect to station on a deeper level with the listener. Teasing concert dates and parties are there to promote station events. News pieces that the air staff shares about the music is [sic] connecting the listener to the station's product, it's music.

The same principles should be used when you broadcast content about your business on its social media channels. The good news here is that you already have an endless amount of content that is suitable to post. There is no person better to develop the best social media content to promote your business then you. Easier said than done you say? Here is a quick list of categories that I suggest works for most social media business content.

1. Product Information
Posting information about your products, and how your products can be utilized by your customers is good content. Many times we are too close to our products and don't realize that our customers need to be taught how valuable the products can be to them. Posting about new products, their features, and how products are best used is always a good idea.

2. Personal Information
An opportunity to connect you and your staff with your customers on a personal level helps develop customer loyalty. There are limits to how personal you may want to get. Not everyone wants to share intimate details about their lives.

3. Promotional Content
This is the type of content that most businesses realize is necessary. Touting your newest promotions and specials is a must but your social media posts should not be limited solely to this category. Pre-sale and product availability information is valuable content.

4. Educational Content
Teaching your customers about your products and how to use them as [sic] essential. The story behind your products or how your products were developed can separate you from your competition. It helps validate your product and helps your customers share your story. No one is better equipped to give this backstory than you. It is important to remember to always speak to the entry level consumer. You are an expert when it comes to your products so remember to keep things simple.

5. Testimonial Content
This is one of my favorite categories. Testimonials from your best clients are of great value. Your best clients are your "cheerleaders" and can sell your products just as well if not better than you can. With today's high quality smart phone audio and video at everyone's fingertips, you don't need to be a multimedia professional to create some compelling content. Even a simple picture of a satisfied customer with a short endorsement can do the trick. Ask your best clients why they chose you instead of your competitors and share it. Online reviews are great but by posting testimonials, you're broadcasting your own great reviews.

Now that you have an idea of the types of content you could be posting, it's important to make sure that you keep your content diverse. Equally rotating these categories the best you can will keep your content stream looking fresh and compelling to the largest potential audience. One question you may be faced with at this point is "how often should I be posting?" There is a huge amount of information out there that will give you specific numbers. I believe it's a good idea to begin by making sure you post regularly. Posting good social media content for your business can be time-consuming, but well worth the effort if you stay consistent.

MusicMaster Genius Day Coming to Music City USA

If one of your resolutions this year was to step up your programming game, then what better way to do this than attend a MusicMaster Genius Day? Your first opportunity this year will be in Nashville during the Country Radio Seminar, held February 22nd from 9am to 4pm.

Since it's Nashville, we're bringing the party to the classroom. Sit with our team and examine your database during the breaks while listening to live performances from our guest artists. You can't do that on Lower Broadway! You'll also walk away with the advanced tricks, latest features and must-knows you might have been missing. On top of all that, you'll hear some industry insights from our special guest speakers (TBA). Stay tuned for more details as they come. Complete your registration for this free event and reserve your spot early!

Click to Register

Salon de la Radio Hosts MusicMaster Roundtable Workshop

The first European industry event of 2017 happens to be the biggest radio show in the French-speaking market. The Salon de la Radio show will take place on January 29 - 31 at La Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris. Every year, the convention brings together a complete panorama of the French and European radio industry. Nearly 5,000 professionals are expected to attend. If you will be in Paris at this time, be sure not to miss the MusicMaster roundtable/workshop hosted by Gérard Floener, Head of Music from RTL in Luxembourg. For more information on attending, please contact ON AIR.

Behind-the-Scenes with MusicMaster Version 7

MusicMaster Pro Version 7 continues undergoing rigorous tests and new improvements. Last month we shared a first look at some of the new features, including Clone Hours, Create Custom Database Fields, Combined Trivia, Virtual Show and two of our brand new User Interface Themes. This month we'd like to give you a peek at some of the other goodies coming to MusicMaster Version 7. Click here to learn more about the coming updates.

The new graphical display for Library Analysis.

Scheduling Properties showing new Virtual Search Depth Option. MusicMaster will search until it finds a set number of passing songs rather than a set search depth. This makes your scheduling process go faster!.

Set your Virtual Search Depth with this new pop-up window for Search Depth.

The Welcome screen now has a direct link to the MusicMaster news feed so you can see announcements, blog articles and other tips.

New options for customizing your background wallpaper and logo are now available.

Gene Kuntz Celebrates 40 Years at WITZ

To say Jasper, Indiana has been blessed with great radio and personalities is truly an understatement. With the slogan “Everything You Need, Everyday”, WITZ is a full-service station boasting broadcasters known for their servant-leadership.

MusicMaster would like to congratulate Jasper on the Air General Manager, Gene Kuntz on his 40th Anniversary.

Kuntz, his wife Phyllis and Carrie Underwood

MusicMaster caught up with Gene to share a few thoughts about his 40 years in Jasper, and how he continues to explore ways to keep the stations fresh.

“I started at WITZ on January 3, 1977, as a night time announcer. I eventually worked my way up to afternoons, then middays and Program Director. I also started selling in the 80's. I became Operations Manager then added Sales Manager duties to that. In 2011, my boss Earl Metzger passed away due to cancer. That's when I became G.M.”, shares Kuntz.

Jasper on the Air now includes WITZ-FM, WQKZ-FM, WITZ 990 AM and 99.1 FM Juan.

Kuntz continued: “In the last 5 years we have completely remodeled our master control room studio, dropped then built a new tower, changed our previously simulcast AM to a Regional Mexican format in 2015 and added an FM translator in July of 2016. On Monday, January 9 we completely reformatted our country station WQKZ FM and switched to NASH FM programming with Ty, Kelly & Chuck in the morning, Shawn Parr 7PM-Midnight, Blair Garner from Midnight to 6 and also added American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks.

"We never rest and are always trying to improve ourselves with great local programming. Our staff has been with us a long time and that's a blessing. Without them and their commitment it wouldn't be possible. We've had two full time employees out since the end of October with health issues and everyone has stepped up to fill unfillable shoes! I still love coming to work every day and hopefully I can continue to do so until I'm ready to retire, which I don't see happening for a while yet! My boss, Earl, said to keep doing radio until it's not fun anymore then move on to something else. I'm still having fun so why not continue to do it as long as I want to!”

Gene is obviously still passionate about radio and we know the listeners and advertisers appreciate his commitment.

Looking Through the Lens with Kallaway

What started as an excellent way to document live broadcasts and highlight special station events has blossomed into a point of differentiation for Midwest Communications morning man Dave Kallaway.

Kallaway a longtime radio dude and 22-year host of the “Kallaway on the Rise” morning show on WIFC, began looking at beautiful Marathon County, Wisconsin with new eyes.

“I started about 14 years ago by capturing live shots of major station events for the website and it quickly became a way for me to express my creativity. I worked to make it one of my unique selling points. I realized it was a way to make myself and the show stick out over other jocks in town.

Pretty soon, I began to see cool things en route to events and would take the time to click away. As I began to get more actively involved in social media for the show, I knew I would need unique content, and it got to where the radio show became more about “coverage” of our listening area."

"I didn’t want to use someone’s work, when I could enjoy the creative freedom that comes with a project, and show our listeners and advertisers my unique perspective on the beautiful place in which we live”, says Kallaway. “I’m a gearhead so I began getting interested and excited by better equipment. A good camera always feels better in my hands and my work began to reflect this passion and excitement."

"Now I’ve been doing it long enough people come to me knowing I’m archiving photos of annual events and landscape photography. "It’s really just an extension of the cool factor that radio has brought to my life. I’ve always loved concerts and now, through photography, love them even more.”

Dave reflects, “There are morning shows that simply throw up a card table and roll banner at a remote, and this has allowed me to bring a lot more value to the party. My show has always reflected my passion for life and this is just another exciting release for my creativity.”

Dave Kallaway, staying relevant and celebrating life, can be heard weekday mornings from 5am-9am on 95.5 WIFC.

Dave Kallaway

Corey Tremere - Music Director - Ocean 100.3, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Corey shares: "Using MusicMaster (and prior to that MusicScan) for the vast majority of my 27 years in radio, I know the needs of programming, sales and most importantly our listeners has evolved immensely. Likewise, the demands and duties of programming have increased -- but the ease and power of programming with a great database can always be trusted when done in MusicMaster. From the moment a music log is scheduled, massaged and elements previewed on desktop, to when traffic is integrated, to played on the air and then auto reconciled, MusicMaster offers complete control of each step and helps to make our station sound flow seamlessly between multiple programs. Running reports, library analysis/turnovers and industry reports like SOCAN are a breeze. The creative control and adaptability of station data, and the ease of modifying rules in the rule tree, flexible coding and separation options make it the only software powerful enough to be trusted by stations around the world--including ours."

Joe Knapp
Founder, Owner, Senior Advisor, Chairman
Dallas, TX

Joe Knapp has been hooked on radio since he was a newborn in Cleveland, Ohio, when his mother discovered she could keep him happy by playing the R&B station in his nursery. Eleven years later, Joe fulfilled his quest to imitate the Boss Jocks by building his own single watt AM transmitter. He was broadcasting at 3000 watts before the FCC shut him down and advised him to “brush up on the law” so he could get a real job in radio one day.

Taking their advice to heart, Joe obtained his First Class FCC license when he was 18. His radio work took him from Cleveland to Milwaukee, where he built stations and worked in every department from engineering to programming to on-air announcing. Ultimately, Joe’s knack for building studios from the ground up landed him a gig in New York, where he was put in charge of the Z-100 move-in in New York City for Malrite.

In 1983, while Joe was working at WZUU-FM in Milwaukee, he wrote a music scheduling program for the station to replace their unreliable card system. This evolved into MusicScan and later, MusicMaster. Still working every day, Joe plans to keep on working as long as he can. Joe believes: “When you truly love what you do for a living, you’re never really working at all.”

In his spare time, Joe enjoys collecting vinyl records, antique radios, and talking machines. He also puts MusicMaster to the test by programming an oldies channel that rotates 180,000 songs. You can listen to his station and read stories behind the records by visiting his blog: MusicMaster Oldies. Joe’s advice to the radio industry is simple but fundamental: “Listen to your listeners.”